Laurent Giles 68 ft Sangermani Sloop 1958 - Sold

Through the 1950s and 1960s, Jack Laurent Giles and Cantiere Sangermani, Lavagna, Italy, achieved a design and build symbiosis resulting in exquisite yachts - some of the best ever built. VIOLA, in which Cesare Sangermani also had a hand in the design, is second to none in understated good taste and fine craftsmanship, and with legendary Giles sailing performance guaranteed. VIOLA has belonged to only three families since new and enjoyed several refits in her lifetime to keep her to the manner born, most recently by her original builders 2013-2015, including new deck, engines and drive train, generator and all electric, electronic and hydraulic systems. That combination of few owners and the best of regular attention and updating of systems really shows: VIOLA is a very special thing.

By Sangermani
- New teak/ plywood composite deck
- New sails
- New engines 2x Volvo Penta D4-180
- New generator, Kohler 13 kw
- New propeller shafts and propellers
- New tanks
- New bow thruster
- All electrical, electronic, hydraulic and water systems renewed
- All new Simrad navigation electronics
- New anchor winch
- New tanks

New navigation systems
- Echopilot FLS 3D forward looking sonar
- Simrad NSE 12 Chart plotter/ Multi Function Display
- Simrad autopilot
- Simrad Structure Scan underwater display
- Simrad 4G radar
- 2x Simrad VHF
- Simrad AIS transponder

When VIOLA re-launched at the place of her birth in the spring of 2013 after a major refit including getting her second new deck, the local mayor and the Regional Councillor for Sport and Leisure were in attendance. She was quite rightly seen as a beacon-like symbol of the once profuse local skills in the building and fitting-out of beautiful wooden yachts for which Italy's Liguria region is renowned.

By 1958, when VIOLA was commissioned by famed racing motorcycle manufacturer Giuseppe Gilera, the Sangermani yard - established at Lavagna after the second world war specifically to build larger yachts than they’d previously built at other locations - had gained an enviable reputation for quality of work, attention to detail - and also for design, although many of their builds were to drawings by for example Sparkman & Stephens and Laurent Giles. VIOLA wasn’t in any way more special than any other Sangermani yachts - they all were - but the way she has been looked after by only three owning families over the years really is truly special.

She was launched at Lavagna on a hot August day by Gilera's very young granddaughter - Viola - to be a comfortable summer cruiser, and happy place for a family which had recently been touched by tragedy. Guests would often be famous, a trend that would continue into her second ownership when she became a popular charter yacht in their hands.

In 2012, VIOLA's third and present owners brought her back to Lavagna for the half century major refit and updating that most yachts inevitably need. The workmanship was of course still second to none, ensuring that this fine example of wooden boat building mastery by Sangermani lives on to give pleasure and be admired.

We give grandson of VIOLA's maker, Giacomo Sangermani, the last word here; we couldn't put it any better:

"All this goes to show that, even after more than half a century, good boats, if you take care of them with love and wisdom, can still give so much good feeling to those who own them!"

©2022 Iain McAllister/ Sandeman Yacht Company Ltd.

- Carvel mahogany planking
- Frame of solid and laminated acacia, elm, iroko and oak
- Composite plywood/ teak laid deck (2013)
- Teak bulwark and capping rail
- Mahogany deck houses and furniture
- Mahogany interior

- Composite plywood/ teak laid deck (2013)
- Teak bulwark and capping rail
- Chromed stanchions

From aft

- Passarelle & bathing platform in stainless steel and raw teak
- Stainless steel pushpits at quarters with permanent gate for access
- 2 x Mooring line fairleads
- Ensign staff socket
- 3 x Taffrail lockers; one for shorepower socket
- Stainless steel comms dome post
- Flush deck hatch to large lazarette
- Adjustable backstay tackle; tufnol blocks
- Varnished teak bar and chromed bronze mooring cleats port & stbd
- 2 x Antal self-tailing winches on teak plinths at covering board/ bulwark
- Chromed Giles running backstay levers port & starboard
- Genoa track on capping rail port & starboard with large tufnol blocks
- Chromed Panama with roller fairleads port & starboard

Steering position with helmsman’s bench
- Volvo Penta engine panel
- Volvo Penta throttle
- Simrad WCE 12 Plotter
- Simrad AP24 Autopilot
- Simrad 1520 Wind VMG instrument
- Echopilot display
- Thruster joystick

Aft coachroof
- 2 x Anderson 52ST self-tailing winches on teak plinths on aft coachroof
- Chromed mainsheet track on teak plinth
- Tufnol blocks
- Winch handles in raw teak chocks

Deck house
- Stainless steel boom crutch
- Teak hand rail port & starboard
- Boathook on teak chocks
- 2 x Chromed cowl vents on Dorade boxes fwd

Forward coachroof
- 2 x Butterfly hatches

Spruce Mast & Boom
- 2 x Spreader rig
- 2 x Antal W52 halyard winches
- 1 x Antal W44 halyard winch
- 2 x Winch handle chocks at deck
- 2 x Anderson ST46 for reefing and outhaul on boom

4 x Leaf butterfly hatches fwd of mast
- Bench seat over
- Table forward

- Raised hatch over fwd owners’ cabin
- Chromed Panama with roller fairleads port & starboard
- Teak laid hatch to Fo’c’sle

Inner forestay

- Sanguinetti Chiavari 3000 W 24 V vertical stainless steel/ bronze windlass
- 2 x Chromed and varnished mooring cleats
- Delta type 30-35kg anchor on bow roller
- Stainless steel pulpit

Reckmann headsail furler

Enter via deck house companionway
- Down 4 x steps

Deck saloon in period
- Joinery in Sangermani mahogany style
- Opening fwd windows
- Sliding side windows
- Flag locker & Wempe barometer & clock port aft
- ‘L’ dinette with large 2 x folding leaf table to port
- Small sideboard and shelves port fwd
- Sideboard with glass doors to starboard
- Fwd to chart table to starboard
- Chart plotter and VHF radio
- Ship’s isolating panel to port
- 4 x Deckhead lights
- 2 x Electric bulkhead style lights
- Engine space under saloon sole

Forward from Saloon

Down fwd 4 x steps
- Galley to starboard
- Butterfly hatch in deckhead
- 3 x Opening ports
- 4 x Burner Schott Ceran induction hob
- Stainless steel sink with hot and cold mixer tap
- Many food and plate lockers
- Large fridge
- Large freezer
- Coffee maker

Double guest cabin to port
- Butterfly hatch in deckhead
- 3 x Opening ports
- Stowage under bunk
- 2 x Reading lights
- Deckhead light
- Large hanging locker
- Desk and drawer
- Mirror
- TV

WC to starboard
- Tecma electric wc
- Counter top ceramic sink basin
- Hot and cold mixer tap
- Lockers

Very large shower room to port
- Ceramic counter top sink
- Butterfly hatch in deckhead
- Deckhead light

Fwd to owners’ cabin
- Banquettes port & starboard
- Very large bed
- Much drawer space under
- Large hanging lockers port & starboard
- TV screen on bulkhead
- Butterfly hatch in deckhead
- Raised hatch in deckhead forward
- 2 x Reading lights
- 4 x Deckhead lights

Aft from Saloon

Down steps to passage aft

Large twin bunk en-suite stateroom
- Single berths port & starboard
- Stowage under in drawers and lockers
- Athwartships settee
- 5 x Opening ports
- 1 x Deckhead light
- 2 x Reading lights

En-suite
- Tecma electric wc
- Inset sink with hot and cold mixer tap
- Shower
- 1 x Opening port
- 1 x Deckhead light

RIG
- Sloop rig
- Original silver spruce mast & boom
- Backstay adjusted by Giles Highfield levers
- Adjustable headsail cars on rail tracks

SAILS
- Crosscut Dacron 10 oz fore-and aft sails (2013-2015)
- Fully-battened mainsail with 2 x Reefs
- Antal luff car track system
- Stack-pack with lazyjacks
- Crosscut furling genoa with acrylic UV protection band
- Reckmann stainless steel furler
- Gennaker with Nylon stocking, tri-radial cut with different weights

CANVASWORK
- Bimini & light stainless steel frame

MECHANICAL
- 2 x Volvo Penta D4-180
- Kohler 13 kW Generator

ELECTRICAL
- 640 Ah Service batteries
- 2 x 160 Ah Motor batteries
- MasterVolt Charge Master Combi 24 V 100 Ah
- Inverter capacity 3500 W
- Motor battery charger 12 V 35 A
- Generator battery charger 12 V 10 A
- VETUS 220 Kgf 24V 300mm tunnel bow thruster (2015/2021)
- Anchor windlass (see Deck Equipment)

TANKAGE
- Tanks new 2013-2015
- Fuel: 3000 L
- Water: 1000 L

- Echopilot FLS 3D forward looking sonar
- Simrad NSE 12 Chart plotter/ Multi Function Display
- Simrad autopilot
- Simrad Structure Scan underwater display
- Simrad 4G radar
- 2 x Simrad VHF
- Simrad AIS transponder

- 3 x Electric bilge pumps; auto / manual operation
- 1 x Double action manual operation bilge pump
- Valise stowed 6-person AWN life raft (requires service)
- 3 x Personal buoyancy aids (non-inflatable)
- Fire extinguishers (new, with certification)
- First Aid kit (requires expired items update)
- EPIRB (requires service)

Sailing images by James Robinson Taylor