Eraf

[Deauville Trophy]

Originally Posted by Black Tornado

Beautiful images Dauphin d'Or!

The Eraf saga was of 4 boats. 3 Cigarette 36' and a italian made 39' builded by E.R.I.A. Marine in 1975.
The Cigarette 36' was the follow:
The first builded in 1972,was that with the sides in sky blu,with the hull and deck in white.
With it De Angelis raced in 1972-73-74. Then the roman driver abandoned to a new wodden Eraf 39' in 1975.
In 1973 De Angelis bought from Bonelli one of him two 36' Lady Nara. Exactly the second Lady Nara builded in 1972.
De Angelis raced with it(Eraf in red) in some races in 1973-74.
That 36' was modified like a pleasure boat in 1975 and was lost, burned offshore Viareggio in 1979.
The third 36' Eraf was the former first 36' Black Tornado of Balestrieri.
After the Viareggio-Bastia-Viareggio in 1975 the Italian Champ abandoned the competitions and sold the first 36' ever builded by Aronow to De Angelis that left the original sides in black and renamed it Eraf-De Angelis Costruzioni Edilizie-Compra una Casa a Roma(De Angelis Buildings-Buy a home in Rome) and putting him #96.
De Angelis won the race after Viareggio,the Dauphin D'Or in Marina Baia des Anges near Nizza with that boat,beating Bonomi.
When De Angelis joined in 1978 the new Alitalia Team of Francesco Cosentino,THE 36' was repainted in gray and renamed Eraf-Alitalia Due.
The Roman spent him last two race seasons with a new 38' tin boat of CUV named Alitalia Tre.
In 1976 De Angelis bought a Cigarette 35' and was in the Bacardi Trophy but didn,t race again with it.
The 36' former Black Tornado won again the Viareggio-Gorgona isle-Viareggio in 1981 with rough waters(Jack remember well, I think)with the rookie Renato Della Valle and reappeared in the last of eighties in some Italian races.
De Angelis started to race in offshore in the Sam Griffith Memorial Race in 1972 with the 31' former 1971's Black Tornado that became the Sahlman's The Little Cigarette setting a new speed record in 1974.
The boats of Balestrieri was special boats.
That's it all.
BT

Marco, I am impressed! All the gaps and question marks in the Eraf saga answered in one neat, precise message.
Well done

I have a photo of the Alitalia liveried Eraf but Nigel will need to use his wizardry before it can be posted.

Phil.

[littlenige]

Phil, send the picture to me for improvement and it will be done.

Marco - I bow to your superior knowledge!! Phew!!!

[Black Tornado]

Many Thanks!
However to complete the Eraf story,the first Eraf(with the sides in sky blue)was sold to the rookie Beppe Roda in 1976. It was in the same colours(only little modifications) and was renamed Damolu,with the #80. Roda raced the Viareggio-Bastia-Viareggio in that same year.
The boat rested in a hangar of Viareggio for 5 years then was bought by Antonio Meschi and was modified with a new windshield similar to that of Black Tornado/Eraf and with new airscope in the engines hatches. It was repainted with the sides in dark green and renamed Alfred with the #717.
Meschi raced the Viareggio-Gorgona isle-Viareggio in 1981 with rough seas.

BT

[littlenige]

In red! Thanks Graham for the photo. Ex Lady Nara.

[Deauville Trophy]

Originally Posted by littlenige

In red! Thanks Graham for the photo. Ex Lady Nara.

Thanks Nigel.
I have been waiting a long time to see this one. At last, I know that it isn't a myth.

Phil.

[T2x]

God... I love this website.

Happy New Year

T2x

[littlenige]

- been trawling through Graham´s wonderful library (racing and non) over on Boatmad. Came up with this - check out the exhaust plates on Lady Nara - still in place when the boat became Eraf.

[littlenige]

PLus another when she was black.

[Black Tornado]

Originally Posted by littlenige

PLus another when she was black.

But this was the former Black Tornado not the Lady Nara II.

[Deauville Trophy]

Originally Posted by littlenige

- been trawling through Graham´s wonderful library (racing and non) over on Boatmad. Came up with this - check out the exhaust plates on Lady Nara - still in place when the boat became Eraf.

Nigel,

There is another picture of the "Blue" Eraf in Graham's library. As you can check below, it show the boat leaving harbour and we can clearly see the side exhausts complete with plates in the style of those used on Lady Nara. We can also note that holes from exhaust through the transom appear to have been plugged.
This picture is dated from 1974 and possibly taken at Cowes in late August.

When Eraf arrived in Deauville in early September of the same year, the side exhausts holes had been patched up, as shown on the black and white newspaper photo. Eraf had reverted to the other type of exhausts.
I wish I knew what went on and why.
Does anyone know? As far as I know it wasn't common practice.

Phil.