News - 13/07/18

The 38ft classic yacht Whooper was built by Attrill’s yard in St Helens and launched in 1939. She has been far afield in her life to date, and now she’s back as a true Isle of Wight girl! 

Owner Giovanni Belgrano told us: “I’ve had Whooper for the past 18 years, and we are having tremendous fun, ducking and gybing equally with classics and moderns in the Solent. We’ve won the IRC Nationals, Round The Island, and Cowes Week twice, and Panerai British Classic Week three times! 

“Key to this,” Giovanni said, “is being able to keep Whooper at Shepards Marina, and relying on the facilities and friendly CHC staff. I enjoy tinkering there, and spend a lot more time there than at work or home! 

“The seamless use of the great Cowes Harbour Services Boatyard facility at Kingston means we have made a ritual of pulling out there to prepare for ‘the big one’, the RTI race – the one that ‘counts’ – as we live here! 

“It’s also our ‘go-to’ place in case of emergency damage, like we had at the beginning of the season, because we know their staff will help us, and they have all that may be needed at hand.

Left photo – L-R: Giovanni Belgrano and Whooper with Jon Lucas at Cowes Harbour Services Boatyard. Right photo: Whooper rounding The Needles.

“We go back a long way with Jon (Boatyard Team Leader Jon Lucas),” Giovanni continued, “he has become a true friend, and his team have the same great work ethics.

“Our mission is to get Whooper to 100 years, and I look forward to doing it with the great support of CHC’s yard and Shepards facilities.”

The teams at Cowes Harbour Services Boatyard and Shepards Marina would like to congratulate Whooper on winning the Jeroboam Trophy for Second IRC Team in this year’s Round the Island Race in association with Cloudy Bay, and hope to continue looking after Whooper for many years to come.

Left photo: Whooper at Lendy Cowes Week 2017 – by Rick Tomlinson. Right photo: Whooper in the Solent.