Heller 80807 Amerigo Vespucci

The SV Amerigo Vespucci is an Italian training sailing ship from the 20th century. The construction of the ship began in 1930, and the launch took place in February 1931. The ship was built at the shipyard in Castellmmaer di Stabia in Naples, southern Italy. The vessel is 101 m long by 15 m wide. Its displacement is about 4,200 tons. The mechanical drive is a Fiat Q 426 engine with 2000 hp.

SV Amerigo Vespucci was built as a training ship for the Regia Marina, the Italian Navy, and its main designer was Col. Francesco Rotundi, who in turn was modeled on the great sailing ships at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries. The ship was made of steel and has quite rich sails with a total area of approx. 2,850 m2. At present, the unit has very modern navigation equipment, but it has many old design solutions, such as capstans powered by human hands. In the period 1931-2002 SV Amerigo Vespucci took part in a total of 71 school cruises, cruising mainly in the Mediterranean, the North Sea and the Atlantic.