It was 1910 when the Camper & Nicholson boatyard launched ‘Sylvana’ in Gosport (UK), a schooner destined to make history. The class and elegance of this lovely schooner made her stand out immediately. Built for the Spanish Royal family, she was later bought by Colonel Courteney CE Morgan, registered at the port of Portsmouth and sailed under the British flag. Subsequently, ‘Sylvana’ was transferred to Brest and sold to another owner, who in turn resold her until she was transferred to Argentina, where she remained for a long time.
She was also named ‘Pais de France’, ‘Le Matin’, ‘Diane’ and ‘Vira’.
Under the new name ‘Orion’ the schooner participated for years in the Mediterranean regatta season and was renowned for berthing at full astern whilst blaring out opera music.
Later she undertook a restoration in La Ciotat, France in 2003. Project Managed by Mike Pope, Alex Laird and Butch Dalrymple Smith.
A recent restoration was undertaken in Palma (2022) when she was taken back to her original name of Sylvana.
