Red Pupparin "Desona"

photos by Tamás Fehér

Most of you know by now that I'm a fan of the "big desonas" - those exceptionally long, multi-rower, vessels that always show up for big events in Venice.
A more detailed explanation can be found in my post "Benedettina".

I've shared photos and video of some of these impressive boats in the following posts:

"Holy Remo" Part 2 - Querini
18 oars and a lot to be proud of.

Regata Storica - A Basket Full of Forcole
The forcole for a quattordesona - all in one basket.

Regata Storica through the lens of Nereo Zane - 4 "March of the 'Desonas"
A few of these long boats in the spotlight at Regata Storica.

Vogalonga 2011 - Video of 16 desona
Kathleen Gonzalez shot this from the Tre Archi bridge during the 2011 Vogalonga.

My favorite memeber of this unique fleet of boats
is the GSVVM's Mestrina - a 14-post "quattordesona"
Mestrina - 2009 Vogalonga Retrospective

Today we're looking at an impressive ten-oared boat; one which I hadn't seen until I received photos from Tamás, who saw her pass by during the last Vogalonga.

Technically speaking, I'd call her a "diesona", although no two of these big boats are the same, she does have ten oars.  I recognize that there are "desonas" based on the same design that the gondola comes from, and others that appear to be much larger members of the sandolo family. 
This boat has the sandolo characteristics we see in the pupparin.

She has the bow of a sandolo-type boat,

And the stern of a pupparin.

This boat is part of the fleet of the Remiera-Club Ponte dei Sartori.,
their website is http://pontedeisartori.altervista.org/ 
Here is a link to a page on their site with multiple images of this remarkable boat:
http://pierove.dyndns.org/Foto/Vogalonga/Vogalonga.html

Most of the desonas are a lot beefier than this one.  She appears to be relatively light, and I'll bet she moves fast with a crew of ten.

Bravo to the Remiera-Club Ponte dei Sartori.

4 for 14

There are many different kinds of rowing boats in the Veneto;
we've talked about nearly all of them here. 
There are the sandoli, mascarete, and of course the many different versions of the gondola family, but it's no secret that I'm a fan of
what I like to call the "big desonas".

These are a group of boats that are rowed by multiple crew members.  each one is a one-of-a-kind creation, and each one is cherished by those lucky enough to have her.

I must admit some bias here, being a member of the Gruppo Sportivo Voga Veneta in Mestre, when I say that my favorite of the "big desonas" is the GSVVM's quattordesona known as "Mestrina".
The name "quattordesona" indicates that she is meant to be rowed by fourteen people - meant to be, but a smaller group of skilled vogatori can move her around if they need to (or want to).

Here we see four guys doing the job of fourteen.
I'm not sure why these four guys chose to head out onto the lagoon rowing in the "4 for 14" configuration, but I'm not surprised that it was these four guys as they are some of the most senior members of the GSVVM.

Sure, it takes some strength for a few to do the job of many, but in voga-alla-Veneta, it also takes knowledge, experience, and of course, technique.
These guys have them all.

I find it comical that in this next photo, we see an amusing contrast as a huge boat rowed by four skilled men passes by a dragon boat that's jammed tight with paddlers, who may or may not know what the heck they're doing.

"Benedettina"

photos by Tamás Fehér

As beautiful and unique as they are, many of the standard-design rowing boats of the Veneto are seen as "just another _____" as they float alongside others of the same design.

Sure, a gondola in a group of gondolas may look more "common",
but each and every rowing boat in the Venetian rowing fleet is a beautiful thing; unique in her own way, and built with great care by someone who probably loves their job almost as much as they love the boats they build.

But if you still can't help but look at a bunch of sandoli at a rowing club, or the raft of gondolas in Bacino Orseolo, and say to yourself "ah, they're all the same", you can't say that about something like this:

I realize that the term is probably an aberration, and I must confess that I coined it myself, but I like to call this group of boats the "big desonas".
These bring custom-built to a whole new level.
There are 8, 10, and 12 oared versions.
The Gruppo Sportivo Voga Veneta - Mestre has many boats, but their pride and joy is the 14-oar "Mestrina" - a quattordesona. 
The "Mestrina" is so big that she consists of three sections that are bolted together (easier to transport that way).
I believe the 18-post "disdotona" at the Società Canottieri Francesco Querini currently holds top billing in the group. 

Of course each of the "big desonas" are original designs, but they all tend to have a certain look - as if they were based on the gondola design at both ends. But this one is different.
That's not the tail of a gondola there.
And the prow is more like that of a sandolo-type vessel.

Tamás shot these while attending a regatta off the end of Giudecca,
he didn't get a lot of info on the boat, but one of the photos came with the name “Benedettina”.
in taking a closer look, I noticed the name of the club on the side:

Gruppo remiero "Porto Pedocco" in Comune di Correzzola.

Next, I searched “Benedettina” and found this page on Gilberto Penzo’s website: www.veniceboats.com/it-restauro-autocostruzioni-nuoveforme.htm

There’s a boat in the “Pupparin” section of the page that looks a lot like this one (except that she appears to be a three-part-boat that can be bolted together like "Mestrina").

In examining the photos, this looks like a 12 oared boat, but my suspicion was that "Benedettina" also wasn't a fancy new way to say "twelve-man-boat". 

I asked Nereo Zane about the boat, and he cleared it up as only a Venetian can:

"Benedettina" is the boat's name, like Mestrina is the name of our quatoresona.
The name "Benedettina" comes from an old Monastery (founded in the 13th century) called "Corte Benedettina" located in Correzzola. The monastery was very important for the whole area during the past centuries. Today it's an interesting and unique witness of the past.

Nereo also provided this link:
www.correzzola.it
click on the "Storia" tab, and you can learn more about the history of the place.

Nereo's opinion was the same as mine:
In my opinion (after a visit to Gilberto's website) the boat is a multiple rower puparin with the stern like a sandolo buranello.

Anyone with more information on this unique boat is encouraged to comment on this post or e-mail me at greg@gondola.com.

Vogalonga 2011 - Video of 16 desona

video by Kathleen Gonzalez


Here’s one more nice video clip from the Canale di Cannaregio as boats from the Vogalonga were entering the city.



In this video we see an impressive 16-oared boat. She’s similar to many of the big “desonas”, but this boat seems to have the bow and stern of a sandolo instead of a gondola.
It's amazing to watch her go by, like a big centipede on the water.

Mestrina - 2009 Vogalonga Retrospective

photos by Tamás Fehér

There were a few comments on my last post asking about "nostri amici" in the GSVVM. Far be it from me to miss an opportunity to post photos with rowers in orange and blue.

Before I go further though, I need to point out that Nereo posted a several shots of GSVVM boats in his post "Vogalonga 2011" which I linked to a few days ago.

Now, to explain the images here.

A while back Tamás sent me a number of photos from 2009's Vogalonga, and among them was a series of shots of the all-too-familiar "Mestrina".

Taking a closer look, I saw someone I knew,

quite well in fact,

because...I'm married to her!

Yes, riding in the bow, along with one of the other club member's wives, was my wife Elisa.  My youngest daughter was curled up in the bow as well. 

The conditions that day were, shall we say, "challenging" to say the least.

I don't have any numbers to back up such a claim, but when it comes to finishers, I'll bet it ranks at or near the very bottom of all Vogalongas as far as failure-to-finish is concerned.

As the Mestrina made her way through the lagoon, my wife shot a number of video clips which can be sampled from here:

2009 Vogalonga Video - Windy

You get a sense of the wind in this clip.

2009 Vogalonga Video - Crossing the Lagoon

You can hear the wind in this video, later you get an idea of how the vogatori felt about the conditions as the camera pans across some of their faces while rowing.

2009 Vogalonga Video - Approaching Burano

As they approach Burano, we see a nice gondolone rowing not too far from the Mestrina.

2009 Vogalonga Video - Mestrina in Cannaregio

Earlier, in fact before they even got to the starting line, this was the scene as our "amici" in the 14-man boat reached the Canale di Cannaregio after a tough trek from the club.

2009 Vogalonga Video - Craziness in Cannaregio

The drama continued as the crew of the Mestrina took a breather. 

Some people were trying to launch a lightweight shell from the fondamenta. A few dragon boats paddled by - no telling whether they even got halfway through the course.  And some rowers in an English-style boat got bumped into a few times.

2009 Vogalonga Video - There Goes My Ride

In what may be the perfect encapsulation of the 2009 Vogalonga, my wife and daughter, who weren't even rowing - abandoned ship in Burano.

It sucked that bad.

After the "Craziness in Cannarego" and before the Mestrina lost a couple passengers in Burano, she passed under the Rialto Bridge, and got her photo taken by my Hungarian friend.

I'm sure that the famous quattordesona was out on the Vogalonga course again this year.
I'll bet it was an easier row this year than it was in '09.
And afterwards, I'm sure that the fourteen club members who were lucky enough to be aboard, got to sign the "big book" that bears the signatures of everyone who's had the honor to row her for an official reason.
Several years ago I had the luck to be one of those who got to sign the book, and I've decided that if my doctor ever tells me that I've got "one year to live", I'm gonna sign that big book and row that big boat one more time...with some of my "amici" from the GSVVM.

Regata Storica through the lens of Nereo Zane - 4 "March of the 'Desonas"

Rowing clubs love Regata Storica.
Not only are they fans of the races, they often know some of the competitors.

But they also love Venice's historic regata because it gives them an opportunity to roll out their best and shiniest boats.

Not all of the rowing clubs in Venice have these extremely custom craft, but some of the more established clubs have a "desona".

Yes, I must admit, I'm coining a term here. The term "desona" is a word I derived from the latter half of the boat designation.

This one is a "diesona" - which is rowable by up to ten crew members.

Here's The GSVVM's 14-man "Mestrina" - she's a "quattordesona"

And here's the longest of them all - the Querini club's "diisdotona", which can accommodate 18 rowers.

As they make their way down the Grand Canal, they are an incredible sight to see.

2009 Vogalonga Video - There Goes My Ride

video by Elisa Mohr

After an exciting but cold ride, my wife and daughter stepped off the Mestrina in Burano and caught a vaporetto back to Venice.
They shot this clip as the boat was pulling away.
It's not a very long piece of video, but a nice view of a quattordesona in action.

2009 Vogalonga Video - Mestrina in Cannaregio

video by Elisa Mohr

After crossing the lagoon from the GSVVM to Venice, the quattordesona "Mestrina" and her crew took a short breather before heading to the starting area.

Regata Storica - A Basket Full of Forcole

What time is it in Venice right now?
It can be a bit confusing if you're several time zones away from Italy.
Here in California, we're nine hours earlier than in Venice.
As I write this, it's Saturday here, but approaching Sunday there.
If you're reading this post on Saturday evening, people in Venice may already be gearing up for the Regata Storica.

Bruce Miller of Michigan (the guy who built his own s'ciopon) is there now, preparing to row in the parade portion. He promised to take some photos and send in an update when he can.

On a day such as the one Bruce is having (getting prepared for one of the biggest days in Venice, watching all the goings-on in a rowing club (he's probably at Diadora), and seeing things that are only seen on special occasions, it's fun to take it all in.
It becomes one of those days where you remember everything.

In September of 2005, I had the opportunity to row on a 14-man boat known as a quattordesona - the pride of the Gruppo Sportivo Voga Veneta in Mestre.
The boat is named "Mestrina", and she is only launched a few days out of the year.
She's so big, that it takes at least 8 guys just to roll her to the hoist.
Of course, everyone who is slated to row her shows up for the work that leads up to the row.
these guys clearly love the boat.

The poppa forcola is similar to one on the back of a gondola.
All the rest resemble the smaller forward ones, like the one in this shot:
With so many forcole, it's necessary to number them according to their place on the boat.

The photo above is one I took as they were bringing out the forcole.
It's one of the many surreal things you'll see on a day like that - an entire basket of forcole just for one boat.

And here's a shot of the "Mestrina" that was taken during Vogalonga on 2006 by Nereo Zane.

If you have the opportunity to witness or be a part of Regata Storica, I highly recommend it.
I can't wait to hear from Bruce Miller.
I'm sure he'll have some great photos too.

"Holy Remo" Part 2 - Querini

Here's a closer look at John Synco's photo of the "Holy Remo".

Looking at the photo, you may have noticed that the remi both have light-blue and white stripes. When I saw them, I had a feeling the photo was taken at Società Canottieri Francesco Querini - a rowing club in Castello, a fact that John Synco confirmed when I met him at Sunset Gondola.

Francesco Querini was a maritime hero from Venice, who, among other things, died on the ice during an expedition to the North Pole.
The Querini rowing club is known for many things, but their claim to fame is an 18-man boat known as a "disdotona". I'm told she's 24 meters long!

Here's a shot I took in 2005

There are many similar boats, but none as long and with so many rowers.

I had the opportunity to row on a 14-man, 22 meter "Quatordesona" version in the 2005 Regata Storica. There are only a few of these high capacity, extra-long boats, and each one is the pride of it's rowing club. Some can be broken down into sections - more manageable in shipping.

In July of 2004, the Querini club brought their disdotona to Henley, England to participate in a regata there.
A number of Venetian boats are kept and rowed there by a club known as City Barge, so it was a good fit...and a great excuse for at least 18 Italians to drink some Guiness.

When something so large as a disdotona travels across a continent, it's a big deal. The folks at Querini had a huge banner on display that John Synco got a picture of.

photo by John Synco

Now THAT'S gondola advertising!

To visit the website of Società Canottieri Francesco Querini, go to:
http://www.canottieriquerini.it/

To see photos and read about Querini's visit to City Barge, go to:
http://www.city-barge.org/venetrow.html

Vogalonga - photos from the past

photos by Nereo Zane

Nobody photographs gondolas like Nereo Zane. I have a lot of friends who do a heck of a job with the subject, but I have to give Nereo top honors.
He's also really god at getting himself in the right place to take such photos.
As of this posting, the 2008 Vogalonga has kicked off, and thousands of people are rowing around the Venetian lagoon.
The Vogalonga started in 1974 by people who wanted to make a statement against the "moto ondoso" (waves caused by motorized boats). While there were many regatas taking place in and around Venice, the Vogalonga was different: it was non-competetive. The organizers sought to make their statement by fielding as many boats, with as many participants as possible. They achieved their goal by making it a non-competetive, fun event where anyone with a human-powered boat could join in.
It kind of reminds me of something I saw in the 70's when marathons and other running events were so popular: they had this event called a "fun run" where anyone could enter, and there was no score-keeping.
The comparison isn't perfect, but I think it's close enough. Everyone who participates has a great time, partly because the pressure of competition is removed.

The photos in this post are some of Nereo Zane's shots from past Vogalonga experiences.

A shot in the open lagoon.

The 14-man "quattordesona" from my rowing club in Mestre - the Gruppo Sportivo, Voga Veneta - Mestre.

Unfortunately, I can't be there this year, but I'm thrilled for those who get to experience it.
Congrats to all of you out there rowing the course, and living the dream.
Just do me a favor: don't come back the the U.S. and tell us that you won first place!

What to do when you're the captain of a 14 man boat and you fall overboard during Vogalonga

photos by Nereo Zane

You’ve been captaining a 14-man “quattordesona” down the Grand Canal during the Vogalonga.
For reasons that you’d rather not share, you end up falling off the back of the boat, “spontaneously baptized” in the Canalazzo.
Now you’ve got numerous boats rowing your way, and thirteen members of your club, laughing at you from the boat you were just on.
What do you do?

First of all, it’s important to swing your arms as you swim back to the boat. Sure, you need to get back to the boat, but you’ve got to make sure those other boats see you – so swing those arms.
Because you’re a Venetian, make sure you look good while doing it. Think “bella figura” here.
As with most potentially embarrassing situations, if you just act like things are normal, maybe you’ll fool a few people into thinking that “you meant to do that”.


Second, keep that mouth shut. Don’t allow yourself to sample the waters of the Grand Canal. You may be tempted, but trust me, it’s not worth it. I tried it once during a similar baptism, and it tasted a lot less “fresh” than I’d imagined. Oh, and while you’re swimming towards that boat, which is full of fellow club members laughing and making clever remarks – take notice of the ones who are laughing the loudest, and those who are wisecracking the most – these are the guys you’ll want to “baptize” later when the opportunity presents itself.

As you approach the boat, make sure that darn photographer doesn’t take a picture when you’re hanging on the edge of the boat, trying to get in. You know the shot: your butt’s in the air with your pants hanging down – giving the world a view of your potential as a plumber, your belly is hanging into the bilge, and two or three guys are trying to drag you in as you think to yourself “I never realized how hard it is to get back into a boat while fully clothed”.

Once on board, get yourself back into position, remove your shirt, take it all in stride, and look down at those thirteen guys who have been laughing at you. Give ‘em a big smile and laugh. Laugh, because the whole thing really was hilarious, and you certainly would have laughed if it were one of them. Turn your attention to the other boats and pedestrians who have been watching the whole thing…and give them a nice bow.
Next, tell those thirteen guys to “quit standing around, the show’s over, now get back to work!”