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The story of Angisina begins in 2005. It was a hot, still day in the middle of Lake Superior during the Trans-Superior Race that year. I was crew on board Mike Spence's Voyager and began thinking about the possibility of gathering some friends and chartering a boat for the next Trans in '07. Not for any particular reason, but it sounded fun.

I relayed that idea to my Mom, (Mum as she is known), who then relayed the same to Phillip Abbey, her friend. What was unknown to me is that the two of them thought the idea of owning a boat sounded like fun! (Hahahaha)

The search began for the three of us to buy a boat. Making a long story short, the lines of the Soverel 39 were discovered and would only be rivaled by those of my wife Carrie, (I didn't have to go to Houston, nor anything ending in .com to find her as with the boat, however). She was one of Mark Soverels own boats, built in his shipyard in Florida before he sold the design to Tartan. Equipped with a 7'5" draft, 15/16ths fractional, three spreader rig, 54" destroyer wheel and two Lewmar 55 three speed primary winches, she oozed power! And, with a PHRF rating of 72 she was right where the fun is on Lake Superior.

"Almost 40", as she was known then, was at the Houston Yacht Club. I went down for Inspection and a survey that would most certainly be inadequate and would bite us in the butt later...oh that fun boat ownership! We bought her.

The boat was being delivered from Houston to Barkers Island in Superior, WI. I had a rough idea that the boat would show up on a particular weekend in the Spring of '06. I woke up one Saturday, showered, picked up a cup of coffee and proceeded down the exit ramp from 694 onto 35W Northbound where I found the boat, loaded on the truck and doing 60 miles an hour smack dab 1/4 of a mile in front of me after traveling nearly 2 thousand miles to get to us! Surly, this must be a sign of great things to come. I followed her all the way to Superior. Photos of her on the high bridge at Duluth are in the photo gallery.

The name Angisina is a hybrid of two different things. (Angi) on the front end belongs to my grand-mother Angeline (Angie), whom I always knew would be involved in the boats' name. The later half (sina) is the back half of the Spanish word Asesina, meaning murderess. To roughly translate the name, it becomes my grandmother the assassin. The rest of that story and how it came about can be saved for a late passage on a delivery to Thunder Bay perhaps.

Now remember that survey I told you about? Well, upon delivery something had changed. The underside of the boat now looked something like a 13 year old teen aged boy after eating nothing but pizza for a year straight! There were bumps everywhere! We suddenly had a bad blister issue. The boat, apparently, didn't take kindly to being taken out of salt/brackish water after so long and had decided to protest. Actually a bunch of nasty chemical reactions had taken place, but telling it like this seems to give the boat more personality.

We went ahead and sailed that season before pulling her out in the fall at Washburn Marina for a thorough diagnostic of the problem. Much was learned that season, mostly which end was the front.

Phil Peterson and his crew at Washburn Marina told us the news...they didn't know how bad the problem was, if it would get worse or better, how long it would take to fix or how much it was going to cost us. So, having that solid information to go with, they pulled it inside and began the process of fixing her. Phillip Abbey did enough research on the polyester resin, foam cored hull to educate Mark Soverel himself, if he were still alive.

While the bottom was being ground, dried, sanded and filled etc., Mum, Phil and myself spent much time top-sides re-bedding much of the hardware. The deck, being balsa cored, had many spots where years of water intrusion had quite literally disintegrated the core to non-existence.

Memorial Day came and went, then Race Week. We were assured that the boat would be done in time for delivery to Canada for that years Trans-Superior. After all, that was the whole reason we bought a boat! Not to be, the boat went back in the water the same weekend the Trans was to start.

The upshot, she now had a beautiful bottom complete with barrier coat and VC-17 that was a smooth as baby powder. We were just glad to have it done and looking good. Since buying the boat, we have also replaced much of her deck hardware, all the running rigging, most of the blocks and have added two spinnakers (flaming flamingo!) to the inventory. This year, the B&GH1000 instrument system will be expanded.

We have continued to build a wonderful, internationally influenced (Mum, wee wee, aye) crew and learn the boat. We've had moments of greatness that have truly worried the competition. We plan to continue on that base this year with practice, a consistent crew and the same tradition of three owners who demand that the crew have fun as well as work hard. It IS time to take things to the next level of competition.

We have already gained so many memories, some wonderful, some very sad. The memories, experiences and friendships gained while participating in an adventure such as this is, in the end, is the whole point in my estimation; I want more.

I have rambled enough here, hopefully you have enjoyed this short history of how Angisina came to be and if you haven't done so already, perhaps you can join us one day.

It is a good day to die!!!

Perry

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