Its owner, Tara Getty, is also the owner of the motor yacht Blue Bird, which took part in the Dunkirk evacuation. Both boats have visited Mahón on the occasion of the Copa del Rey Repsol
Baruna of 1938, which these days has participated in the XX Copa del Rey Repsol de Barcos de Epoca, has remained in the shipyard for no less than seven years, undergoing a long and meticulous restoration that has managed to return it to its origins: the 30s of the 20th century.
The Baruna was commissioned to the great designer Olin Stephens by the New York textile agent Henry C. Taylor and built at the Quincy Adams shipyard in Massachusetts. It was not easy to respond to all the requests, as Taylor demanded that Stephens build him a big boat, comfortable for cruising with the family but at the same time fast, very fast, to win races. A combination that would make it almost a magic boat. The solution was this 21.75 metre yawl, the maximum allowed by the CCA (Cruising Club of America) rule. In the history of the boats conceived by Sparkman & Stephens written by Francis Kinney, the Baruna was defined as ‘fast in light winds, quick in strong breezes, comfortable at sea and beautiful? Every line was absolutely perfect... Baruna has marvellous proportions, both in hull and rigging’.
The year it was launched, Baruna already made a winning debut by sweeping the 635-mile Newport Bermuda Race. It gained an eight-hour lead over the runner-up.
After passing through several hands, Baruna finally came in 2015 to its current owner, Tara Getty, a true lover of classic boats, both sailing and motor. When her captain Tony Morse picked up the boat at Marina del Rey in Los Angeles, she was practically in ruins. Water was pouring into the hull in abundance and the bilge pumps were constantly running. There was no headsail and the condition of the mast was not suitable for sailing, although it could be motorised. The commission to restore the hull went to the German shipyard Robbe & Berking, experts in the restoration of wooden ships. When the hull was ready, the Dutch company VMG Yachtbuilders took charge of the interiors.
Morse had obtained the original plans of the boat, so he knew every millimetre of the original boat in detail. From there, he had to tackle the almost infinite task of bringing every single millimetre back to its origin. Quite a challenge. Every piece of equipment or accessory was custom designed and manufactured. It took seven years to complete the work before the ship could sail again. It happened in the middle of last year and, since then, Baruna of 1938 has returned to compete in regattas in Antibes, Saint Tropez or the Argentario Sailing Week.
Este año hemos disfrutado de su espléndida figura por primera vez en la Illes Balears Clàssics y en la Copa del Rey de Barcos de Época de Mahón. También ha amarrado en el puerto de Mahón otra de las joyas de Tara Getty, el Blue Bird, un yate a motor del mismo año del Baruna, 1938. Se trata de un auténtico museo flotante con mucha historia concebido con las líneas del transatlántico Queen Mary.
Fue encargado para buscar tesoros en islas exóticas por el as de la velocidad Sir Malcolm Campbell. Esta aventura se truncó cuando estalló la Segunda Guerra Mundial, un giro crucial en su historia pues participó en la histórica evacuación aliada de Dunkerque y se le instaló posteriormente un cañón para servir como patrullero. Después estuvo durante 25 años en posesión de la automovilística familia Renault, hasta 1973. Finalmente fue recuperado y restaurado por Tara Getty.
