“I’m not Barbara’s owner: I’m a mere custodian. A century-old boat is a world heritage, she belongs to humanity as a whole.” Roberto Olivieri first encountered this beautiful 1923 Camper & Nicholsons in 2014, in a Malaga shipyard. He said: “I saw her from below and was astonished by her beautiful lines. She had been abandoned for almost two decades, some of the wood was in bad shape, but I felt an ineffable sensation that captivated me: I believe it was the first time I experienced Barbara’s soul”.
Most owners speak of an intimate relationship with their boat: it is perhaps the shared adventures that bring the boat to life, or the awareness that while at sea one’s very existence is bound to the vessel. In the case of classic boats, history adds an extra layer of depth to this experience.. She i o the subtle observer, previous generations of owners and crew can be perceived in physical details – whether deliberate interventions or signs of use and age. Mr Olivieri participated in the last 10 years of life but, he explains: “In every moment of her history different people gave their own contribution. I believe that Barbara has arrived all the way to us because she has a soul: somehow, everyone that encountered her recognised this. As a consequence, the different owners, captains
