Lariana Boat Museum
Lariana Boat Museum
Among the first motorboats with fixed-pitch propellers—the stars of the very first races on Lake Como—the elegance of the Bianca stands out. This boat carried British Prime Minister Winston Churchill on board when he sailed on Lake Como in search of a meeting with Benito Mussolini.
Among the other vessels were a raft belonging to the Caimani del Piave and a powerful MTM, a high-speed boat from World War II.
Also of great importance is the collection of BPM engines; the museum houses nearly all of the models ever produced, including a 6,000 cc 8V engine with 16 carburetors, built in collaboration with engineer Colombi of Maserati Corse.
Only those who were there to witness the scene could describe that day—also in June—when Sandro De Col arrived out of breath, running, waving a check for a million! It was the funding provided by Remo Cademartori, a powerboat racer and dairy industrialist—the only person who could afford such a substantial contribution at the time.
… Discover the whole story at the museum.
Operations began at the five Taroni shipyards, located between Carate and Laglio. Everything went smoothly with the construction of the hulls, but the same could not be said for the propulsion system. The engines to be installed were the Fiat A-12s, but their delivery was significantly delayed.
The Taroni brothers did not lose heart and found that Sterling engines were immediately available; these were installed, with the necessary modifications, on the last 12 of the 18 Mas aircraft ordered.
… Discover the whole story at the museum.