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  Mr. Solari, a wealthy attorney, bought Santana with the intention of racing her. Babe accepted the job of captain and together they had a wonderful time. Solari once said, "Babe to me is Santana." She participated in the St. Francis Y.C. "Big Boat Series" and one race to Acapulco and another to Mazatlan. Solari was more interested in sailing than trophies and was once heard to say, "I don’t remember where we finished in those races, but we had a marvelous time."Solari’s most ambitious project was entering Santana in the 1968 Bermuda Race, 30 years after her triumphant debut there. Babe and his wife Liz sailed the boat around to Newport, Rhode Island, via the Panama Canal. In June, Solari’s crew assembled in Newport and set off for Bermuda. Solari said, "We performed very poorly . . . I zigged when everybody zagged." With the newer boats being harder to beat, it looked as if Santana’s racing days were slowing down. The boat was brought back to San Francisco and was sailed for social occasions and less for racing. Eventually the boat stopped sailing and sat in her berth, rarely used. After sitting for long while, she was put up for sale. |
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