Montegrappa Limited Edition America's Cup Silver Fountain Pen

The great history of the America's Cup really started in 1870, the year of the first challenge off from New York harbour. There followed a sequence of no fewer than 24 vain attempts to win the trophy back from the Americans. During this time great men on both sides of the Atlantic took part with all the weight of their prestige and wealth behind them. Numbered among them were Cornelius Vanderbilt, William Rockefeller, Ted Turner and Sir Thomas Lipton, the northern Irish tea tycoon. Between 1899 and 1930, Lipton suffered five consecutive defeats, a losing streak which he counted as the greatest disappointment of his life.The participation of so many millionaires in this competition is easy to explain. A financial prize has never been offered, and teams competing for the trophy have always spent a fortune in the attempt to win it. Today, taking part in the America's Cup involves years of planning and training, a crew of more than a dozen men and a total cost which is typically many tens of millions of dollars.
For the 31st defense of the America's Cup, to be held in New Zealand in the early months of 2003, and which it is hoped may include an Italian crew, Montegrappa 1912 has decided to dedicate a special commemorative limited edition to the America's Cup - the most prestigious yacht race in the world. This choice is yet another confirmation of Montegrappa's skills in extolling the beauty of sailing and representing it in its noblest and most fascinating aspects. The pen inspired by the America's Cup will succeed last year's magnificent model dedicated to the Vespucci, the new training ship of the Italian Navy, recognized by sailing enthusiasts as the most beautiful sailing ship to cut through the waves. Montegrappa, the oldest Italian manufacturer of writing instruments, is appreciated and admired throughout the world for the extraordinary quality of its goldsmith's art and the amazing technical expertise and manual skills of its craftsmen. Montegrappa produces only top of the range pens, aimed at a select circle of collectors and sophisticated connoisseurs. But this is not the only characteristic which Montegrappa shares with the world of sailing and, in particular, with the America's Cup - a competition of unparalleled prestige that is limited to a select elite of highly skilled sailors and elegant yachts..