Born in 1985 from the vision of Franco Bardi and Bruno Calandriello, Chimera came to life in the Galetti shipyards on Lake Garda, designed by Philippe Briand, the renowned French naval architect. The boat, a Superprototype of IOR Category II, represents a refined development of the victorious Passion II, with which Briand had won the One Ton Cup 1984 in La Trinité-sur-Mer.
Launched in June of the same year, Chimera immediately distinguished itself: debuting with a second place in the Giraglia and quickly climbing the rankings in local and international regattas. In 1986, it secured second place in the Italian Championships, beaten only by Merope and leaving behind names like Brava and Lady B. In the same year, it participated in the One Ton Cup, winning the first race and finishing mid-table overall. Its ascent towards the Sardinia Cup was only interrupted by a mast accident.
Between 1987 and 1988, Chimera passed into the hands of Cosimo Turizio and Ciro Nappi, already known as owners of Almagores. From then on, the boat became the absolute protagonist of the golden age of IOR sailing, passing through the hands of some of the biggest names in the Italian sailing scene: listing them all would be excessive, not doing so would be disrespectful to the others.
Chimera also participated in the 1989 One Ton Cup in Naples, before being entrusted to Riccardo Capociuchi, who would keep it for ten years, modernizing it and bringing it to the lines we know today. In 1999, it was purchased by Gaetano Panissidi, who in 2004 led it to victory in the Corsica per Tutti, proving that an IOR boat, if well-handled, can still be reliable, fast, and competitive today.
In 2005, Chimera arrived in the Adriatic with new owner Rino Bigoni, who kept it as a protagonist in local regattas, including the famous Barcolana. In 2022, the boat was acquired by the current owners, Sergio Marchetti and Francesco Perlati, who renewed every technical aspect without ever betraying its IOR soul. Today, Chimera continues to sail the seas with honor, a living testament to a history made of passion, challenges, and great successes.