(Feb 21) – Almost sixty years ago, wealthy boat-racing privateer Achille Castoldi created the Arno XI hydroplane, a racing boat powered by a Ferrari engine. Between 1952 and 1953, Castoldi, friend of the Formula 1 Ferrari drivers Alberto Ascari and Luigi Villoresi, persuaded Enzo Ferrari to provide the technical expertise and assistance necessary to make the craft.
The engine is a 4.5 liter 12-cylinder Ferrari, similar to one in the Type 375 grand prix car that was driven to victory by Jose Froilan Gonzalez at the 1951 Silverstone Gran Prix. Modified for record breaking marine duty, the engine ran on methanol to allow higher compression ratios for the additional twin-superchargers to deliver more than 500-hp.
In 1953, the Arno XI piloted by Castoldi averaged speeds exceeding 240 km/h. Castoldi followed up to break the “24 nautical miles” record in the 800 kg category when the ARNO XI averaged 164.136 km/h. As the Italian Powerboat Federation later changed speedboating categories, this record remains unbroken.
The current owner bought the boat over twenty years ago, repairing it and making it ready to. The RM Auction will put the Arno XI on the block during RM’s Monaco sale on May 11th and 12th and, according to them, the boat is expected to be valued between 1 and 1.5 million of euros (Ram)
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