San Diego Bayfair is home to some of the fastest, most powerful boats in the world. It’s also home to one of the slowest and strangest boats in the world. On Saturday, September 13, Ripley's Believe It or Not! will hit the water at Bayfair with an unbelievable, one-of-a-kind boat – a floating Ferrari. Only this Ferrari is really a boat and made completely of wood. It’s a life-size replica of a Ferrari F50, handmade by a craftsman in Italy. This will be its first voyage in the U.S.
The Ferrari was created in 2001 by Italian artist Livio De Marchi, an old-world master known for his incredible wood carvings. He created the boat to sail the canals of Venice during the annual Carnival of Venice festival. The boat took five months to make – all by hand – and weighs around 2,000 pounds. Ripley’s acquired the Ferrari in 2009. It’s currently part of the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! special exhibit at the San Diego Air & Space Museum, which continues through the end of the year. Staffers at the San Diego Air & Space Museum have put in countless hours over the past few months in order to make the car seaworthy (we hope!).
For more on the Ripley’s exhibit at the San Diego Air & Space Museum, visit sandiegoairandspace.org.
