Torneremo

My deceased uncle, David Balch, built a Raven-class sailboat named Torneremo (Italian for “we will return”) in the 1950s and sailed it to Jones Beach on Fire Island , N.Y. , when I was a little kid). The sail number on the boat was #152. He sailed out of Bellport near Patchogue , N.Y. , as best as I can recall. He died in the 1960s, and since he was the sailor in the family, we lost sight of the boat. It reportedly went to his 1st mate, a Harvey Dolger, who lived in the area.

My uncle’s boat turns up in lots of the old records. Sean O’Malley of Raven # 336 (Doodlebug II) writes: “I know the name David Balch rather well, though I don’t think I ever met him, and believe there is a trophy floating around somewhere that is dedicated to him.” We would love to know more about this!

“Additionally, there absolutely was a Raven sailor named Harvey Dolger. I believe that, in addition to sailing with your uncle, he also sailed with another Raven sailor named Byron Borst. Apparently, Harvey was a pretty good sailor and did rather well in class races until he ran into some personal trouble at the end of the ’60s and the beginning of the ’70s. The last I saw of him (and your uncle’s boat, I believe) was at the Labor Day Regatta in Bellport toward the end of the ’70s. He slept on the boat at night during that regatta and didn’t do too terribly well (and, as I recall, he had an outboard rudder which I had never seen on a Raven until then) but he was there.”

My sister and I haven’t found any more current information on Torneremo. We are now both sailors, and I build and restore boats.

We would love to hear about her or find her! Info can be emailed here or below.
Chris Balch