An Italian-flavored St. Patrick's Day on Elliott Bay

A week ago today, it seemed that most Seattle residents under the age of 35 were celebrating St. Patrick's Day somewhere near the waterfront. Pike Place Market was crowded with revelers, and Paddy Coyne's Irish Pub on Alaskan Way was jam-packed from noon until well into the evening.

At mid-afternoon, an express cruiser entered Elliott Bay. As the sleek-looking cruiser approached, it became obvious that its passengers were taking advantage of the fine weather to celebrate St. Patty's Day on the water. It wasn't difficult to reach this conclusion -- an eye-catching boat that looked like it was capable of 30 knots or more, with lots of people (many dressed in green) on board. It had all the trappings of the layout for an article in Yachting magazine.

The cruiser entered Bell Harbor Marina, giving us a better opportunity to identify the boat -- an Italian-built Cranchi Mediterranee 50.

According to a report at BoatTEST.com, the Mediterranee 50 has a top speed of 40 mph, not 30. If you speak Italian (or just like the way it sounds), check out the catalog for the Mediterranee 50 here. It's a fun read.

Everything about the Mediterranee 50 speaks style and class.