About Vingilótë

Balance 526 catamaran sailing yacht. Building her started in September 2018 with molding her hulls. She was launched October 26, 2019 in St. Francis Bay, South Africa.

Meaning

Vingilótë means (sea)foam flower. The foam flower refers to the clusters of bubbles that form on top of a wave just before it breaks.

Pronunciation

Vingilótë is pronounced the way it is written. The emphasis is on the first syllable. All vowels and consonants are pronounced, with short I’s, a hard G, a long Oo, and a short E.

Name

Vingilótë is named after the fictional sail boat in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Silmarillion in the last story in the Quenta Silmarillion: “Of the Voyage of Eärendil and The War Of Wrath.”

“Now Eärendil became fast in friendship with Círdan the Shipwright, who dwelt on the Isle of Balar with those of his people who escaped from the sack of the Havens of Brithombar and Eglarest. With the aid of Círdan Eärendil built Vingilot, the Foam-flower, fairest of the ships of song; golden were its oars and white its timbers, hewn in the birchwoods of Nimbrethil, and its sails were as the argent moon.”

…

“But they took Vingilot (ed. The Valar) and hallowed it, and bore it away through Valinor to the uttermost rim of the world; and there it passed through the Door of Night and was lifted up even into the oceans of heaven. Now fair and marvellous was that vessel made, and it was filled with a wavering flame, pure and bright; and Eärendil the Mariner sat at the helm, glistening with dust of elven-gems, and the Silmaril was bound upon his brow. Far he journeyed in that ship, even into the starless voids; but most often was he seen at morning or at evening, glimmering in sunrise or sunset, as he came back to Valinor from voyages beyond the confines of the world.”

…

“Now when first Vingilot was set to sail in the seas of heaven, it rose unlooked for, glittering and bright; and the people of Middle-earth beheld it from afar and wondered, and they took it for a sign, and called it Gil-Estel, the Star of High Hope.”

And in the War of Wrath, she came to the aid of the Valar when they were driven back by the dragons for “for the coming of the dragons was with great thunder, and lightning, and a tempest of fire.”

“But Eärendil came, shining with white flame, and about Vingilot were gathered all the great birds of heaven and Thorondor was their captain, and there was battle in the air all the day and through a dark night of doubt. Before the rising of the sun Eärendil slew Ancalagon the Black, the mightiest of the dragon-host, and cast him from the sky; and he fell upon the towers of Thangorodrim, and they were broken in his ruin.“

Manufacturer

She is sold by Balance Catamarans, and is the 7th hull of their Balance 526 model. She is built by Nexxus Yachts in St. Francis Bay.

Specs