CommanderBond.net
  1. Venetian Gondola

    By jason on 2001-08-02

    It is known that the Venetian Gondola dates back as far as the late fifteenth century, this has been proven in recovered artwork and writings depicting the use of these watercraft within the canal system. The current design, which was used in Moonraker was developed within the late nineteenth century, this brought an end to a long and historical evolution of constant improvements to the traditional design of the Venetian Gondola.

    However, whilst the boatyards of Venice would battle with one another to modify the ageing design, and boast of their improvements, it’s doubtful as to whether the Venetians could have dreamed-up the fantastic offering supplied to James Bond via Q-branch.

    Pursued by the henchmen of Hugo Drax, James Bond flips open a control panel, and ditches his Gondolier oarsman. Perfecting the technique in only a few short moments, a fast-paced chase sequence takes place through the famous canals of Venice. In reality however, the highly manoeuvrable Gondola can take weeks for a trainee Gondolier just to achieve straight navigation, months to be considered safe, and sometimes more than a year to maintain the accurate precision that James Bond achieves within a matter of seconds.

    Speeding through the narrow water-logged streets of Venice, James Bond exits the canals, enters the Venetian Lagoon, and marvels bystanders as his transport transforms into a rather novel looking hovercraft.