Together with my co-skipper Stefano Paltrinieri, we completed the 400-mile course in just under four days.
The race started with very light upwind conditions, immediately favoring boats with sharper bows. On Sunday, the wind picked up to 18 knots, and we managed to hold our position. Monday brought a long and physically demanding upwind leg toward the Waypoint, with constant tacking and weight shifts — challenging, but effective.
After rounding the mark, we faced a series of squalls from the southeast, with gusts up to 32 knots and breaking waves. The night was completely dark, visibility almost zero, but the autopilot handled the downwind leg flawlessly.
At that point, we found ourselves sailing in completely different conditions from the leading group: while they advanced quickly in stable downwind winds, we spent over 12 hours stuck in calm conditions. Tuesday evening, finally, a fresh easterly breeze allowed us to cross the finish line just ahead of the low-pressure system that had meanwhile reached the coast.
With more than 200 miles of upwind sailing, this was certainly not a race that highlighted the strengths of the Vector, but I had set myself a personal goal: to finish ahead of the Maxis — and we did it.
Congratulations to Matteo and Federico for an excellent race and for taking first place in the series category with their Pogo 2.
As I debrief and take the boat apart, my thoughts also go to Enrico Fossati, who tragically lost his Sun Fast 3200 on the rocks off the Circeo during the second night. I truly hope he is safe and receiving all the support he needs.
This race was a reminder of how unforgiving the sea can be, and of how important it is to stay vigilant and take care of one another out there.