RIMINI. There are jobs that have to do with people’s dreams and when you know that you can make someone happy everything becomes more beautiful and in some ways even easier. This could be the case of Albatros, the nautical agency founded in Rimini in 1984 which today celebrates its 40 years of activity with a party in San Giuliano mare, in the open spaces of the former Hotel delle Nazioni, starting from 6.30pm. It’s difficult to keep up with the numbers accumulated in this long history. Few estimates can take a snapshot of the world that navigates around this reality: 6-7 thousand sailors accompanied with courses up to the nautical license exam which made them become captains, 12 thousand practices, at least 800 boats sold (of which 500 new, starting from 2000 when the collaboration with the German shipyard Bavaria began), a lot of rental with the first cruises on the coasts of the then Yugoslavia and around 500 members of the Velalibre community, a movement of sea lovers born a couple of years ago who shares the training with workshops, courses, educational trips and even school cruises in exotic places such as the Seycelles or the Caribbean. «But we remain tied to our dear Mediterranean, the most beautiful sea in the world», immediately specifies Luca Conti, one of the “engines” of this reality which started when his mother Patrizia, one of the three founders, kept it in womb.
At sea for adventure
The story begins exactly like this, in 1984. We are on the canal port of Rimini, where the boats in the water are mostly fishing boats. Two years earlier, the Rimini Sailing Club was founded, which joined the historic Rimini Nautical Club and which immediately oriented its vocation to the high seas. In fact, in 1984 the first edition of the Rimini-Corfù-Rimini began, with its thousand miles the longest regatta in the Mediterranean, a real adventure in a world that does not know GPS and where it is possible to be intercepted and kidnapped by the patrol boats of communist Albania for violation of the limit of territorial waters.
The idea of opening a nautical agency gradually matured in the heads of three friends: Ivano, his wife Patrizia Bugli and Claudio Bacchelli. All three were returning from two beautiful cruises in Greece (on board the Uscocco) and in the Tremiti (with the Velasquez). «The banks», Patrizia recalls, «did not trust us, not even 5 million lire to do the first works». Help came from family members. The adventure could begin and little by little the other activities were abandoned.
«For me it was the opportunity to continue my adventure that had started with Rimini Charter in 1981, bringing many sailing enthusiasts to the then former Yugoslavia», recalls Claudio.
«We wanted to offer everyone the opportunity to have a sailing experience», explains Patrizia, «sailing among the wonderful islands of Croatia and Greece. We had tried it and were enthusiastic.”
Boats, licenses and movement
And enthusiasm has been the driving force over these 40 years. A lot of enthusiasm also because when in May 1984 the shutters were pulled up for the first time at the headquarters in via Sinistra del Porto, Patrizia was seven months pregnant.
Decade after decade (always present at the Genoa Boat Show since 1986) the services and tasks within the Albatros world have adapted to the winds of the times. Today Albatros Rimini is headed by Claudio Bacchelli and deals with the sale of boats and has its floating headquarters in the Rimini Marina. Albatros nautical agency refers to Patrizia, Ivano and Luca, and is instead based on the canal port on the bank in front of the lighthouse: nautical school for the licence, rental, practices and is the inspiration for the Velalibre movement.
«When we left», Luca says proudly, «in Italy there were very few nautical agencies. The founders were far-sighted and managed to meet many collaborators who made a piece of history together with us, helped us grow and whom we thank because without them we wouldn’t be here.” But the same can probably be said by the many who have come to Rimini from all over Italy to take a course on marine engines or to take the nautical license exam, the first step in putting yourself in command of a yacht and leaving for distant islands and seas. .
