Last March 30th Riccardo Tosettothirty-seven year old skipper of Cittadella, has become the sixth Italian to have completed a solo trip around the world and non-stop on a sailing boat. Departed on October 29, 2023, from La Coruña, Tosetto has sailed non-stop for good 153 dayscrossing more than 28 thousand nautical milesand on board his boat, Obportus returned to Marina Coruña at 09.04. To welcome him, with hugs and a thousand hearts, his family and friends who came from Italy. Now, after a period of rest, Tosetto returns to his life, retracing step by step what happened in those unforgettable 153 days.
Riccardo, what do you feel after such an undertaking?
«It was an intense experience, a dream that came true. It was harder than I thought, but the important thing was to get to the end and I did it.”
What did you share with the other participants?
«I did it and I’m proud of it, more than half of the other competitors had to stop. They weren’t able to get to the bottom of it. It’s a challenge bordering on the impossible, only those who face it can understand what we’re talking about.”
How many kilos did he lose?
«Eleven certificates, actually around 12-13 real ones. Even now, after getting used to eating little, the indispensable, I can’t eat a lot. I had two meals a day, I couldn’t drink alcohol and I only had seven beers with me. At the equator I drank one, but it was hot, I almost spat it out.”
What was the hardest aspect to face?
«Without a doubt the cold. Just think that now, as I’m talking to you, it’s snowing on Cape Horn. When I went there it was seven degrees, now it’s zero. The water has a temperature of four degrees, it’s like feeling needles on your skin, it’s a terrible experience.”
How many did better than her in terms of finishing time?
«I finished fourth, but as I said the important thing was to arrive. That was my mission and that’s what I tried to do to the end.”
Has he ever fallen inside the boat?
“Once in a loud way and I got angry with myself.”
Have you ever thought about giving up?
«Sometimes, but I have always held firm, I have always aimed for the goal».
What was the most critical moment?
«It may seem strange, but I mean the departure. Another regatta was supposed to start in the north, but it was postponed. Another terrible moment was at Cape Horn because of the cold, but the hardest moment of all was at Falklands, for 24 hours it was hell. There I really feared I wouldn’t make it.”
Was he followed by a medical team?
«Two or three doctors kept calling me, who monitored my condition. Pseudo-opioid drugs were made available to me, but I didn’t want to use them.”
Have you suffered from earth sickness?
“I get tired easily in my legs, land sickness is common after being on a ship for five months.”
How much has technology helped in this challenge?
“Very, very much. 15-20 years ago she would have been much tougher. There’s this system called Starlink, patented by Elon Musk. It is not only used by Russia, China and Türkiye, but it has revolutionized everything. In a year and a half, the communication problems were resolved and being able to talk to those who love me certainly helped me.”
The most exciting moment?
«When the whales joined me in the middle of the ocean. I’ve seen them as big as an entire room. I admit that I was worried, because I was trying to walk away and they were following me. I knew they could capsize the boat at any moment. But they didn’t do anything to me, they were intrigued by Obportus.”
There will also have been beautiful moments…
«It was a fantastic adventure. I think the best moment was at the Equator, the conditions were optimal, perhaps it was even too hot, so much so that the temptation was to jump into the sea.”
Didn’t he?
«I didn’t do it, because I knew it would have been a huge risk. Other competitors, however, threw themselves attached to a cable. We are alone, if something happens we already know how it will end.”
What do you have left of this incredible journey?
«This crossing was a challenge that tested me in ways I never imagined. If I had to use three words to describe this experience, they would be, long, sometimes exhausting, but beautiful.”
: «I lost 11 kilos. I had 7 beers, I spat one out in the Tropics: it was warm…”){kind=link}