Marco Nannini enters Global Ocean Race

by Oliver Dewar on 4 Mar 2010
The Global Ocean Race (GOR) can announce entry #13 for the 2011-12, double-handed circumnavigation in Class40s. Italian-born, UK-based yachtsman, Marco Nannini, has secured his place on the start line and will be competing against the event’s growing international fleet. In the past week, 32 year-old Nannini has bought Class40 Akilaria, Mowgli – the yacht sailed by the British duo of Jeremy Salvesen and David Thomson in the 2008-09 Portimão Global Ocean Race – and can now begin planning for the race: 'All efforts will be dedicated to preparing a proper campaign for the Global Ocean Race, which is my ultimate and most important goal,' said Nannini today.

Nannini is already an accomplished short-handed sailor competing double-handed in the Rolex Fastnet 2007 and single-handed in the bluQube Solo 1000 race as a qualifier for the 2009 OSTAR, during which he took line honours as well as first place on corrected time onboard Sigma 36 British Beagle in the IRC3 Class (Jester). 'At the time, entering a single-handed transatlantic race seemed like an impossible task,' he admits. 'But the crucial support of people like Jerry Freeman of the Solo Offshore Racing Club – a three-times OSTAR veteran - has meant I progressed from total novice to ocean sailor in a relatively short space of time, safely and with plenty of advice.'

The taste of victory in the solo transatlantic race was a defining moment for Nannini. 'Winning my class in the OSTAR 2009 was a fantastic feeling, which left me wanting more of the powerful emotions that ocean racing can bring,' explains the Italian yachtsman. 'Although I would have liked to graduate more progressively to a round the world race after perhaps a few years in Figaros, I decided to triple the effort and try to step up to Class40, which is certainly the most exciting class in the world at the moment and the Global Ocean Race is nothing short of the perfect race,' he adds.

For Nannini, the first priority is to get his Class40 afloat and racing. 'The short term plan is to launch the boat as soon as possible as I’ve entered the Shetland Round Britain and Ireland Race where a good group of seven Class 40s is entered,' he explains. Organised by the Royal Western Yacht Club, the double-handed race starts on 6th June with stopovers in Kinsale, Barra, Lerwick and Lowestoft during which Nannini will race against a formidable line-up including Portimão Global Ocean Race veteran and GOR entry Nico Budel on Mowgli’s sistership, Sec Hayai (ex-Beluga Racer) and Alex Bennett's green Class40, Fujifilm.

With the purchase of a Class40, Nannini can now begin planning his overall GOR campaign. 'Whether my entry in the Global Ocean Race 2011-12 will be a team entry of six for the entire circumnavigation, or a two-person entry, will depend by my success in finding the right partner or partners,' he points out. 'The only certainty I have is my determination. I'm Italian, but have lived in the UK for almost half my life now, so this will most likely be a mixed British/Italian entry,' adds Nannini, who is already in discussion with a number of potential co-skippers. 'I also have friends in France and other parts of Europe, so I would say my entry is European.' Anyone seriously interested in joining the campaign can contact Marco at marco@marconannini.com 'It will be a challenge financially,' admits Nannini. 'Promoting my project will have to take priority to bring on board technical support and sponsorships to see us across the start line in September 2011.'

Despite the hurdles facing his offshore campaign, Nannini is resolute and highly driven. 'I have dreamt of racing around the world ever since I was a teenager learning sailing at the Ecole Nationale de Voile in the bay of Quiberon, but my life has not taken the outright path of attempting to become a professional sailor from a young age,' he recalls. 'Typically, I would have wanted to sail Minis, then slowly graduate to Figaros and then onto bigger boats,' explains the City of London banker. 'Instead, I graduated at the University of York in Economics and Finance and have now worked in finance for almost ten years.' However, this very successful career path failed to dim the appeal of offshore racing. 'My first short-handed races were only in 2006 aged 28, pretty much as soon as finances allowed,' continues Nannini. 'There and then, I decided to enter the OSTAR which is the one of the few remaining ocean challenges open to non-professionals.'

Josh Hall, Race Director of the Global Ocean Race 2011-12, has been in contact with Nannini since late last year. 'We first met Marco last December aboard Mowgli in an English boat yard where she was undergoing some repairs,' says Hall. 'He had already decided he would enter the race and that Mowgli was his boat of choice. It is a sure sign of his determination that just weeks later he has bought Mowgli and announced his plans.' With 556 days until the start of the GOR, this latest entry brings the start line up to 65 percent of capacity. 'Marco will be a great competitor in the GOR and we welcome him to our eclectic and rapidly expanding fleet,' comments Hall. 'We also welcome Mowgli back!'

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