Translated 9 to meet legendary Sayula II, winner of the first Whitbread, in Mexico
by Translated s.r.l. 18 Aug 2022 16:42 BST
Translated 9 © Translated
Translated 9, the Swan 65 yacht that Translated will use for the Ocean Globe Race 2023 race (OGR 23), is currently on its way to Mexico to meet the Sayula II and celebrate the incredible courage that led the Mexican team to victory in the first edition of the Whitbread Round The World Race, held in 1973-74.
The encounter between the captain Ramon Carlin and Translated's Trombetti family will take place off the coast of the Mexican city of La Paz, where the two Swan 65s will sail the waters of the Pacific side by side: the Mexican craft that unexpectedly won the first Whitbread Round the World, and the Italian yacht that competed in the 1977 edition as ADC Accutrac, skippered by Clare Francis, and will take part once again under the banner of Translated in 2023.
The story of the Carlin family (also told in the documentary The Weekend Sailor) saw Carlin put together a crew of friends and family and compete against the superstars of sailing in a nine-month round-the-world race, coming away with first prize. It inspired Translated's Marco Trombetti and Isabelle Andrieu to take on a challenge that initially seemed beyond their capabilities.
For his part, Enrique Carlin (Ramon's son who raced with his father in the Whitbread) identified with the Trombetti family's naïve yet pioneering spirit and immediately made the decision to support Translated 9.
This is a coming together of two very similar stories: two entrepreneurs who believe that nothing is impossible and who want to celebrate people's courage and ability to achieve any goal when driven by potent willpower and profound dedication.
The meeting of the two Swan 65s will be captured by Carlo Borlenghi, a world-famous yacht photographer, who will accompany Translated 9 throughout its journey to the start of the OGR23.
"We feel inspired by the Carlin family and by their incredible story, which is one of the best representations of our 'We Believe in Humans' motto," said Marco Trombetti, founder and CEO of Translated and owner of Translated 9. Like the Carlins, we're amateurs not professionals, and we're new to offshore sailing, but bolstered by the courage and values of the people who will share this amazing journey with us, we believe that nothing is impossible.
"By taking part, we want to celebrate first and foremost the courage of sailors, explorers, pioneers—those who put everything on the line in an unfamiliar and extreme endeavor. I'm convinced that being naïve is helpful. It's a frame of mind that allows you to tackle difficulties with curiosity and a thirst for knowledge, without the bias that sometimes serves to hold you back. Isabelle [co-founder and chairwoman of Translated] and I are delighted to meet Enrique Carlin and his family and to share a piece of our journey together. When you take on a challenge like this, the most valuable thing that endures afterward is the unique and profound relationship that develops between the people involved."
The journey to Mexico is taking place about a year before the start of the OGR 23, which will set off from Northern Europe on Sept.10, 2023, laying anchor again after around seven months with just three stopovers (South Africa, South America, and Oceania) and with a crew made up of 70 percent non-professionals, according to the race rules.
It's an extraordinary adventure that Marco and Isabelle will experience firsthand, supported by Vittorio and Nico Malingri—the former will also co-skipper Translated 9 alongside Trombetti—and by Paul Cayard, who is leading sailing excursions off the coast of San Francisco for the tech community that has developed around Translated, some of whom intend to participate in the round the world regatta without modern technology.
The process of selecting the crew is still under way, and many people still have the chance to wear the Translated 9 jersey and take part in the Ocean Globe Race 2023.
The requirements are courage, passion, commitment, vision, resilience, openness, and optimism. Exactly what the Trombetti and Carlin families have in common.