Global Solo Challenge skipper profile - 2000 miles closer to Riccardo Tosetto's dream

Riccardo Tosetto © Riccardo Tosetto

Riccardo Tosetto © Riccardo Tosetto

Riccardo Tosetto, an Italian skipper entered in the upcoming GSC 2023-2024, has chosen to complete his 2000-mile qualifier aboard his class 40 Obportus, on the transfer from Trieste to A Coruña.

Riccardo, still professionally active as a charter boat skipper, had to optimise his schedule, agreeing on this qualifying route with the organisers. He set off on May 17th, and arrived in A Coruña on June 5th, where his partner Valeria joined him for a romantic week... of boat work. Despite challenging weather and the tension associated with time constraints, the journey was smooth.

"From a technical point of view, I am very satisfied because the boat sails very well, so I was able to validate all the modifications made during the winter refit. The weather wasn't always favorable, but this allowed me to get to know the boat better before the circumnavigation. In total, I sailed 2820 miles, with a stop in Estepona before reaching A Coruña. It was great training for the GSC."

Setting off from Trieste with a moderate Bora, Riccardo quickly skirted Istria under calm weather conditions. Once he reached the Quarnaro, the Bora intensified, reaching gusts of about 30/35 knots, forcing him to reduce canvas. During this section of the navigation, Obportus recorded high speeds, especially towards the isles of the Incoronate.

"The first night on the Quarnaro with those 30/35 knots was a loud start. I was a little challenged because I had just set off and the boat had just been launched. Everything was new and I was apprehensive checking that everything was working properly. It's not always easy to check the equipment at night."

Later, the wind stayed constant around 15/20 knots from the northeast, until I reached the Tremiti islands. While sailing towards Santa Maria di Leuca, the wind died down. South of the Apulian coast, Riccardo and Obportus were trapped in a calm patch for an entire day.

"After sailing past the tip of Apulia, we encountered a low-pressure system. It was a complex situation as the wind came from the southeast, then it rotated and intensified from the northeast. So, I found myself dealing with crossed seas, with waves still coming from the south and the wind blowing in the opposite direction. The boat slammed quite a bit even though it was sailing and surfing fast. This situation allowed me to quickly reach the Strait of Messina."

Riccardo sailed with very light winds all along the Sicilian coast and remembers this moment as "an agony". Once past Sicily, Obportus was driven by a nice wind from the east-southeast, which then stabilized from the east.

"I hoisted the big spinnaker around the Egadi Islands, and lowered it near the Balearic Islands. We covered 230 miles in 24 hours, with an average of almost 10 knots, a great speed!", recounts Riccardo, enthusiastic about that enjoyable sail."

Continue reading the full article here...