Alessandro Tosetti and his ULDB 65' Aspra promoting sea culture in the Global Solo Challenge
by Margherita Pelaschier / Global Solo Challenge 16 Oct 2023 05:54 PDT
Alessandro Tosetti © Alessandro Tosetti
Alessandro Tosetti, an Italian skipper entered in the Global Solo Challenge, combines in his venture the desire to test himself and his boat in a novel challenge with his commitment to social and educational projects conveyed through sport.
The sailor, originally from Turin, tells that his passion for the sea and solo navigation has its roots in his childhood.
"I was ten years old when I started going alone to Albissola beach, at the Lega Navale. "Can I help?", was my usual question, always followed by quite a bit of work launching, hauling, preparing the dinghies of the sailing club, and washing. "Do you want to come aboard?", was the invitation I hoped for, my only desired reward.
And so I began to sail, and, still a teenager, to transfer many boats, in the Mediterranean and the ocean. The choice of solo sailing at the beginning was for economic reasons - in the '80s Americans paid well for deliveries and I did them alone to keep the entire fee. Then, as the years went by and when I managed to own my first boat, it was a practical choice, almost a necessity. Moreover, I like to challenge myself and solo sailing gives me this opportunity. In 2019 I set the reference time, 78 hours, for a solo course around Corsica, starting and finishing in Imperia. Last year, in January 2022, I left for the GSC qualifier from Imperia to Cascais, taking ten days. Today, with the start of the Global Solo Challenge, I can test the fruits of years of work."
Alessandro introduces himself as "a sailor like many", maintaining a humble attitude, and says that the trait of his character that will be crucial in his adventure is certainly patience. He chose to face this great challenge with Aspra, the twenty-meter boat he personally built, collaborating with the workers of the bankrupt Alpa shipyard, who came together in a cooperative at the C.N. 2000 shipyard of Antonio Canesi, building on a design by Studio Vallicelli.
Studio Vallicelli, founded in 1976 by the architect and yacht designer Andrea Vallicelli, together with Mariani, Sironi, and Ferri, in Rome, represents excellence in the panorama of Italian boating. It has stood out internationally for the elegance of its creations and the innovative technological solutions of its projects. Among the over one hundred models for recreation, cruise-schools, and sports competition, built both in Europe and the United States, the design of the three boats named "Azzurra" for the Italian America's Cup Consortium stands out.
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