Global Solo Challenge: Riccardo Tosetto, the tenacious and determined sailor with a “green” heart
by Margherita Pelaschier 26 Feb 2023 01:28 PST
Riccardo Tosetto © Riccardo Tosetto
Riccardo Tosetto is a young Italian skipper born 36 years ago in Cittadella and entered in the Global Solo Challenge with his Class 40 Obportus. He sets off to fulfill his lifelong dream: to sail solo around the world by the three great Capes.
However, Riccardo is not just an adventurer; he manages his project with a highly professional approach, taking care of all aspects to achieve the best possible outcome for such an ambitious project.
Tosetto is one of those people, as Carlo Sciarelli, an Italian designer, used to say, who got wet in seawater and never dried. His passion for the sea dates back to his childhood. At the age of eight, he began sailing, first on dinghies and then on sports catamarans. At thirteen, he met his mentor, Angelo Preden, who had participated in the 1976 OSTAR and followed in his footsteps. At nineteen, he bought his first boat, a 52-foot yacht, with which he crossed the Atlantic twice before devoting himself to teaching sailing and charter cruises in the Mediterranean.
He discovered solo sailing during the many deliveries he made aboard his boat from Monfalcone, where he lives with his family and partner, to the Aegean, his favorite destination for his work as a skipper and sailing instructor. He recalls one particular episode: "The most beautiful solo sailing I have done was from northern Greece to Athens. A short sail of about 30 hours, conditions were favorable but challenging. I left alone at the same time as another boat fully crewed headed for the same destination; in the end, I arrived a couple of hours earlier."
"That feeling of freedom and speed left a mark on me. Solo sailing is fascinating; it gives a sense of absolute freedom, even if you can only rely on your own strength."
Riccardo is a sociable person who enjoys being in the company of friends and family, but he also needs private moments of solitude. "It helps me clear my mind and find calm. That's why solo sailing is also suitable for my character."
The realization of a dream
With the launch of the GSC, the inner fire of Riccardo's dream of sailing around the world was lit. The meeting with Enrico Candeloro, CEO of World Appeal, was crucial for Tosetto to start his project and manage the budget and sponsors. "World Appeal organizes international sporting events; they are fantastic people helping me a lot, taking care of all the extra aspects aside from navigation."
The boat: reliable, simple, and fast
Riccardo had a clear idea when he chose a Class 40 for his round-the-world voyage: simplicity, reliability of the structure and equipment, and speed. He was looking for a boat designed to sail the oceans and perform well in downwind conditions, small enough, without excessive loads and with a moderate cost. Speed was another important factor to ensure greater safety.
After six months of research, Tosetto found his Class40 Obportus in Saint-Malo, owned by Louis Burton's IMOCA team. In February, he saw the boat and in April, after completing negotiations and the purchase, he returned to France with his wingman Filippo Montagner for the delivery to Italy, in the northern Adriatic. Obportus has a fiberglass sandwich hull, and a carbon mast, boom, and spinnaker pole. It has a fixed keel and two 750-liter ballasts.
"A fond memory is the exit from the locks of Saint-Malo together with Louis Burton's IMOCA Bureau Vallée."
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