A HISTORY OF FAILURE AND INSPIRATION
What drives a First World human being, surrounded by all comforts and every possibility of fulfillment, to collect a very long series of failures, frustrations and struggles against unbeatable Leviathans?
Choosing to realize one's own little dream, especially if this involves derailing from the usual path destined for one's fellowman, can be the cause of bitter disappointments and great states of dejection.
But sailors, and those who aspire to become one, face several challenges that could strain their motivation not only before seeing the finish line but even before having the honor of taking off on an adventure at sea, the new Sisyphus finds himself feeling himself fighting against the elements even before getting on board.
My little adventure began when one day, after a club race, when a guy came to ask me if I intended to take part with him in a regatta of the Italian mini 6.50 championship. That boy is called Matteo and I'm not sure how he got to me ... but a few months later I found myself running the first few meters on a mini 6.50 going towards the starting line of a 600-mile race. I spent 5 days at sea side by side with a stranger who would later become a friend and in contact with a world - that of sailing offshore - that I imagined I would have liked, but not that much.
A few years and a few miles passed and I found myself taking off for the same regatta other times and a little thought was harboring in me. I didn't feel the need to change my life. I love how I live and don't feel like I can put everything on pause for 5 months on a long transatlantic adventure.
I am a lover of technical challenges and less "in the spotlight" paths and so the idea of taking part in Açores Race soon took shape. It was 2017 (the year of the Squid, if anyone knows what I'm talking about) and if I'm writing these lines in December 2020 it's because neither the 2018 nor the 2020 edition was "my edition". I ran two times into logistical and budget problems ... and exactly one year ago I said to myself "Enough. Probably this kind of adventures are not for me”.
But, as we already told, we are here to struggle so last August the demon is back and I'm back on track for 2022. It seems like a long time but the stages are many and already next March the waltz begins.
So, what drives a First World human being, surrounded by all comforts and every possibility of fulfillment, to collect a very long series of failures, frustrations and struggles against unbeatable Leviathans? The inspiration that comes from a video like this.