In Italy we would have taken away your boat license, Chichester!

This gentleman you will see portrayed in the beautiful drawing by Harvey Citron & Larry Couzens is named Francis Chichester. Better, Sir Francis Chichester. He circumnavigated the globe solo, rounding the big three capes. He invented the Ostar and even won it. Named a baronet, he shattered the 200-mile wall in one day and was also immortalized on a postage stamp. This gentleman (1901-1972), who is universally regarded as among the greatest sailors in history, would not have been able to get a sailing license in Italy.

THE MOST MYOPIC NORM IN THE WORLD
The reason? The thick glasses: Decree 26/7/08 No. 146 with Annex I (Article 27) of 22/9/08 states that a minimum of 3/10 natural in the worst eye is required to obtain or renew a boating license. In a nutshell, it is necessary that, during the eye examination, the subject with the naked eye can read at least the third line of the board. A norm, pun intended, completely myopic. And discriminatory: think that to fly a helicopter the limit is 1/10, and in cars there are almost no constraints!

BESANA & BONSIGNORE’S ONLINE PETITION
Volcanic sailor-cartoonist Davide Besana, involved by his friend Paolo Bonsignore (a Trieste sailor and marketing expert), has launched a campaign to have this absurd rule that prevents people who wear glasses from getting a driver’s license repealed. The initiative soon went “viral,” and the number of petition signatories is growing by the day. We have decided to join the campaign: you can do the same by clicking on the link below:

JOIN THE CAMPAIGN TO REPEAL THE STANDARD