“But what a gale! But what a perfect storm!” Speaking is Pierpaolo Ballerini (pictured above), who aboard Azuree (an Azuree 33 from the Turkish shipyard Sirena Marine) finished in fourth place overall IRC in the Rolex Middle Sea Race, winning in his group (class 5) and dominating the “doublehanded” boat standings (he participated in tandem with Stig Westergaard).
A WET AND WILD CRUISE
“I disagree with all the hype around the regatta, amplified by the media. Yes, 40 knots came in, under gusts even 50. The waves reached 4-5 meters (some said even 8, but I didn’t see any that big), but the race could be completed safely, without any risk. For me, being a cruiser, it was a long cruise. A wet and wild cruise.”.
VIDEO FROM ABOARD: “THIS IS SAILING IN 40 KNOTS”
IN TWO WITH NO PROBLEMS
To think that Ballerini and Westergaard broke out more than 200 miles into the blizzard, from Favignana to Malta, “But we sailed without any problems. We put on jib 2, a foresail, 3 coats of reefing to the mainsail and went quietly, with the boat spinning at 15-20 knots. During the night we removed the bow to be safer.”
MICA YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A TOUGH BEARDED SAILOR
“I want to make my testimony heard,” Ballerini continued, “because you won’t hear many like it. There was never any danger. You didn’t have to be a tough bearded sailor to complete the race. I, again, am a cruiser: my boat has heating, watermaker, refrigerator: it is certainly not a racing bolide. Yet we finished the regatta great, two of us, both 52 years old.”
ONLY TIMOR? THE SMELL
Azuree spent two nights and a day in the difficult weather conditions: “Do you want to know our greatest difficulties? The inability to cook hot meals, and the incredible stench we had on us as we were encased in our wet oilskins for two days: otherwise, all smooth. Don’t believe those who spoke of a perfect storm!”
VIDEO FROM ABOARD / 2: WHAT A GLIDE ON THE SLACK WITH 40 KNOTS
TO LEARN ABOUT A VERY DIFFERENT VIEWPOINT FROM THAT EXPRESSED BY DANCERS ON THE REGATTA, CLICK HERE
TO FIND OUT HOW THE REGATTA WENT, CLICK HERE
