VIDEO Mini Transat 2015: the “reconversion” of Alberto Bona

After finishing fifth among the Series hulls at the 2013 Mini Transat (with Onlinesim.it, a Pogo 2 by Finot), Alberto Bona will line up among the Protos in the 2015 edition: the skipper from Turin will travel the 4200 miles from Douarnenez, Brittany, to Guadeloupe in the French Antilles (with one intermediate stop in Lanzarote) aboard 756, Andrea Caracci’s former Speedy Maltese, designed by Sam Manuard. But it will be a completely converted boat. Taking care of the “refit” (reductive to call it that), will be the guys from Skyron Lab Design, a design studio based in La Spezia consisting of young designers, engineers, graphic designers and specializing in pattern making and prototyping.

WHAT WILL BE INNOVATIVE?
We met Skyron director Nicola Gerin at the Genoa Boat Show: “With Alberto, the research and development program began in March 2014,” he told us, “at a meeting in La Spezia, and from there on the project became increasingly solid and structured, thanks in part to a well-distributed commitment between the parties. The changes to be made to the boat will concern the keel and its handling, and the bow appendages, the daggerboards, which will be the real novelty, more cannot be said but you will see them in action right from the beginning of 2015. Work on 756 is about to begin, we are waiting for Alberto to return from Barcelona, to begin the conversion from Proto 2008 to Proto 2014.”

In terms of ergonomic study, special attention was paid to the outdoor sleeping area in order to better accommodate short sleep breaks during the crossing. The use of an ergonomic cradle ensures skipper comfort in all conditions. Current maneuvers are also designed to facilitate sail changes and steering aboard.

WATCH THE VIDEO PRESENTATION OF THE PROJECT

WHO IS ALBERTO BONA

Alberto Bona perfectly embodies the new generation of Italian ocean sailors who are giving the French “masters” a run for their money. This was confirmed by his great fifth place in the 2013 Mini Transat among the Series, achieved in spite of numerous technical problems, such as a broken windward marker and a rudder failure caused by hitting a big fish. Born in Turin, Italy, on May 9, 1986, he discovered sailing at a very young age while sailing on the family boat. He began on dinghies but soon moved into cabin cruiser racing and offshore sailing. Adventure is in his blood: in 2006 he sailed from La Spezia to Corsica on a “shell” just 8 feet long built in the garage of his home. In 2012 he was Italian Mini Champion and won the Mini Barcelona. In 2013 he was fifth among the series at the Mini Transat. He recently triumphed at the Valencia 650.