At 76, he sets out to sail around the world on a brand-new catamaran (and seeks crew)

“It’s not like the idea of going around the world by boat came to me out of the blue. It has always been a pet peeve of mine, and now, after working a lifetime, I can finally realize the dream.” Speaking is Pino Lasalandra, 76, a hotelier from Rome. In August he will set sail from Fiumara Grande (the port in the arm of the Tiber that delineates Fiumicino’s southern boundary), on his new, super-equipped Nautitech 54 catamaran (16.30 x 8.55 m), to the Canary Islands: from there, in November, he will depart for the Caribbean with the ARC fleet (Atlantic Rally For Cruiser, a non-competitive Atlantic crossing to Saint Lucia) and then sail explore the Pacific (via Panama) and launch into the round-the-world (World ARC).

42 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND MANY MILES
Pine, who is looking for crew for his big adventure – at the bottom you can apply! – is not a novice sailor: “For 42 years I had monohulls and sailed far and wide.”, he recounts, “As soon as I bought my first boat, a Westerly Conway 36 ketch (11 meters), I left the moorings of Fiumara Grande for the Black Sea, sailing all the way to Turkey, in the Bosphorus: I had the chance to experience a different, still wild Turkey. With few marinas and lots of hospitality. On the way back to Italy I also stopped at some wonderful little Greek islands.”

After the Westerly Conway comes a boat with a less ‘oceanic’ concept, a Jeanneau Espace 1300 (13.50 m): “With her I sailed all over the Mediterranean, reaching as far as Portugal.”

But Pino, a born explorer, wanted to get out of the Mediterranean confines and opted for a more ‘marine’ boat: “I leaned toward a Nauticat 50, and that was my companion for 17 years-I bought it in Turku, Finland, and coasted from there until I brought it ‘home.’ With her I made my first Atlantic crossing: in the Caribbean I went around a lot, Cuba, Granada and many small islands.”

BEWITCHED BY CATAMARANS
It was in Caribbean waters that Lasalandra came into contact with the world of catamarans: “I saw so many of them, used by private individuals and charter companies, so I said to myself: Why not switch to multihulls myself? They are actually comfortable, fast, and able to accommodate more people on board. I started looking for the right boat, sounding out boat shows (especially the one in La Grande Motte) and finally, in 2017, I settled on the Nautitech 542.”

“It’s a nice big boat-at Pescara, where I kept my boats then, I had to go from a single seat to a double seat-equipped with every convenience. It has state-of-the-art electronics and is equipped in the mini details for long sailing. It’s just the ideal boat for what’s in my head.”

TRAVEL THE WORLD WITH PINE!
After arriving in the Caribbean on the ARC, as we anticipated, Pino will sail to the San Blas, then via Panama arrive in the Galapagos and Marquesas, then Australia (where he plans to stop for a while because he has relatives), the Indian, Brazil, and up the Atlantic to the Mediterranean (stops will follow the schedule of the World ARC). “I’m 76 years old but physically I’m okay, if I don’t do it now I won’t do it again. And I’m looking for mates to sail together, experienced sailors ready to share this dream as equals: just know English and be ‘mentally predisposed’ to long sailing, you’ll see we’ll have fun!”

Do you want to board the Laura IV, Pino’s catamaran, and set off around the world? Apply by sending a resume to the email crewnautitech@outlook.com

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