“Shipwreck” before setting sail. Edoardo Raimondo gives up the blow (what anger)

We met him at the VELAFestival, knew he was getting serious, and had an uncommon determination on his side, mixed with a dash of (healthy) madness. Edoardo Raimondo was supposed to participate in the legendary Golden Globe revival (2018: as then, departing from Falmouth on June 14, 2018, and sailing around the world via the Cape of Good Hope, Leeuwin and Horn, on boats from 32 to 36 feet – built before 1988 with a minimum displacement of 6,200 kg and a long keel), on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the round-the-world race that consigned Robin Knox-Johnston and Bernard Moitessier to history. Instead, Edward’s dream was shattered.

YET ANOTHER “SHIPWRECK” BEFORE LEAVING
Edoardo Raimondo is yet another ocean sailor who “wrecks” before he even sets sail, running up against the most difficult obstacle, that of finding a budget. He wrote us a beautiful letter where he is keen to make it clear that he neither has nor wants any justification. We merely discern similarities with the episodes of Andrea Mura (forced to sell his boat before leaving for the Vendée Globe) or Alessandro Di Benedetto (who withdrew his entry from the round-the-world race, also for budget reasons). Or with that of Giancarlo Pedote, who despite proving to be very strong in the ocean has not yet scraped together enough money to go around the world. Or, with the failure of Carlo Croce’s plan to take Italy to the Volvo Ocean Race with Soldini.

AREN’T WE READY?
Perhaps yes, and we say it, Italy is not ready for ocean sailing, perhaps we consider it unspectacular, or too “radical chic,” as came out of Alberto Sordi’s “lone sailor” speech in Dino Risi’s “I Nuovi Mostri.” We, ourselves, are sometimes outraged if an ocean sailor asks for one or two million for a campaign that maybe lasts four years (and he certainly does not pocket it but invests it in boat and training), but by now we have accepted the fact that a major league player, not even too strong, gets a million a year salary. Let alone then who should put money into it…. We stop here. Happy reading.

EDOARDO RAIMONDO’S LETTER

Dear Editor,
these days the deadline for the payment of the last entry tranche for the 2018 Golden Globe Race for Team ITA@goldenglobe2018.com of which I am the skipper.

It is an opportunity for us to do further verification to the project. From our planning we should have already had the boat, ready for the ocean this winter, but not having yet found a sponsor to support us financially, did not allow us to have it. We have done everything we can to get there but realistically, we are running out of time.

We don’t have time to guarantee our departure, we don’t have time to give proper visibility to those who believed in our idea and made themselves available as important Italian companies who supported us as technical partners did.

It is time to take a step back before that step is too big for everyone. You could say that Italy is not ready, that ocean sailing is not interesting or many other things, but that would just be a justification, we tried and we failed.

With great regret, after 15 months of often nighttime work, we informed the organization, our technical suppliers and you of our abandonment.

Thank you for your support and appreciation, see you soon.

Edward Raymond
ITA@goldenglobe2018.com