At the end of 2021/beginning of 2022, Sergio Davi will embark on a crossing that will take him from Palermo in Italy to Los Angeles in the United States. This crossing of more than 10,000 miles will be made aboard a 10m long Nuova jolly RIB, powered by two 300hp Suzuki outboard engines. It will last around a hundred days, 25 of which will be on the high seas, and will include a one-draft crossing of more than 2,000 miles, linking Cape Verde to Barbados, a record within the record!
Accustomed to motorized maritime adventures, Sergio Davi has already made several long-distance crossings since 2010, from Europe to destinations such as Rio, New York or, again, the North Cape in 2012.
An expert in navigation, Sergio Davì has had many oceanic adventures, the most recent being the Ice RIB Challenge in 2019, during which he sailed 7,000 miles from Palermo to New York.
We went to meet him and had the opportunity to exchange with Sergio about his project to link 2 oceans.
What improvements have you made over a standard RIB?
There are no particular changes except the installation of a T-top better suited for adventure navigation, use of high-end electronic equipment such as radar, AIS system, dual satellite phone, upgrading of the main tank ( increased capacity ) and the use of auxiliary tanks that provide adequate fuel autonomy.
Have you made any changes in terms of comfort?
The use of special seats, slightly more suspended, with a damping system to counter the heaviest loads when sailing in rough seas.
What will your life on board be like?
Life on board must be managed in the full sense of adventure, therefore by organizing, for example, meals with consumption of dry food such as crackers, biscuits, dried fruit. In addition to this, during stops, I try to recuperate thanks to the consumption of fresh food, found from time to time on the spot (fresh fruit, vegetables, bread, meat, etc.).
What about sleep?
On long crossings, I will manage sleep by trying to do micro-sleeps of about half an hour, reducing speed to a minimum, activating all safety devices and proceeding on autopilot at minimum cruising speed.
Autonomy must be a sensitive issue in your case?
As expected when considering modifications to the RIB, increasing the capacity of the main tank and managing an adequate number of auxiliary tanks to be placed in various spaces on the vessel. These tanks will not be connected directly to the main tank, but the transfer is carried out using a specially prepared pump.
What safety equipment do you have planned?
Dual satellite telephony, EPIRB system, PLB, use of life jackets and harnesses via ropes and karabiners ( attached to the sailing suit ) during navigation in rough seas and fuel transfer operations.
Before setting sail, what advice would you give to other adventurers?
Mood management and psychophysical preparation are key. Rest when necessary and never be in a hurry to reach your destination, especially if you have a lot of accumulated fatigue.
My project presents two major orders of difficulty:
The organisational part and therefore the management of contacts with ports, diplomatic networks and partners, fuel supply and the complex organisation concerning the return of the RIB at the end of the mission on the one hand. On the other hand the difficulties linked to the actual passage, such as meteorological management, equipment, physical and mental preparation.
Have you measured the environmental impact of your achievement? How do you manage it?
Environmental impact is a very important issue. First of all, the engines used are equipped with lean-burn technology that reduces fuel consumption by 15%. As with the Palermo-New York crossing, I will try to make myself useful in collaborating to collect the data necessary for the research on microplastics conducted by universities and interested partners. In addition, the choice of the boat itself responds to a need to minimize environmental impact. It is in fact a strong but very light model, made by considerably reducing the use of fibreglass and plastics.
What will be your routing strategy?
In this case, it is not a true strategic route, but rather a forced route, linked to the limited autonomy of a motorboat. Surely, the route I intend to take involves going down to Cape Verde and from there across the Atlantic to French Guyana or Barbados, a route that varies between 1 700 and 2 000 nautical miles. This is an all-time record, much higher than my previous personal best of 1,250 miles achieved in 2017 (with the Ocean RIB Experience).
Appointment is taken, therefore, at the end of next year, to follow Sergio Davi's next adventure. We will not fail to tell you how it will unfold!
