A "disappointing" first Mini
Fabio Muzzolini started sailing late in life, during annual vacations in Brittany, his mother's home region. After several years of practice in light sailing, it is in adulthood that he decides to get closer to the sea to work. He then began a career as a salesman with the Breton shipyard Marée Haute.
"Seeing the clients sail and helping with the preparation of the boats made me want to get into the Mini circuit" explains Fabio.
The arrival of investors from the BFR euros group in the shipyard and the creation of the BFR Marée Haute Team allowed Fabio, along with 4 other sailors, to take part in the 2019 Mini Transat. He quickly realized that his job as a minstrel was not entirely compatible with his job on land and decided to leave his job to devote himself entirely to his ocean racing project. On his 2008 Lombard design, the young skipper finished in 6th place in the Proto category.
A performance-oriented project for the Mini 2021, but "low cost
After the confinement, he embarks on a new project, with a new motivation. He has the opportunity to buy Tartine euros, a 2018 Proto signed by Lombard, with which Axel Tréhin finished 2nd in the 2019 Mini Transat.
"I wanted to return to the Mini with a project more focused on performance. That's what I missed in my first season. I have the impression that I didn't follow through with my project, my reasoning. I wanted to go for more racing and technical performance. This boat allowed me to do the Mini in low cost mode. It was so well equipped, I didn't have to spend any money on energy and material. I only invested in two new spinnakers, but I raced with Axel's sails" says Fabio.
Its lot of galèreseuros
But his new project did not go at all as planned. First of all, the financing does not follow. Then, the breakages and the damages follow one another: "I've been having problems all year. Mostly improbable breakages, like the spreaders in the harbor. As a builder, Axel knew the limits of the boat. I chose him because I thought he was 100% reliable and well built, but I didn't have all the data, all the information, and above all I missed a lot of luck." says Fabio.
"The first time I got to grips with my boat was difficult, with a lot of problems. I even counter-performed on Les Sables euros Les Açores in Morlaix Bay, in August 2020. It was quite impressive. I was slow with the boat. I had to discover a new hull shape, new settings" explains the Ministe. But his victory in the Marie-Agnès Peron Trophy in October of the same year motivates him.
"I spent the year 2021 in the pits fixing the boat. Nobody saw me as a serious candidate. At the same time, I couldn't show what I was worth ."
However, Fabio can count on the support of his network and his entourage. "I had a good network of clients through my previous job. They followed me in my project. I was able to get a loan to buy the boat and a sponsorship loan, which allowed me to survive. I was far from having the necessary budget for the race. I didn't have enough money to pay for the cargo ship to bring my boat back, so there was no guarantee that I could bring it back to Lorient. The boat was not insured either. I was prepared to stay on it no matter what, even if it was dismasted, to make sure I could bring it back safely. I told myself that if I made a performance, I would launch a fund for the return trip says Fabio.
A desire for the podium
If he doesn't sail, he prepares himself in his own way, analyzing the different phases he will encounter, the moments when he will have to go fast and others less so. It is with a podium goal that Fabio Muzzolini takes the start of the Mini Transat 2021. But this edition does not go exactly as planned.
"Every Mini Transat is different. We had a completely new weather pattern. It was very interesting. The race was played out mentally. The wind conditions were not very bad, we had very little speed, sliding, and finally little breakage. We had to manage the frustration linked to the lack of wind and speed and to hold on for a long time like that. The sargassum encountered during the last days of the race was complicated to manage. This was also new compared to the previous edition. You had to be confident in your weather options and know how to manage the mood on board to maintain speed. This race was really rich.
What is incredible, even if the race lasts 15 days, is that you can quickly lose it on a bad decision. It's a lot of pressure. You have to be sure of your choices and not condemn your race after 48 hours" develops Fabio.
The skipper finally reaches his podium goal. Even with a Mini project " low cost "As he says, Fabio put in a good performance, a very good performance indeed, competing with the two favorites of the event, Tanguy Bouroullec and Pierre Le Roy. He took the 2nd place e place overall in the Protoeuro category!
Continue in Figaro, the school of ocean racing
As the end of the year draws near, Fabio is not done with his desire for ocean racing. After the Mini, he would like to move on to the Figaro, the class through which the greatest sailors have passed.
"I'm still a little galvanized by the result. I've received a lot of messages of encouragement. It makes me want to continue to do ocean racing. I dream of sailing and racing. But without a partner it's hard to move forward.
Today, I want to sail with boats that I can stand on, with a computer and weather files. It would be great" laughs Fabio. "I would like to join the Figaro circuit in the next few seasons. I have a lot to learn and it's the best class for that! It's a tough school, but necessary to advance afterwards. That's my priority."
Since his return to Lorient, in the real world, Fabio is back on land. He juggles between his dreams and reality, between odd jobs to keep a "foot in the door" and time to sail as soon as possible.
His boat will continue to sail since he plans to join forces with a skipper who wants to do the Mini Transat in 2023 and develop his boat towards other potentials, to " gain a lot in a more flying version. "But before, he would like to participate in the Sables euros the Azores, race which misses to his palmares and which would be then his last on the Mini circuit.
You are never alone in an ocean racing project
Before concluding: "I thank once again all the people who helped me in this project. It can sometimes seem selfish to leave alone on your boat, but you have a huge support behind you to make your projects go ahead. Without the people who helped me, I would never have been able to reach the end. It's a chance and a pleasure to share this adventure with people, and that makes it even more concrete."
Let's hope that Fabio Muzzolini finds butter for his Tartine and that his most fervent sailing dreams come true
