With the start of the Transat Jacques Vabre set for October 29, 2023, we spoke to Alberto Riva, the Italian skipper at the helm of the latest boat to be launched in the Class40 fleet.
You're not well known to the general public. Can you tell us about the route that led you to the start of the Transat Jacques Vabre in Class40?
The virus was passed on by my father, and as he himself says, it then escaped him? I studied physics to become an engineer, but I always wanted to be a sailor, and ended up becoming an expert in onboard electronics, sailing with famous Italian sailors like Giovanni Soldini and Andrea Fantini. I'd been dreaming of a Mini for a few years when I got the chance to do it, finding someone who'd bought a Mini and wanted to learn to sail on it. We did the double-handed races together and I did the solo races. It was a real win-win situation. I came second in the Mini Transat 2021 Series, on a Vector, even though there were questions about the boat's performance.
Once we'd finished the mini, the sponsor really liked the project, so we looked for something bigger, and the stars aligned again and we launched the Class40.
What's hard today is that Riccardo Iovino, the founder of sponsor EdiliziAcrobatica, who had become a friend, died a few days ago while kite surfing. It's all the more motivation to race as hard as we can.
How do you prepare a boat for a transatlantic race when you're launching it so late?
Construction was agreed in February, started in March, and the boat was launched in August. On September 10, we began qualification and delivery to Lorient. Launching such a boat in 6 months is intense and complicated. The priority is to have a solid boat that doesn't break. Optimization unfortunately takes second place. You can see that we're not at the same point as the other teams, but I was lucky enough to sail with Ambrogio Beccaria on Alla Grande Pirelli, who is a friend. I did the Atlantic Challenge with him, and that enabled me to get to know the boat well and add modifications to mine. We don't exactly have a sistership.
Why choose this design by Gianluca Guelfi? What are the advantages and differences between Alla Grande Pirelli and Acrobatica?
Gianluca is a friend, and I think the dialogue between architect and sailor is fundamental. The architect has ideas, but at sea, reality is sometimes different. It's important to exchange ideas. Choosing an Italian architect and a boat built in Genoa, where my sponsor was born, seemed the right choice. But beyond that, what's great about Gianluca's design is that the boat works in all conditions, where the Pogo is going to be VMG downwind, the Lift plus for reaching or the Mach plus for downwind in seas and strong winds. There aren't any conditions where Gianluca's plan doesn't work, and what's important is the average.
Compared to Ambrogio's boat, we've made a few modifications to the keel and sails. We added front and rear windscreens. We've also moved some buoyancy reserves, to improve comfort and facilitate trimming. Comfort is essential. You have to have somewhere to rest.
What's the difference between Mini and Class40?
The boat is obviously bigger, but I'd already done quite a bit of Class40 sailing with 2 Défi Atlantique. I'd also followed the construction of Ambrogio's boat. I'm not worried about DIY. The hardest thing is to go from a Mini project, managed on your own, to a "small business", with a sponsor, communication, budgets...
How did you come to choose Jean Marre as co-skipper?
We met on the Mini 2021. We were sailing against each other, but had never sailed together. It was a gamble, but we knew that our characters would work well together, and Jean showed his desire for the project right from the start.
Jean Marre, who was present at the time, adds: " We haven't yet had time to build up an organization at sea, but it will happen naturally. We've already seen that with the qualification, which went very well."
In conclusion, what is your goal for the Transat Jacques Vabre?
The aim is to do very well, but we know we have a new boat. The level is very high, with around fifteen really strong boats and skippers. Ideally, we're aiming for the top 5, but you never know. In the end, it's the sea that decides!
