Text: Marco Nannini
Image: Riccardo Tosetto – Obportus – @globalsolochallenge

Riccardo Tosetto makes sailing history: the 6th Italian ever to complete a solo non-stop circumnavigation

Riccardo Tosetto made history as the sixth Italian to have completed a solo and non-stop around-the-world sailing circumnavigation. Riccardo left A Coruña on October 29th and sailed non-stop for 153 days, sailing more than 28,000 nautical miles aboard his vessel, Obportus, returning to Marina Coruña this morning at 9:04 local time. Family and friends from Italy welcomed him, amidst hugs and moments of great emotion.

Upon his arrival Riccardo said: “The feeling of setting foot on land, after five months at sea, is one of lightness. This circumnavigation was a challenge that tested me in ways I could never have imagined. The most emotional moment was definitely passing Cape Horn, when I change course to pass near the lighthouse so the guardian of the lighthouse could take some photos, it made the rounding very special. The most difficult moments were the departure in a very rough sea, the days before Cape Horn with an intense storm, the Falklands with very strong winds, and the loss of the autopilot three days before arrival, which required hard work to repair. If I had to use three words to describe this experience, they would be, long, sometimes exhausting, but beautiful.”

Riccardo takes 4th place in the ranking of the Global Solo Challenge 2023/2023, on the most challenging of ocean racing routes, 2 weeks after compatriot Italian Andrea Mura on Vento di Sardegna. The Global Solo Challenge is a solo non-stop circumnavigation of the globe, characterized by a unique format which reduces the required budget budget, and a special focus on sustainability. Riccardo’s achievement constitutes an extraordinary feat, with less than 200 people in the world having achieved this goal. During the circumnavigation, he faced extreme weather conditions and unforgettable times, like spending 25 days in temperatures below 12 degrees, not turning on the heating to save diesel in case of emergencies, to sailing near Point Nemo, and rounding all of the three Great Capes: Cape of Good Hope (South Africa), Cape Leeuwin (Australia), and Cape Horn (Chile).