(FILA Luxembourg S.à r.l.) FILA it's proud to announce a second place finish for Giovanni Soldini and his team aboard the Maserati Multi70 in the 52nd edition of the Transpacific Yacht Race (Transpac).
Starting on 1 July from Point Fermin (Los Angeles) they sailed 2,225 miles, finishing second today at Diamond Head (Honolulu) with a final time of 4 days, 23 hours and 55 minutes. The main challengers were the two American MOD 70s Argo, skippered by Jason Carroll and navigator Brian Thompson, and the winner Orion, skippered by Justin Shaffer, who finished the race with a 6-hour lead.
Transpac is the most important offshore race in the Pacific, and among its obstacles is its proximity to the Pacific trash vortex, aka the ‘plastic island’, which for sailors means a higher risk of collisions.
The Maserati Multi70, the only Italian boat competing, is taking part in this race for the third time after the 2017 and 2019 editions. Alongside Giovanni Soldini on the Maserati Multi70 is the crew composed of Guido Broggi (ITA), Oliver Herrera Perez (ESP), Francesco Malingri (ITA), Francesco Pedol (ITA), Matteo Soldini (ITA), and Lucas Valenza-Troubat (FRA).
The regatta was particularly challenging for the Maserati Multi70, which was unable to rely on racing sails and hydrofoils due to a customs problem that delayed delivery of the equipment, forcing the trimaran to do without these essential elements.
"It was a difficult regatta for us," Giovanni Soldini commented at the finish line. "We started with a bit of a handicap, especially on the sails, because we had sails from 2019 that have been through the mill, while the racing sails were left in the container along with the foils. A pity, because apart from the first phase of the regatta where there was little wind, there were really super stable flying conditions".
The satisfaction with the result aside, what makes FILA proud – along with dressing the crew and having our trademark on the boat's hull and sail - is seeing Giovanni Soldini and his team consistently achieve excellent results on a boat that, as we know, is not only competitive but extremely technologically advanced, in terms of both the cutting-edge equipment and the on-board research lab’s commitment to sustainability?
After the stop in Hawaii, the trimaran will set sail anew in the direction of Japan, along a scientific route that can be followed on the new platform AROUNDTHEBLUE.ORG.
So, the collaboration between FILA and the Italian sailor continues at full sail across the world’s oceans.