The crew of Nacira 69, the first boat to cross the finish line in ARC 2021, have given the event and Saint Lucia a ringing endorsement.
The Italian yacht 12 Nacira 69 was the first to cross the finish line in ARC 2021. The 23-metre yacht sailed into the IGY Rodney Bay Marina at 3:15 a.m. on Friday December 3, 2021. Described as “a racing boat that’s been made comfortable inside” Nacira completed the 2700 nautical mile journey from Las Palmas to Saint Lucia in 11 days. Nacira 69 is skippered by Federico Dosso. She is owned by Diego Paterno and Federico Marchi. The 9-member crew of Nacira comprises Italian, French and American sailors. The designers of Nacira, Guillaume Vogier and Axel De Beaufort were on the maiden voyage from Las Palmas to Saint Lucia.
Reflecting on the Atlantic crossing, spokesman for Nacira, Matteo Grassi said: “We had very light wind in the beginning, when we left the Canary Islands, but in the last 3 – 4 days at sea, we had a lot of wind, big waves, and the boat was going very fast. It was really a wonderful experience on an amazing boat.”
“It’s our first time doing the ARC. Many of us have done ocean crossings but this is the first time we’ve done the ARC, and it was a really great experience. I came here (Saint Lucia) when I was a kid, a long time ago. The island is just a beautiful as I remember it, the weather is great, and we’ve had a wonderful welcome from everybody. It’s great to be here, and we’re very happy.”
“The ARC is a great event. We would absolutely do it again. I would recommend the ARC for serious as well as leisure sailors. It’s very well organized, and there’s a great sense of community and comradery in the ARC.”
Co-owner of Nacira, Diego Paterno made his maiden sailing voyage to Saint Lucia as a teenager. He recalled: “When I was 18 years old, I started sailing. My mother put me in a sailing course, and she chose Saint Lucia. So I came here when I was 18, the first time I went outside of Italy. I came here to Rodney Bay, on a boat, learning the rudiments of sailing. This is a nice coincidence that after 32 years (of ARC), I am back here in Saint Lucia where I started.”
Saint Lucia also has special significance for co-owner Federico Marchi whose daughter’s name is Lucia. Captain of Nacira, Federico Dosso, was presented with a bouquet by CEO of Events Saint Lucia, Lorraine Sidonie. Minister of Tourism, Hon. Dr. Ernest Hilaire, presented a plaque to the owners, captain and crew of Nacira, to celebrate their achievement as 1st Over the Line in ARC 2021.