After five years of co-owning a 36-footer moored in Punta Ala, Tuscany, my friend Dario gathered up his courage and bought a 40-foot racer-cruiser Grand Soleil 40 B&C. I still believe the spec of the boat he liked most was her location in north-east Italy – requiring a long trip home.
Dario, Stefano and myself met in Rimini in June to begin the 1,000-mile trip to sail (meaning silly in north Italian dialect) back to Tuscany, round the south coast of Italy. We set off in light winds,