By Margherita Pelaschier / Global Solo Challenge
On a gray autumn afternoon in the bay of A Coruña, with light southwesterly winds, Andrea Mura departed on November 18th at 14:00 local time (13:00 UTC) for his Global Solo Challenge, joining the fleet of thirteen competitors already at sea. Vento di Sardegna, the Italian sailor’s Open 50’, swiftly cut through the water, proudly displaying the Italian flag and the Sardinian standard on its hull. Andrea, tired from the strenuous preparation of the preceding months but motivated, finally looked towards the horizon with calmness.
His family, his wife Daniela and his young children Lucas and Marvel, accompanied him to the starting line on the organization’s RIB. It was a moving and shared moment, and during his journey, they will continue to support him and give him the necessary strength, albeit from afar.
For Mura, who in his maritime career has spanned from Olympic campaigns to the America’s Cup, circumnavigating the world solo was a dream he no longer wanted to postpone. Now or never. The innovative format of the Global Solo Challenge immediately appealed to Andrea. He saw in this event the opportunity to realize a project he had attempted before but which had foundered in 2016, when, due to lack of funds, he lost the opportunity to participate in the Vendée Globe. “I was aiming for the Vendée Globe because I wanted to push myself beyond the competitions I had already won. Unfortunately, that project did not come to fruition. Now, the GSC offers me the opportunity to sail around the world with my 23-year-old boat.”
Indeed, Vento di Sardegna, born from the design of Umberto Felci, has always proven to be sturdy, reliable, and well-built, and with a proven track record of results. Andrea had purchased it as a training boat before transitioning to the IMOCA class. Nonetheless, over the years, Andrea has optimized and kept the boat competitive. He changed the mast and the rigging, lightened the bulb, and, thanks to the sponsor Lamborghini, rebuilt the rudders and stanchions in titanium.
Interviewed by the organization before his departure, Andrea shared the numerous challenges he had to overcome during the preparations. On several occasions, he almost decided to abandon the project, but in mid-August, he made the final decision: he would be on the starting line on November 18th…
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Continue to the GSC website…
Start dates
| Skipper | Boat Name | Boat | TCC | Start |
| 1. Dafydd Hughes | Bendigedig | S&S 34 | 0.890 | STARTED 26/08/23 |
| 2. Édouard De Keyser | SolarWind | Solaire 34 | 1.010 | STARTED 17/09/23 |
| 3. Louis Robein | Le Souffle de la Mer III | X-37 | 1.020 | STARTED 30/09/23 |
| 4. Philippe Delamare | Mowgli | Actual 46 | 1.089 | STARTED 30/09/23 |
| 5. Pavlin Nadvorni | Espresso Martini | Farr 45 | 1.188 | STARTED 21/10/23 |
| 6. Ari Känsäkoski | Fuji | Class40 | 1.208 | STARTED 21/10/23 |
| 7. William MacBrien | Phoenix | Class40 | 1.210 | STARTED 21/10/23 |
| 8. David Linger | Koloa Maoli | Class40 | 1.215 | STARTED 29/10/23 |
| 9. Juan Merediz | Waypoint | Class40 | 1.225 | RETIRED Autopilot |
| 10. Cole Brauer | First Light | Class40 | 1.225 | STARTED 29/10/23 |
| 11. François Gouin | Kawan 3 | Class40 | 1.225 | STARTED 29/10/23 |
| 12. Riccardo Tosetto | Obportus | Class40 | 1.230 | STARTED 29/10/23 |
| 13. Ronnie Simpson | Sparrow | Open 50 | 1.250 | STARTED 29/10/23 |
| 14. Alessandro Tosetti | Aspra | ULDB 65 | 1.250 | STARTED 29/10/23 |
| 15. Andrea Mura | Vento di Sardegna | Open 50 | 1.370 | STARTED 18/11/23 |
| 16. Kevin Le Poidevin | Roaring Forty | Open 40 | 1.240 | NEXT 21/11/23 |
| 17. Curt Morlock | 6 Lazy K | Open 60 | 1.470 | 09/12/23 |
| 18. Volkan Kaan Yemlihaoğlu | Black Betty | Volvo Open 70 | 1.640 | 06/01/24 |
| Skipper | Boat Name | Boat | TCC | Start |
| 19. Ivan Dimov | Blue Ibis | Endurance 37 | 0.890 | DNS |
| 20. Peter Bourke | Imagine | Open 40 | 1.250 | DNS Medical |
