Knowing the boat from top to bottom, managing it in the “off” moments (that is, when it’s not competing), preparing it for incoming events, moving it from one port to another, as needed: these are the tasks of the Boat Captain, the “boat whisperer”, the man who sets the vessel to perfection in view of a race. And Alberto Bona has made his choice: it’s an expert sailor from La Trinité-Sur-Mer, Pierre-Edouard Regaud, Pierrot for his friends.
Pierrot and Alberto are on the same wavelength: they are working together to create a documentation in view of the regatta, a notebook listing all the onboard items – not only the equipment but also, for example, food – as well as their location. When one is racing alone, this list is critical, because it allows the sailor to find everything he needs easily and in the shortest possible time.
The Boat Captain plays a central role also on the safety front. In addition to ensuring the perfect operativeness of all the nautical equipment, outside and inside the boat, he is also the person who will develop, together with Alberto, all the necessary procedures in case of damage or risk, putting Alberto in condition to concentrate at his best, without wasting precious time.
Alberto and Pierrot met during a training session on the Class40, in spring. “On that occasion”, said Pierrot, “we made all possible mistakes, and we understood that to begin working together we had to start from those. First of all, it is essential to know what one must not do on board”. Since then, they have been working every day on the preparation of the IBSA Class40, which will come out of the shipyard at the end of July.