The ship commander, Gianfranco Bacchi is the 122^nd captain of the Amerigo Vespucci, the famous training ship of the Marina Militare. His time in command has given him a unique experience, not only because he was captaining “the most beautiful ship in the world” and its crew, made up of 264 men and women, rising to 400 members after the students come on board, but also because of last year’s campaign conditioned inevitably by Covid.

During lockdown the Amerigo Vespucci paid a tribute to the Italian coasts by illuminating its masts with the country flag and with music by Ennio Morricone, played on the ship’s piano by Captain Bacchi, who, before working in the military, studied music.

A crescendo of feelings until they sailed through the Taranto canal, which “was like a hug – said Captain Gianfranco Bacchi to Liguria Nautica – between myself and the crew. That is a moment – ha said – that I will take with me for the rest of my life.”

We interviewed captain Bacchi while he was in Genova during the Ocean Race Europe. The training ship belonging to the Italian Navy was the star attraction throughout its stay at the Porto Antico, before it departed for Montecarlo.

Together with Captain Gianfranco Bacchi, we also talked about life on board for the students of the Accademia Navale, about the (many) opportunities that the sea can still offer today, and about what led him to becoming the captain of the Vespucci.

A story that Bacchi also describes in his book,  Il punto più alto, where he came to the conclusion that “there is no highest point, it is a relative concept.” “At this moment – he explained – the highest point for me is captaining this ship and its incredible crew. The future has other objectives for me, because I will try and climb higher to see the horizon more clearly and to find increasingly ambitious objectives.”

Giuseppe Orrù