Alberto Bona and his extraordinary encounters in the ocean

For three seasons the project Sailing into the Future. Together allowed IBSA to follow the wind and the sea, experiencing – through Alberto Bona – adventures far removed from our everyday life. The Transat Québec Saint-Malo was a regatta full of unexpected events and suspense, but also of very exciting encounters with a diversified marine fauna.

Indeed, two days before the start the organisers summoned the crews to discuss the issue of whale protection, imposing new rules of conduct on board. For this reason, each boat was equipped with an informative guide to recognise the different types of cetaceans, with the request to notify the organisation in case of sighting and to limit speed to avoid collisions. Much more than a mere security measure, this new approach highlighted a clear message: whales are in their natural habitat, while racers are guests that cross their territory, and therefore must do so with the utmost respect.

Three hundred and fifty miles from Greenland, Bona had an extraordinary encounter: dozens of pilot whales played with the Class40 IBSA, accompanying her and jumping along her wake. Further South, in the English Channel, Alberto met majestic sperm whales, which briefly displayed their magnificence and then disappeared beneath the waves. Fortunately, during the regatta no sailor recorded accidental collisions with ocean fauna – an event that would have been dangerous for both the cetaceans and the boats – nor intentional attacks by animals.In the past, for example, killer whales, particularly in the Strait of Gibraltar, attacked sailing boats as a defensive measure.

The Transat Québec Saint-Malo, with its twists and turns, brought navigation back to its essence: a combination of adventure and relationship between humans and nature. In this immense ocean, whales remind us how fragile our ecosystem is; they tell us about the strength – but also the vulnerability – of nature, an undeniable reminder of the need to respect and take care of the environment in its entirety.