Allegra Bassani Antivari – An outlook on the sailing world from the younger generation

It all started with my father (N.B. Luca Bassani Antivari). He started sailing when he was four in a small town in Italy, on his little optimist boat in a pool… At 16, he was already the Mediterranean champion and from then on, pursued a lifetime of sailing.
When my grandfather sold the family business BiTicino, my father decided to pursue his dream: he started building, back in 1993, for himself, the first Wally sailing boat with added innovations to make them easier, faster, cleaner…  The first one was named Wallygator (now Nariida), which I was literally born on. I have therefore been on the sea since I was a baby. The sea is my home. It is where I feel at ease, where I feel calm and safe, even though it can be scary at times.. Do not ask me to look under a sailing boat, the keel looks like a shark!

Back then, you would have a dozen winches on a deck, which he cleared down to four, then down to a complete flush deck. He brought a lot of innovations in the hydraulic systems, which allowed one person to sail a 30-meters boat instead of being 10 or 12. He installed canting keels in big yachts to allow them to be faster in every direction along with building “terraces on the sea”, and carbon fibre sails.. Those tweaks and customizations had never been seen before.

I was always immersed in the sailing world, my springs would start with the regate in Portofino and my summers would finish with the MAXI yacht Rolex cup in Porto Cervo, but unfortunately I never undertook the sport by myself; i was always blissfully tacking and jibing with my family.
After pursuing my studies in Business Administration (NB a Master in Luxury Management of Goods and Services and one in Premium Design Management), I went on working for a french shipyard and a shipping company. I wanted to stick to the sea, but experience work outside the family company, and it was indeed very different, there was no luxury there whatsoever. One day, I read an article about Wally, and had this silver lining that it was time to integrate the family business. I got in touch with the new Managing Director and asked if he would be willing to give me a chance, because I felt my heart was pumping “Wally DNA” all over my veins, the sea and relevant experience and the desire to pursue a lifetime dream.

I was just out at a regatta last week. Of course you have these million dollar boats, people are Uber rich and the events are incredible. But when you are sailing, you are probably wearing something really old, scratched or torn. You see sailors? Their hands are destroyed. And during the regattas, whether you are the owner or the last person in the group, Bill Gates or an officer, you are all the same. It is very authentic. One cannot say the same of tennis, golf or le Grand Prix de Monaco. If people do not know who you are, they will not even look at you.

I was living a very privileged life in Milan, but my dream was always to wake up by the sea.
I could do that during the summer, but during the winter, I would really feel the absence of the sea, even physically, I would always feel weak. Once I moved to Monaco, I never got sick again.
My parents always told me, whatever sickness you have, go in the sea, snort some sea water and you will feel better. So I perceived its healing properties from the start, though it is quite painful when you snort it!
I love the hecticness of cities but when I travel, I always look for something to do with nature. Going for hikes. Swimming…
And I still try to do my best wherever I go. I always clean up the beaches, even though it can be really unpleasant without gloves.
With clients, I always push for sailing boats over motorboats… Of course, we want to live in luxury and we do not want to go back 2000 years. But I think that technological innovation should take the planet into consideration, not just 80%, not 90%, but a hundred percent.

A very vivid example is here in the Cote d’Azur. The coast used to be turquoise. However explorers came back with algae stuck in the engines that were not from here and very contagious. And now the cost is black.
I wouldn’t call it pollution, but it is still human made. Then when you walk on the beach, you find plastic, nets and all sorts of trash. You know that all the fish are dying from it, even from microfibers. Data shows that 150 million tons of plastic are already floating in the sea. If you pay attention, you perceive it. And once you go around the world, you perceive it even more.

One of my most important goals in life is to make a significant difference to the world’s oceans and for our future. 90% of the world is water, and there are so many things that can and must be done with oceans.
The meeting with Mårten Hedlund and our ongoing talks has created an embryo where we through sustainable commitment and clear efforts from leading individuals and strong brands will make a noticeable difference.
– At some point, we need to talk about what is really going on in a way that is interesting and beautiful, though tragic as well! The point is to make a change without commanding people to lower their standards: living in luxury while being sustainable. It will not only be a dream. It will be a reality.