Dario Castiglia: "If anything happens, I'll take the boat and go to sea."

The following interview is the fourth in a series conducted in collaboration with AssoYacht, an association that represents the interests of owners or operators of pleasure boats. Livio Cossutti (AssoYacht International), Giovanna Vitelli, Lorenza Guerra Seràgnoli, Simonetta Vecoli, Elio Serra, Gabriella Pantani, Andrea Ruscica, Italo Fontana, Dario Castiglia, and Fulvia Codecasa are among the shipowners associated with AssoYacht who have decided to tell (and share) their life stories and their passion for the sea with SUPER YACHT 24 and in the first issue of AssoYachtMAG.

Entrepreneur and avid sailor, Dario Castiglia has just disembarked from his boat, the Baltic 65 Re/Max One 2, after competing in the 72nd edition of the Loro Piana Giraglia, an offshore race between Saint-Tropez and his hometown of Genoa. We met him at the Yacht Club Italiano immediately after the race's awards ceremony.

Dario, when did your passion for sailing begin and how did it develop?

I spent my youth between Genoa, my birthplace, and Toronto, Canada, where I continued to cultivate my passion. In my hometown, I was a member of the Quarto Sports Union and sailed a Flying Junior. Once in Canada, I purchased an old wooden Star that I used on Lake Ontario, along with small cabin cruisers from the CNC shipyard. When I returned to Italy, I sailed on even larger boats, not just dinghies. Later, I was busy running my company, Re/Max, but I continued to take vacations, renting boats in a wide variety of locations, from Croatia to the Caribbean.

Do you prefer sailing or motorboating?

An engine is convenient, but sailing is another world. It lets you experience the sea in all its forms: the wind, the smell, the tides. It's a complete experience. I love staying at anchor and not touching port for weeks, and today, with the right equipment, that's not a problem. I often do it with my partner, just the two of us.

Do you use the Baltic 65 you took part in the Giraglia on your cruise?

No, it's a complex boat. A few years ago I started sailing on 20-meter boats, more suited to cruising, like the Hanse 630. In Rosignano, Tuscany,
I took part in a few club regattas and developed a passion for offshore sailing. Three years ago, I took the leap: I purchased this Baltic 65, a racing boat, technical and requiring more people on board, but it delivers thrills. It's also quite comfortable below deck; it's not completely empty, a good compromise.

How did you choose the Baltic 65?

It's a 2010 boat that's rarely used. The second owner used it more for fast cruising than racing. My cousin Andrea Casale, an experienced racer, recommended it to me. He had sailed it in the Middle Sea Race and found it fast. He was right. It's light and performs well; it doesn't have a canting keel or ballast like others, but for me it's just right; it's a good balance.

What are the boat's plans?

We're now preparing for the Maxi in Sardinia, even though two years ago we had a bad accident in Porto Cervo: we hit shallow water, causing serious damage to the boat. It took 19 months to get her back on track, including insurance and repairs. The boat isn't perfect yet, but we're getting there. The Giraglia helped us.
We'll sort out a lot of things. Then we'll do the ARC (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers), across the Atlantic, and participate in some regattas in the Caribbean.

Let's talk about cruising: when you go on a boat, do you do it to isolate yourself, to reflect, or to experience the sea?

All three. I love traveling, discovering new places, staying at anchor, jumping into the water in the morning. It's like camping by the sea. I like warm places, small islands, coves. I've sailed in the Caribbean and the Seychelles. With this boat, I've been to the Aeolian Islands, the Amalfi Coast, and Ionian Greece, which I prefer to the Peloponnese: sailing at 40 knots isn't fun, unless you're with an experienced crew.

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