Commander Massimo Cerracchio: His self-taught cruises in a book

There comes a moment in the life of an airplane pilot when his gaze inevitably falls downward. Beyond the curve of the horizon, where the blue of the sky merges with that of the sea, a silent question often arises: "What's really out there?" For Massimo Cerracchio, a military and civilian pilot with over fifty years of career spent "among the clouds," that question didn't remain an abstract thought. It became a route, a challenge, and, finally, a book: "Objective Spitsbergen," published by Edizioni il Frangente. Cerracchio's story is not the classic epic of the sailor who never left port. Rather, it is the tale of a "pilot lent to the sea." The dichotomy between the two worlds permeates every page of the book, creating a fascinating parallel between the precision of air navigation and the unpredictability of maritime navigation.

While Cerracchio was accustomed to navigating powerful engines and cutting-edge technology to shorten distances in flight, at sea he chose the opposite approach. Aboard Mamaroa, a small, seven-meter fiberglass Samourai, the 7 miles separating him from the Great North became an exercise in patience, humility, and listening to nature. The book takes the reader on a self-taught journey, from his first Mediterranean cruises to his leap to the Caribbean, guided only by sails and a sextant. But the true magnet, the obsession that drove him to travel further afield, was the island of Spitsbergen, in the Svalbard archipelago. On July 19, 1980, that seven-meter "little boat" finally touched down in the lands where the polar ice pack rules. An undertaking that today we would call extreme, but which the author recounts with the candor typical of someone who has seen the world from 7 meters above the ground and knows that, ultimately, we are just small dots in the landscape. One of the most poetic aspects of the book emerges in the author's post-retirement reflection. After leaving the controls of large jets, Cerracchio returned to pure flight with his glider pilot's license. This is where the circle comes full circle: "An airplane doesn't fly because it has an engine, but because it has wings, which are exactly like the sails of a boat." For Cerracchio, sailing has never been an exercise in strength against the elements, but a lesson in fluid dynamics and respect. His writing is sincere, free of veils and self-celebration. He doesn't define himself as a hero, but rather as a traveler who has changed perspective: from radar to the compass, from the speed of sound to the slow progression of the ice.

Objective Spitsbergen isn't just a logbook for extreme sailing enthusiasts; it's an invitation to pursue your obsessions, regardless of the medium. Whether it's a flap extending or a mainsail inflating, the message is clear: the important thing is to never stop looking beyond the horizon, be it clouds or salt water. Massimo Cerracchio, born in Naples in 1939, after attending the Air Force Academy became a military pilot, and after fourteen years of flying, was promoted to pilot commander for Alitalia. He then approached the sea with great respect, a simple, self-taught neophyte, with his only sailboat, Mamaroa, a 7,33-meter fiberglass sloop, and for thirteen years he sailed in the Mediterranean, the Atlantic, and the Arctic. He continued his pilot career with over 15 flight hours, and finally obtained, after reaching retirement age, his glider pilot's license, learning that an airplane flies not because it has an engine but because it has wings, which are exactly like the sails of a boat.

Objective Spitsbergen
by Massimo Cerracchio
Il Frangente Editions, Verona, 2026
208 pages; €24,50 

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