Monday was a strange day of packing, trying to tidy the boat up and feeling strangely lost. We were given a fantastic welcome by the ever effervescent Enzo who in leaving us with instructions to say “Vaaaa bene” at least once a day has indeed been with us in mind all throught the trip. Loved the picture of newborn yet to arrive with the oh so proud papa already. I look forward to picutre when it arrives.
Marco Tomei – gentle dependable Marco who seemed to know the entire population of the mediteranean and smoothed our way. Of course his very funny sense of humour was just priceless. A friend indeed.
Manfredo – you are an amazing photographer and it was a real privilege to watch you at work. Fascinating and wow, those photos certainly captured the dream. And not a bad cook, Spaghetti of legends . I loved the fact that you talked to me in Italian forgetting that your english was far better than my italian is ever likely to be. It was improving!! We missed you on that last leg back up from Malta. Keep in touch
Alex – What do I say? Driven, professional, mad but fantastic. ITs been a blast mate and do it again any day!!
Captain Dag – Thankyou for letting me be party to this project and all that it entailed. Have enjoyed our conversations immensely. Catch up in the New Year.
And the list goes on.
But in all this I would like to say a big thankyou to Kath Pike Lou Pino, ‘bella and Graham Tyson because without all of you being who you are and letting all of us loose on the high seas together as a team , (it did work,) then the Magellano magic might never have been. At least not the kind of magic that makes things memorable. Thanks guys
Home beckons and there is sense of getting your feet back on the ground again with all the normalities of life already filtering in. I have enjoyed this but am glad to be back with my gorgeous boys albeit a little sad. Its way too quiet sitting here typing this on my computer. There is no heartbeat of the Magellano to sing me to sleep!! Getting all mushy, must be the time of night. Time to sign off.

Arrivaderchi Magellano

We came back to the home port with barely a whisper and no fanfare which somehow this boat deserves. 0300 is an hour and a half to be getting into a not so easy berth having had an interesting trip up. This boat has great heart and great fortitude and If Azimut listen up to what has been raised, huge potential. Dont let it go to waste.
We raised a glass to the girl and to our adventure at an end and it was only fitting to somehow be able to absorb the silence and the beauty of the night that surrounded the Magellano and us. All pretty tired after a fun but somtimes trip. If I was asked to do it again would I? Yes I would assuming my long suffering parents would cope with my two gorgeous boys. I want to say a big thankyou to them for letting me do this, for Captain Dagellano for involving me and for Azimut for having the courage to think up this adventure in the first place. Its been fun and tomorrow we will be tidying up and bidding our farewells to one and all.

After 2000 miles of cruising the Mediterranean I have fallen in love with the performance of Magellano. Here is a motor yacht that does everything you ask it to do and comes up smiling at the end. Whether it is ploughing into rough seas off the coast of Italy or negotiating the very difficult and narrow marina entrance in Malta, Magellano performed. We have been through rough times and heavy seas as well as beautiful days when the winds were light and the sun was shining and each time Magellano performed her magic.

Devo dire che sicuramente il tempo ci ha aiutato, delle splendide giornate con un mare ideale sono quanto di meglio uno possa pretendere anche in un mite inverno tunisino.

  

 

Navigare in questi giorni a bordo del Magellano è stata un’esperienza veramente piacevole e rilassante e grazie anche alla simpatica compagnia si è creato un bel gruppo di amici.

 

Ho scoperto un pezzetto di Tunisia che sicuramente tornerò a visitare con calma . Magellano era pefettamente ambientato nelle calme acque di Sidi Bu Said e tutte le varianti e i riflessi ramati dello scafo perfettamente in sintonia con le scogliere antistanti.

 

Purtroppo il tentativo di pesca , nonostante un’attrezzatura ” micidiale” non ha dato i frutti sperati ma ci riproveremo, magari installando una paio di speciali porta canne.

Una barca veramente ospitale, perfetta per ricevere amici ed ospiti, sia in porto che in navigazione, spero di essere invitato ancora in quanto è stata un’esperienza unica e indimenticabile

 

I want to get into the guts of the boat and Dag and the team are only too happy to run through the instruments, the systems, the engine room and the accommodation with me. I soon form the clear impression that the Magellano is without doubt, a complex and sophisticated new concept. The instrumentation, as one would expect, is comprehensive; some of it a new version of systems with which I am already familiar, some of it entirely new to me. Most of it is easy to understand if not, initially at least, to operate.

The engine room is spacious but not as well laid-out as it should be. Again, not difficult to sort out and I understand Azimut are already addressing this on future 74s.

…But it’s on our second day, when we put to sea, that I really get the feel for her and joy of joys, get to drive from both upper and lower positions for an extended spell. Her handling is a delight, and her full throttle turns are spectacular. She comes round hard and fast, just like a much smaller sports boat and, because of the so effective stabilisers, does so without any heel whatsoever. Very impressive, and very sure.

The concept of the Magellano is all about versatility in long-distance cruising and she certainly delivers. Her sea-keeping is as good at 10 knots as it is at 20 plus and this is where she scores over both traditional displacement and planning hull boats. In this respect she is a great new concept, which should fill the market niche Azimut have identified very effectively indeed.

It has been a pleasure to have been involved in the early testing of the Magellano and I would like to congratulate Azimut on their courage in taking her on such a long and challenging maiden voyage and opening her out to a potentially very critical audience of journalists and experienced yachtsmen. Azimut deserve to succeed with the Magellano project and I believe they will.