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Welcome to the special section “BAM 35 Years.” We are presenting “cult” articles from the Motor Boats archive, starting in 1990. A journey through time among stories unobtainable today, even in the great sea of the internet! A dive into the world of epic moments in motor boating. We begin with one of the stories we were most passionate about.
From Boats to Motor 2001, No. 8, September, pp. 28-31.
How do Formula One drivers relax? By sailing! Villeneuve and Fisichella tell us about their passion for the sea and motorboats.
Formula 1 drivers have always had an affinity with the world of motorsports. After all, as Giancarlo Fisichella confirms, some similarities can be picked up. The feeling for engines first of all or for example the choice of the best set-ups. In addition, both categories, racers and boaters, have a propensity for the mundane and exclusive places. In Monte Carlo, where many racers have residences and thus berths, there is a whirlwind of activity during the Grand Prix involving the most prestigious motoryachts. After free practice, some drivers even thread the boarding gangways with helmet and gloves in hand. There are many circuit champions who spend their vacations on a boat: this year there were no less than three weeks of summer relaxation, more than enough time for a wide-ranging cruise. Some prefer comfortable motoryachts on which to embark the whole family, others more sporty hulls that can at least partially offer the strong emotions they are used to. We asked Jacques Villeneuve, first driver of the BAR Honda team, and Giancarlo Fisichella of Benetton to tell us a little about their passion for motorboating. These two drivers deeply love the sea so much that the former practically lives aboard, while the latter spends much of his free time sailing. Jacques gladly told us about his sporting experiences aboard racing powerboats. Giancarlo, on the other hand, has much to say on the subject, and the impression from his words is one of boundless passion.
A day with Jacques Villeneuve “playing” in the waves with an offshore hull. But he prefers smooth sailing.
Jacques Villeneuve, between grand prix races, lives aboard his motor boat, with which he likes to sail away from the crowds and in which he often likes to sleep in the roadstead. Thanks to Steve Curtis, a three-time Class 1 Offshore World Champion, Jacques Villeneuve had the opportunity to try out one of the hulls participating in the British Honda Formula 4-stroke championship. The boat, an Extreme 21 from the Luky Strike team, was powered by a 130-horsepower Honda 4-stroke outboard. The test conditions were difficult: waves 1.20 meters high, with 60 centimeters of breaker on top. Villeneuve, who owns a large cabin cruiser, described his experience as an offshore pilot for a day this way.
Motor Boats – Do you like to race on a boat?
Jacques Villeneuve – And funny, but the sea is not the element I am most familiar with. When you lose control of a boat in the waves, you are never sure what can happen.
BaM – Is there an affinity between motor racing and motor boating?
J.V. – All sports where you have to go fast and use your eyes, your coordination and your sensitivity, they are similar. It’s true that on a boat you see the waves coming, but I think it’s more about feel. On a race track you have to be consistent on every lap; that’s basically what you have to do. Racing on the sea is closer to rallying, where the driver is constantly expecting conditions to change.
BaM – Does it take the same courage to drive a racing speedboat as it does to drive a Formula 1 car?
J.V. – I think so. Whenever you do something you are not familiar with, it takes a lot of courage. Then when you get used to it, what you do becomes natural and so you don’t think about it anymore.
BaM – Tell us about your experience.
J.V. – We tried to have fun by jumping through the waves. It’s not very difficult. You go over the breakers and pull straight. The boat flies off the wave and hews. I think it all depends on how scared you are. If you capsize with the boat, you just swim out and come back up. No problem!
At the end of the trial Steve Curtis promoted Jacques: “Motor racing is very different from boating-we in boating are dealing with a track that moves. In both sports you still have to have a certain feeling for engines. However, I can say that if the boat were to go sideways, Jacques would know how to get out of it very naturally, which not everyone would know how to do. In short, he would have no problem participating in a powerboat race.” .
Giancarlo Fisichella, the Benetton Formula One driver, is a big fan of the sea and motor boats. This summer he spent his vacation aboard an Azimut 58 and a Sea Doo jet ski.
This summer anyone passing by the docks of Poltu Quatu in Sardinia could admire an Azimut 58 with, at the stern, a Roma flag. It was Giancarlo Fisichella‘s boat, the Benetton Formula One driver in fact has among his passions that of the sea. A passion that was passed on to him by his father and that he in turn passed on to his wife and daughter. Just in Poltu Quatu we caught up with Giancarlo for a brief interview about how he lives the sea and how and with whom he sails on his motor boat.
Motor Boats – Is this your boat?
Giancarlo Fisichella – No, I bought an Azimut 68, which impressed me with its line and technical content, but unfortunately it will not be ready until May 2002. So, thanks to my friendship with Giovanni Danieli, dealer of Azimut itself, this summer I am aboard a 58 from the Avigliana shipyard.
BaM – Are you satisfied with its features and performance?
G.F. – Yes, speaking of the Azimut 58 I can say that it has excellent habitability and at sea it has already given me considerable satisfaction.
BaM – When you go on a cruise, what are your favorite destinations?
G.F. – Obviously due to work requirements, I cannot devote much time to cruising; then this year the season was not exceptional in May and June, and then I raced 5 grand prix and carried out some practice sessions that unfortunately kept me away from the sea during this period. However, living in Monte Carlo, I can choose the whole French Riviera and northern Corsica for three- to four-day outings. The 20 days of summer I spent by being based in Poltu Quatu, Sardinia and leaving from there for daily outings. You see, I travel the world all the time and having a passion for boats, when I can I go to see the various marinas that are located near the Grand Prix venues. I have realized that in Italy, as well as in France and Spain, in short, in the Mediterranean, we have a different culture and conception of going out to sea than, for example, in some distant countries; in Melbourne, Australia, in the local marina, I have only seen fishermen, of various sizes, but only those. II Mediterranean, offers extraordinary opportunities to those who love to sail, and in the context of our sea, Sardinia is the best for those who have a boat, although in May, taking advantage of three free days and good weather, Ponza gave me incredible emotions.
BaM – When sailing, are you the captain or do you entrust the boat to a professional?
G.F. – Obviously there is a professional commander who looks after it all year round, but when we go out I really love to conduct and operate it personally.
BaM – Do you prefer to sail with a few intimates or do you like to have lots of friends around?
G.F. – Both; I enjoy the company but at the same time I love being with my two women: Luna and Carlotta, like me, love the sea, and my daughter immediately started to love the boat like her dad. Also, one of the things I get to do at sea is to train by doing jet skiing and water skiing, so it always happens in the end that we have company: those who fish, those who cook, those who do jet skiing.
BaM – How did the passion for the sea come about?
G.F. – My father passed on to me two passions, the passion for racing and the passion for the sea. Being Sicilian, he is a seafarer of the real kind, a great fisherman and a connoisseur of the rules that one must respect. As a child I spent a lot of time with him, part on the boat and part on the track with go karts.
BaM – Is there an affinity between motoring and powerboating?
G.F. – Definitely yes, the concepts of fluid dynamics are the same even if turned upside down. Aerodynamics is a fundamental aspect of racing: the shape of the cars affects the behavior of the single-seater just as the shape of the hulls affects the behavior of the boats. Just think about the function of flaps on a boat and tell me what the difference is with ailerons, only the former are below and the latter above. The main difference is that the trim on a Formula 1 is done in the pits and the trim on a boat, when you are out of port.
BaM – Haven’t you ever thought of participating in powerboat racing?
G.F. – I would like to and maybe one day I will. Right now, for obvious reasons, I cannot nor do I want to devote myself to any other speed activities other than Formula 1. A few years ago, for reasons related to promotional commitments, I went on a sailboat of those that do ocean races: really impressive the speed of that boat and also its seaworthiness: we were in the English Channel, in England.
BaM – Do you consider yourself a prudent sailor?
G.F. – As I said, I learned about the sea and respect it from a seaman who is my father. When you’re out, you can’t fool around, imagine then having a two-year-old on board if I can be careless. That doesn’t mean I don’t love flying at 60 knots on my jet ski, but I will never do it without a life jacket. In short, one should always think about the consequences of what one does and then must consider that at sea there is no tow truck that comes with a phone call.
BaM – When you evaluate a vessel, what factor do you give the most importance to?
G.F. – There are many factors that condition the choice. First of all, the use to be made of it, then the people who will have to live in it; I would say that evaluations should consider technical, aesthetic and livability aspects. I also think it is essential to rely on an expert who can best advise you with his experience, and in this I was greatly assisted by the person who sold me the boat.
BaM – How do you feel when you ride a jet ski?
G.F. – These are remarkable sensations even for me, who drives Formula 1 cars for work. I’ve had Sea Doo’s XP model for a few days now: 135 horsepower in just over six feet. As I said before, I use it very happily for training, and often while the family is traveling by boat, I follow them on the bike even for long stretches, so I combine the useful with the enjoyable.
There are numerous Formula 1 drivers who spend their vacations on boats. If for some boating is just a hobby, others are true enthusiasts. Michael Schumacher owns a Falcon 86, which he named Gina Maria in honor of his daughter. Brother Ralf went on Schumi’s boat for a long time, but now that things are going well, he has treated himself to an Azimut 58. Jean Alesi also opted for a Falcon, which he christened with a truly appropriate name: Grand Prix. Eddie Irvine prefers the classic: before the Monte Carlo Grand Prix we saw him on television board his 28-meter Anaconda shuttle. Fisichella, on the other hand, is fond of Azimut: in fact, while waiting for a 68 Plus, he sails a borrowed 58 on which the flag of Roma, his favorite team, always flies. Team managers are no joke either. Flavio Briatore, at the helm of Benetton Formula One, in addition to a gritty Magnum 70, also owns the Lady Blue, a beautiful 45-meter steel Benetti, but rumor has it that he is about to upgrade to a 75-meter that will be built in Holland. Eddie Jordan, patron of the racing stable of the same name, could only have a 105-foot British shuttle, while his best driver, Italian Jarno Trulli, who considers speed away from the tracks dangerous, prefers canoeing.
By Andrea Cusmano
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