Sergio Davì officially presented in Palermo the “Ocean to Ocean Rib Adventure,” departing on November 21, 2021. The feat that sees navigator Sergio Davì make a solo, unassisted crossing from Sicily to Los Angeles aboard an 11.30-meter maxi rib.
Can one go from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific aboard a 10-meter dinghy? Palermo raider Sergio Davì is convinced of this, so he takes the most classic and versatile means of experiencing boating and throws it into another dimension, that of adventure, long distances, and endurance. His challenge, officially unveiled last Oct. 29 in Palermo, is called “Ocean to Ocean Rib Adventure” and involves crossing from Palermo, Sicily, to Los Angeles, USA, solo and without outside assistance. All this aboard an 11.30-meter New Jolly Prince 38 CC inflatable boat christened “Arethusa Explorer.” A long and difficult route that will see him engaged for more than 10,000 miles in both the Atlantic and Pacific for an estimated time of about 3 months.
Watch our exclusive interview, conducted by journalist David Ingiosi, here:
Sergio Davì’s is an extreme undertaking not only from a strictly seafaring point of view, but also from a technical point of view because of the means employed and the rigorous preparation it requires so that everything takes place in total safety. Then there is the human factor, the head, the heart, the physical preparation. But Davì, in addition to having courage to spare, has an iron character, an optimistic spirit far from the gruff image of a commander, and above all the genuine enthusiasm of someone who is used to working and toiling to achieve his dreams.
Sergio Davì Palermo-Los Angeles by dinghy: 10,000 miles, 2 oceans, 3 continents
As for the route followed by Sergio Davì, this involves a route of over 10,000 miles that will touch 2 oceans and 3 continents. From Palermo, the dinghy “Arethusa Explorer” will cross Gibraltar stopping in the Canary Islands and Cape Verde, then cross the Atlantic to French Guiana, from where it will head first north and then west, stopping along the coasts of Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela and Colombia until it reaches the Panama Canal.
From here Sergio Davì will enter the Pacific and putting his bow still to the north will continue his journey along the coastline of Guatemala and Mexico for his final destination, Los Angeles in California (USA). The entire trip, without assistance and support, will take over 3 months of sailing (including stops).
The boat: a New Jolly Prince 38 CC standard
As for the boat itself, Sergio Davì will use a standard boat, the Nuova Jolly Prince 38 CC (11.30 x 3.80 m). The maxi rib is built in Bussero (Milan) at the shipyard founded back in 1961 by Domenico Aiello. Constructed of fiberglass, it is distinguished by a deep-V (25°) “Hi-Power” hull. In the standard recreational version it can carry up to 18 people and offer two cabin berths.
The setup for the raid sees the available spaces used for gasoline tanks, soft and purpose-built to ensure that Davì has the necessary fuel supplies during the crossing. The dry weight of the boat is 3 tons. In terms of electronic instrumentation, on the other hand, Sergio Davì’s maxi rib will be guided on its journey by Simrad (Navico) on-board electronics.
Suzuki V6 DF300B Dual Prop: “4×4” outboards challenge the oceans
Special attention has naturally been paid to the propulsion of “Arethusa Explorer”: the boat is powered by two Suzuki V6 DF300B Dual Prop outboards derived from the top-model Suzuki DF350A range, from which they inherit the V6 architecture and, above all, the revolutionary foot equipped with counter-rotating double propeller propulsion (Dual Prop), a technical solution that makes the Japanese propeller unique among outboards of equal power on the market, compared to which it also boasts a larger cubic capacity (4.4 liters) and makes it ideal for enhancing the performance of “Aretusa Explorer.”
Also not to be overlooked is another “added value” of Suzuki engines, particularly useful for this raid through so many different countries, and that is the ability to adapt to gasoline of all kinds. In fact, the electronic injection system is able to recognize the type of fuel used: depending on its octane number, it self-adjusts all combustion parameters to ensure total efficiency with 91 RON (regular gasoline), 95 RON (super gasoline) and 98 RON (super plus gasoline) gasoline, without any drop in performance.
Palermo-Los Angeles by dinghy: an opportunity to monitor the oceans
Beyond the pure spirit of adventure, Sergio Davì’s maxi ocean crossing will also have an environmental monitoring profile. In addition to dealing with the routes to be followed, weather conditions and engine operation, the Palermo navigator will have to collect data through water sampling for study and analysis aimed at detecting microplastics and heavy metals on behalf of the Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Sicily, C.Re.Ta.M. and Aten Center of the University of Palermo), as well as that of photographing and cataloging the marine mammals encountered during the trip by collecting environmental data useful for their preservation on behalf of the Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Piedmont, Lombardy and Aosta Valley and C.Re.Di.Ma.
Because sailing in the oceans, even aboard an inflatable boat as Sergio Davì does, is certainly exciting, romantic and adventurous, but to continue doing so in the future it is necessary to preserve the “blue planet.”
Who supports the Ocean to Ocean Rib Challenge
Thanks to these gifts and his vast experience, he has succeeded in what is perhaps the most difficult challenge of this type of undertaking: surrounding himself with qualified and prestigious partners who believe in him, in this uncommon experience and support him by assuring him of means, resources and unconditional trust. We are talking about international brands such as Suzuki Italia, but also Nuova Jolly Marine, Tronik and Simrad (Navico), as well as bodies representing the nautical sector such as Assonautica Italiana and the Coast Guard itself. What Sergio Davì brings to the table in the “Ocean to Ocean Rib Adventure” is not only the oceanic fascinations of many sea and boat enthusiasts, but also an interesting test case for those who produce boats, marine engines and nautical instrumentation to support boaters.
David Ingiosi
