The sailing Centre of Caprera (Centro Velico di Caprera – CVC) celebrates 50 years of age and sets the stage for the next fifty years. Born in 1967, on the initiative of the Italian Naval League – Section of Milan and the Italian Touring Club, sponsored by the Navy, who granted the settlement of the military base of Caprera in the La Maddalena archipelago, the sailing Center is considered a very influential Association in the area of training.
Over 120 thousand students, from 1967 to the present day, have frequented the Centre, about 2500 per year. Over 2000 volunteer instructors have taught in the first fifty years of life in the Centre; about 700 of them are currently operating. Of these, about 300 are committed every year at the Centre.
From 1967 to today many things have changed. Technological vessels have replaced wooden ships and the boats must comply with new regulations.
On the island there is flowing water and hot water while the electricity makes life more comfortable at the base after dark. But, decade after decade, teaching continues in the sign of continuity and unchanged is the human experience that takes participants to reconnect with nature, other people and themselves.
A new path in the sign of a new ethical and social responsibility
Now, at the age of fifty, the sailing Centre begins a new path, which will be characterized by commitments and initiatives in the sign of a new ethical and social responsibility.
“Mature means also think what to leave to those who come after us,” said Paolo Martano, President of the Centre. The goal is to leave future generations not only sailing instruction, but also something profound, which remains”.
One of the new initiatives of the CVC is the support to WOW (Wheels on Waves); this project, involves “Lo Spirito di Stella” catamaran without barriers, built for Andrea Stella, to realize his dream of returning to sail despite the disability. The journey of this vessel will begin in Miami, to tap New York, receive from the United Nations Secretary Antonio Guterres the Disability Rights Convention and deliver it, after the ocean crossing, to Pope Francis, in Vatican.
The second project, in collaboration with the European Institute of Oncology (IEO) provides, in June, the Organization of a sailing course intended for cancer patients who, assisted by specialists IEO and selected instructors, will undertake a route with the goal to overcome anxiety and stress related to the disease, finding new resources in themselves useful to promote healing.
The third project is the commitment to the environment. The sailing Centre will be engaged for the protection of the ecosystem of the National Park of La Maddalena, creating new programmes and activities and by providing its own fleet for water sampling and monitoring programs. The Centre will work in the project Plastic Busters, an initiative of the University of Siena, under the auspices of the United Nations, to monitor and reduce the impact of microplastics in the Mediterranean.
