Meeting place for a long list of sailors and sailing amateurs, the 6th edition of the SAIL IN festival took place in Bilbao earlier last month. The occasion for Panthalassa to meet sailing legend Carlo Borlenghi. Building a bridge between sailing and people, Carlo Borlenghi creates a powerful connection with the sea through his lens only.  »I’m not a sailor, not a swimmer but I like to shoot everything about the sea.« Growing up in Lake Como, Italy, Carlo Borlenghi is considered a pioneer in sailing photography today. « My main house is still situated in Lake Como, I feel lucky living near the border where I have a private beach with a small boat. That’s nice place. I also have a small flat in Milan.«

Thanks to his long-time valuable experience and distinct knowledge, the Italian photographer shares with us some pieces of wisdom about the vital need for a photographer to learn to adapt. »I didn’t change my vision and concept too much, I just use the technology to create the shot that was impossible before. It’s good to know exactly how difficult it was before to appreciate how easy is today.« Before going back to his native city by the sea, the 78-year-old world-renowned sailing photographer found time to talk to us about the evolution of sailing photography. »When we first used a drone, it was like putting up a tripod to the sky.« From analog photography to digital, he evokes the end of an era for the magazine industry, the use of social medias in the communication process today and a balanced vision between pioneer skills and the need to use new digital technology to take better photos.

Carlo, let’s start by talking about your collaboration with the SAIL IN festival. When did it start?

They first contacted me 10 years ago. They wanted to meet me but I was pretty busy with America’s Cup at the time. I ended up sending a selection of pictures and they used one of them for the poster of the very first edition of the SAIL IN Festival. We kinda lost contact until this year when Javier Sobrino invited me to join them. I was available and free from work at the studio so here I am today in Bilbao.

How did you work on this selection of pictures?

These photos are a little bit what represent both me and my job. For example, the »Brava« shot with the upside down boat was taken during my very first regatta. Some other pictures represent some good moments of my job, like »The big cloud« taken in Australia. Whenever I go out, I try to get one shot, not just for business but for me. Priority is obviously given to the client but I try to come back home with one single good shot. If I eventually have 4 or 5 different good ones, I’m happy. It’s hard to find good angles. When I go to bed, I think and dream of an angle. It’s easier to shoot when you have a picture in mind. You go out and just wait for the best moment and create the shot you have in mind. The picture is there. Shooting outside is not like shooting in studio where you can just put the light on or move the model as you like. You have to play with nature, with the sea, with the ocean. You never know, it can be flat, it can be huge and full of waves. I’m only scared to miss a picture for technical reason or regarding the focus. I want to stand out among other photographers, making different pictures.

Your shots are not only about people sailing, but there’s some real tragedy in there. Are you looking for stories?

Yes, story first. Now that the magazine industry is done, there’s no room for story. Magazines used to give us like 8 pages to play around one story, but now is different. The approach is different depending on the client and depending on the regatta, but 90% of the time today, I look for the single shot. A good and strong one. Nobody cares about the story on the regatta anymore. For an event like America’s Cup when we can eventually create a book, in this case, yes I look for the story. Otherwise, it’s hard to look for a story by yourself, in the sea, everything is expensive. You need to charter the boat, the helicopter and go to remote places. It costs a lot to reach nice places. For example, I’m planning to go to Australia today to cover the migration of the crabs to one special island, but it’s so expensive to go there and there’re only two flights each week.

Why considering to cover the crabs migration and move out of the sailing field?

Because it’s incredible! The crabs go out from the forest and go to the sea, crossing the village. crawling down the cliff. So the island, the village, the streets and the cliffs suddenly become totally red, moving. It feels alive. I try to do some different and unusual photography. This crab thing could become a series I could sell at Paris Photo or in Italy.

Tell us about the techniques you use…

Today, I’m working only with digital. Digital gives you more chances to do pictures that was impossible to do before. Drone is a good example. When we first started to use things like this, we put the drone up, it was like to get a tripod to the sky. Before you had to shoot from a helicopter, and then it was difficult to find a client that would pay the expenses. then you have to push film up to 2000 ISO to get rid of all the grainy… the quality was not very good. Now with the drone, you go up, you shoot with the long exposure, you put the ISO, you stay there and get the perfect picture.

Are you working in respect of the technological advances?

Yes because there are so many new ideas, new angles and new cameras! For example, we also like using the drone while shooting a boat going full speed. Today, you can follow it. It was impossible before, there was a limit. Today, you can use these new toys to get new angles and new pictures. I didn’t change my vision and concept too much, I just use the technology to create the shot that was impossible before. It’s good to know exactly how difficult it was before to appreciate how easy it’s today. In the past, when you did black & white and when you had a black sky, you had to make a mask at the lab, you had to do it manually, because there was no correct picture, there was no reality, you played with the dark or with the lighting in the face or this kind of things.

You mentioned working with black & white… Tell us more about that.

Yes, I like black and white a lot. The thing is that, when I started to do this job, I used the go around like a street photographer, I wanted to go into the heart of things, move from my country to another one and come back with different stories to tell. In the past, it was easy. I remember being in England to cover a regatta and ended up making a story about Stonehenge. I spent two or three days in Stonehenge in order to see the crazy people there. I shot only black & white, even for the sunsets and sunrises. This was my dream – use sailing as a mean to travel and create other stories. Then the sailing thing became bigger and bigger for me and there was no time left.

What are the few places you like the most for pictures?

One the best places is South Africa. Because in 300 km2, you get everything. You start from the forest with all the animals like lions and giraffes, then you go to Cape Town where you get to see whales and penguins. Then you can go to the desert of Namibia very close. In the center town, you also have some good wine and vineyards. It’s a really nice place. I have never been in a cage but you can go out to see the sharks in the cage. South Africa is nice. I also love Australia, especially for the regatta. It is one of the best places in the world, especially during Sydney Open. For us as photographers, it’s very good for the action part. Sardinia is also good, you can get good pictures there. But sailing changed recently. Now, they don’t do long-distance races anymore. For me, they used to be the best ones, because I could use the light in the night, capture sunrise and this kind of light. Now they start at 12 o’ clock and are back on the dock at 3pm.

Over the years, you became one of the most famous sailing photographer indeed. What’s your relationship with the sea?

I’m not sailor nor a swimmer. The first regatta I made was a nightmare for me I had no idea what was going on. I started to do the regatta at the Lake with a friend who owned a boat. I observed those sailors going different ways and didn’t understand anything. Then later I realized it’s a very intelligent sport, I like the strategy it needs. In one way, I think it’s better for me not being a sailor because I don’t look at the technical things. I’m just out to shoot the aesthetic aspects. My mind is free mind. I realized it quickly. People who go to the photo fair are not sailors. So I’m bridging two worlds.

What do you like shooting the most?

I like to shoot everything about the sea. For many years, I used to cover a windsurf regatta in Maui, Hawaii. At the time, Robby Naish or this kind of surfers were there. You could sell the picture of a surfer at the time, now you cannot. Nobody care about surfing anymore. There is just maybe the big wave in Nazaré, Portugal, if ever you’re lucky to be there in this period. This is the problem. You could go to Maui for yourself and make very good pictures but it doesn’t pay the bills. Now, you have to work for sponsors to survive.

The job of sailing photographer evolved. Would you say your job relies more on sponsors than on print publications today?

Totally. Magazines don’t commission you anymore. The only way to collaborate with magazines is showing behind the scenes shots of the regatta. But you definitely have to work for sponsors to survive. For example, I work for Rolex. As a freelance photographer, it’s quite impossible because you need to chart the helicopter. For a 27-hour helicopter tour, it costs approximately 45K AUS$. Impossible for one single freelance to pay. The good compromise is to do the best you can for the sponsor because the priority remains the client. Then if you have the chance to get some free minutes for you, you can do one picture for you.

What about analog photography?

Nobody want analog photography anymore, especially for commercial projects. Clients want the picture for… yesterday! Today, you need to shoot and sent the shot right away. Everybody became crazy about the bloody Instagram and social things. Social medias go way more faster than magazine. People post pictures quickly because using an iPhone helps you shoot quickly and post it straight away.

As a photographer, do you feel you needed to adapt to this new era of social medias and all-things digital?

It’s just another challenge. I have my Instagram account but I use it for myself. However, sometimes it’s too much. There’re so many posts and so many stories that don’t say anything. They’re just here to fill the space. To me, if there’s no good picture, there’s no reason to post it. But for most people, it you didn’t pos anything, you didn’t exist that day. If you post a rubbish, it remains rubbish. I know I may be wrong because there’s some rubbish that work, but I stay with my concept. I don’t want to publish just for the sake of publishing. I’m not in the rush. When working on regattas, I have two assistants. They often want to publish a picture quickly but I say « wait, wait… » We get our name under the picture and nobody cares, nobody knows there was no wind this day, nobody cares if there was rain, or… forget it. Give space for the other ones. If there are good conditions the day after, we’ll publish a picture. Our picture must be different than the others’.

Do you also make videos?

Just taking photos. I’m not trying to do both but I work with a guy at the studio who’s in charge of the video part. We sometimes do our post-production ourselves as well cause I find digital a bit flat. There’s no depth. During a race, we just work on the contrasts of the pictures and equalize the horizon. In the big sea, it’s not easy to get the balance. Then if we have five or ten good pictures , we can play a little bit more after the regatta. When it comes to printing a sailing picture in limited edition, we look more at the details in order to make it a little bit more accurate. But we don’t change the subject, we just clean up the color a bit. Normally, we just spend one minute for each picture. Otherwise, you’ll not survive.

We, at Panthalassa, are working around projects that take care about the ocean, around themes like sustainability, overfishing, plastic pollution like with the Plastic Family displayed here at the Festival. You spend a lot of time in the ocean, on boats,  did you witness any changes?

Of course, you see some environmental differences. Dirty things are happening. There are a lot of dirty deals in the water, and when you are in the helicopter you can see big ships throwing all kinds of things in the water. They clear out the tank in the open sea. When you do the long distance races, you can witness this kind of things. The only thing I can do is publishing pictures about those things to show the problem but I’m just a tiny guy and it doesn’t work. They do what they want, and it’s a shame. The short film entitled « Albatross » has been one of the first pieces of art able to touch these issues in a beautiful and powerful way. When I see these kind of things, I do want to make a movie. Because it was a really good story. The more I talk to people about pollution, the more I realize people care more than 10 years ago. We destroyed so many things in the past and nobody cared. Now the moment comes to talk about plastic. But for me, cleaning up the beach from the plastic bags is just for aesthetic purposes. You have to civilize and educate people to avoid putting plastic on the beach. If you watch “Albatross”, you realize there’s plastic everywhere, even in the birds. It’s part of the ocean. We eat plastic every day. This is the huge problem. And you cannot solve this problem with a “Save the Ocean!” slogan or by picking up the plastic trash from the beach. We need to educate people again and then the rest will come. Maybe slowly, but it’ll come.

Follow Carlo Borlenghi’s work on his website.

 Sailing Photos: Carlo Borlenghi

Portrait Photo: Xabier Aldazabal / SAIN IN Festival

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Officially launched in Norway in 2018, Future of Fjords is an electric catamaran constructed from carbon fibre composite able to welcome 400 passengers. It’s been a year now that the electric ferry has been sailing between the spectacular Norway’s UNESCO heritage sites setting new standards for environmentally responsible passenger transport.

Described as the first vessel of its kind to offer completely emission free transport, the vessel sails along the World Heritage listed fjord on the 90-minute trip from Flåm to Gudvangen, through Western Norwegian landscape. »Future of The Fjords does just that, minimising its impact on the environment while maximising the experience of passengers who can now glide silently over the water and come closer to nature than ever before,« says Rolf A. Sandvik, CEO of shipowner The Fjords. »We’re entering into a zero-emission future.«

Born two hours from the fjords, the cruise ship captain of the newly launched ferry Future of the Fjords had completely changed life working here. »I used to work on a chemical tanker,a 200-meter long and 35-meters wide vessel. Not very environmental friendly! (laughs) Deep see trade, all over the world. We used 45 metric tons fuel a day. So that represents a big difference in my life today,« he says. »I remember a lot of guys told the company when they started that the Future of Fjords won’t work out. But it worked from day 1. Technically, we have almost no problem with this vessel. It’s not so complicated because we use electrical engines. They have built electrical engines for hundreds of years. The new thing here is to have a battery as the power source. The boat receives power from a battery pack of 1800 kWh, representing about 40 times the capacity of a typical electric car. I’ve been on this vessel for a few months and am surprised how well it works,«  he says. »The manufacture will take care of the change of battery and will recycle the battery, in 9 years from now. I suppose when we are going to change our battery, they’ll be half the size and twice the battery of today’s. You can compare it to mobile phone development. 15 years ago, we had this huge battery, now you cannot even see the mobile phone battery.«

Powered by two electric engines of 585 horsepower each. The installation makes it possible for the vessel to reach 16 knots (almost 30 kph) during operation for a range of 55 km, before the boat must be recharged. Thanks to a unique floating charging solution called the PowerDock, the environmentally responsible vessel ushers in a new breed of clean, green and spectacular passenger transport. »Here we have a solution that any form of electric transport can simply plug into without exerting strain on the grid. The dock also stores consumables, fuel for sister vessels, and allows black water to be offloaded for treatment on land. This makes Future of The Fjords the only passenger vessel not to discharge sewage directly into the fjords.«

As the world’s first all-electric carbon fiber vessel, Future of Fjords make waves right across the globe since the all-electric passenger vessel Future of The Fjords has won the Ship of the Year 2018 award at SMM. Rolf A. Sandvik, CEO of shipowner The Fjords defines the vessel as »the greenest passenger vessel in Norway [and] helping us preserve the integrity of our beautiful fjords«. 

The innovative 42-meters long vessel is part of Norway’s program to create the first zero-emissions zone on water. The parliament has accepted a resolution which would see emissions banned in the world heritage fjords “as soon as technically possible and no later than 2026”. 

Photos Inside boat: Elisa Routa (35mm)

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The SAIL IN FESTIVAL embodies the perfect combination between nautical culture and sailing innovation. Created in 2014, the European festival blends the past, present and future of the sailing culture.

Starting on the 7th of March, 2019, the 6th edition of the SAIL IN FESTIVAL will be the occasion to celebrate sailing through a series of 20 screenings made out of stories, adventures and races, as well as 15 conferences with international speakers, 3 art exhibitions and a workshop.

Urtzi Sagarrubay, director of the SAIL IN festival, says: »We’re creating a unique ecosystem able to combine two essential lines; the educational and sociocultural aspect with the festival, and the innovation aspect and economical development with this special day dedicated to professionals (SAIL INN PRO).« 

Many legendary sailors  have shared their stories on the stage of the SAIL IN. Legends like  Sir Robin Knox – Johnston or Loick Peyron, who once said of the SAIL IN: »You feel the whole team’s desire to share their passion with others. It’ something very beautiful, very pure.«

This year is not different. Among the many incredible guests and presenters will be  Jean-Luc Van Den Heede who needs no introduction. Aged 74, recently spent 211 days at sea and became the winner of the Golden Globe race, a solo world tour, without assistance, without stop and without GPS. He will receive the very first price entitled SAIL IN. For this 2019 edition, art remains a central element.

Another of the this years highlights is the photo exhibition by renowned Italian photographer Carlo Borlenghi whose artworks convey the balance between humans, boats and maritime stories.

When we first met the founders at the Blue Factory and heard the story of their festival,  their vision and dreams for the future, we knew we wanted to sail along. It was love at first sight. Now we are proud to announce Panthalassa will be supporting the SAIL IN  as an official collaborator. We will be helping them spread the word through all our channels, and our Plastic Family will be part of the SAIL IN art exhibition  at the BBK space. We warmly invite you to this 4-day event held in Bilbao on the Bay of Biscay, one of the most popular and important maritime cities in Europe. 

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There is a piece of boat in the middle of the room, a car bonnet in a corner, a motorcycle gaz tank, some wooden and steel boards, crumpled maps and pieces of plastic. »I’ve always been strongly influenced by car culture and the nautical world. I usually work with objects that had a first life, generally objects from the 70s.«

In his Saint-Chamond- 270m2 workshop, French artist Maxime Lamarche piles up objects, combines genres and mixes inspirations. »I like this kind of items that embody the fantasy of a whole generation. I modify them, hybridize them and combine them. My final goals is to modify their primary function and be able to give them a second life through an art quest.«

As shown in the »Austin’s Island« art installation, Maxime Lamarche questions the duration of our illusions and fantasies. »The boat-mountain« is installed on two feet, reminding the base used for models, and giving the feeling that the boat became useless for most of practical purposes.« Defined as a hybrid between a speed boat – a Fletcher 155 Arrowsport – and a resin model of a mountain, the two elements combined reveal a different myth.

The french artist constantly explores the confrontation between a moving object, like cars and boats, and an unchanging landscape. »In my work, there is the recurring fact of reusing symbolic objects from the leisure culture that developed itself during the Glorious Thirty until 1973,« Maxime says. »We’ve seen boats, motorcycles and cars running through this last century. Whether it be the Stock Market crash of 1929 or the 2008 crisis, this »leisure society« carries the powerful notion of crisis.«

Sometimes exaggerated to the point of absurdity, Lamarche’s art explorations are able to perform into the real world and meet people’s reactions. »Submerged, emerged or drowning sculptures… we never know if these objects are eventually victorious or not.«

Follow Maxime Lamarche’s work on his website.

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On Friday the 27th of July, we’ve been happy and proud to launch the Panthalassa Blue Factory into the world. Over the years, Panthalassa, brainchild of creative director Sergio Penzo, became a platform known for bringing together some of the world’s most talented creators. Our main motivation is putting a light on the beauty and fragility of the ocean.  According to Sergio Penzo’s words,»this love for the big blue is what inspires the Panthalassa Society so it was natural to choose San Sebastian, a city that lives from and for the sea, as the place to start this new voyage.«

Thank you very much for coming to join in on the celebrations, we hope you had as much fun as we did. Life is all Ocean.

Photos : Philipp von Buch

Photo Clovis Donizetti: Thomas Lodin

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This year again, the Media Sailing Cup -Segel Media Cup- took place on the Alster lake for another classic three days of hot racing in Hamburg. Regarded as one of the most eagerly awaited events of our calendar, the Media Sailing Cup was held off from the 29th of June to the 1st of July, 2018.

Some of the teams were among the top level crews of Germany, including Women’s German olympic team led by Müller von Blumencron. Combining quality racing J70 sailboats, known as the world’s fastest growing sailboats (6.93-metre -22.7 ft), with a lively après-sail social schedule, this year’s event was a success.

Counting media teams from Der Spiegel, Stern, Taz, Der Hamburger, Tagesspiegel, Yacht, Welt, Boote and many more, this year’s Segel Media Cup embodied a true competitive spirit reminding that sports and smiles are always a simple equation that sum up the winning formula.

Far from last year’s strong winds and cold rain, this 2018 edition hosted once again by the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein has been organized under a wonderful sunshine. Sven Jürgensen, one of the main organizers, not only attributed the event’s success to the beautiful weather but to the action on the water. »This year, 5 extra teams found their way to the Alster lake. With 16 wonderful teams in total, fine weather conditions, this year’s event has been a great and fantastic event. Networking, sailing in the middle of Hamburg including a great final race, a great atmosphere and good spirit… It was truly perfect.« 

For 6 years now, Sven Jurgensen has been working in the heart of German sailing. As a landscape and sailing photographer, Sven has worked for some German sailing clubs and some German Sailing League Teams (NRV/FSC/SVI/BSC).

Over the years, he’s seen more and more women holding professional sail qualifications. For him, it’s important to include and focus on female sailors. »It’s a true challenge,« he says. »Earlier this year, we recently organized the Helga Cup, a female only-event considered the biggest female regatta ever. It is not only a regatta, today it’s a movement.«

The Norddeutscher Regatta Vereinwe hosted the very first edition of the Helga cup in June 2017. »Above all, it’s an event for beginners, for professional sailors, for young and old people,« he explains. »It’s not only a sailing race but a networking event. We’ve been impressed by the global and media interest.« The Helga Cup 2019 is already confirmed and sets to take place on the 13-16 June, 2019. »We hope to align over 80 sailboats on the starting line. The challenge is the boat fleet because we need more than 20 boats to be able to invite more teams.« 

The next Segel Media Cup is planned to happen in August, 2019. The Panthalassa team is ready to take up the challenge and bring its 4th place into play!

 Photos: Sven Jürgensen

More infos here.

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“Because, underneath all of this is the real truth we have been avoiding: climate change isn’t an “issue” to add to the list of things to worry about, next to health care and taxes. It is a civilizational wake-up call. A powerful message—spoken in the language of fires, floods, droughts, and extinctions—telling us that we need an entirely new economic model and a new way of sharing this planet. Telling us that we need to evolve.” ― Naomi Klein, This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate.

That’s how we should start an interview with Sergio Penzo. The German creative director’s beginnings lay in Haiti and Dominican Republic. Studying business and design in Chile, he’s then been irresistibly caught up by European culture. Fascinated by the sea, Sergio Penzo wanted to create both a whole universe and a collective dedicated to and united by a common passion. »I felt there was a need for a more fluid platform that harnesses creativity and uses the power of storytelling to put a spotlight on our dependence of our fragile oceans and the immense influence it has on us.«

As an aesthetic and creative connection to our oceans, Panthalassa was born with the intention to reflect on our changing world. Today, our journal discusses contemporary culture and our unique relationship with our oceans, bringing together multiple talents, from photographers, filmmakers, writers and graphic designers. « We want to surprise our readers and bring people who are not necessarily receptive to ocean themes through beautiful aesthetics and unexpected stories. » Meet the ship master behind the creative boat.

Tell us more about your background.

I was born in Germany but spent all my childhood in Haiti and Dominican Republic. My family then moved to Chile where I finished school and studied business and design. I guess I have a nomadic spirit. I can’t keep down so I decided to try my luck in Europe. A few months later, I started working for Jung von Matt, one of the world’s biggest creative ad agencies. Influenced by authors like Naomi Klein, back then I believed in the power of brands to change the world for good or worst. So I started my own brand called TWOTHIRDS, a beautiful experiment which would lay out the blue print for what is today Panthalassa.

As a creative director, you’ve been working for prestigious clients and brands. What have been the lessons learnt along the way?

As a creative and strategist, I learnt to work around brands or companies that needed help. The solution was often a new idea, where nothing was defined. By putting together the brightest minds and talented creators, we’ve been able to shape a thought. I found this whole process fascinating and kept asking myself ‘what if we channelled this powerful energy into a good purpose?’ The essence of my work today hasn’t changed much, but the purpose has entirely shifted.

Who or what ignited your passion for the ocean?

Probably the fact of spending my childhood on an island surrounded by water did. Also, when I was 10, my mother started studying marine biology. We would spend afternoons studying together, I would do math while she’d be preparing her exams. 

Give us an insight of what your routine looks like today.

I get to our studio around 8. It’s only a 5-minute walk so I take the longer way alongside our local beach. I like the fact that the sea always looks different, so that already breaks the routine. There’s nothing certain about the sea, and I try to keep this unpredictability in my creative process. I make a break around 1 to get some things to cook at the local market, If you live in San Sebastian, eating pretty much dictates your life! I leave work around 7 and try to get some surf before the sun goes down.

You recently discovered sailing and free-diving. Tell us more about these two new water hobbies.

I just started free-diving two years ago. It was a huge discovery. Some people embark on a transformational journey through meditation or other practices. For me, it was free-diving. It made me confront many fears and embark on a shift of consciousness that is still taking place today. I only started sailing recently. It’s a total new way of experiencing the sea and, to my own surprise, it can be as exciting.

When and why did you decide to create Panthalassa? 

I was still involved with Twothirds but I felt it had shifted from a purpose driven brand. I felt there was a need for a more fluid platform that harnesses creativity and uses the power of storytelling to put a spotlight on our dependence of our fragile oceans and the immense influence it has on us.

The Panthalassa Society is an important element of the creative process. Can you officially present your team of talents? 

The Panthalassa Society is just a fancy word for our community of incredibly talented creators: They’re like-minded individuals who have a a great sensibility and love for the ocean. We have been able to attract some amazing people who give us their time, energy and talent because they feel that when we connect and collaborate we can contribute to something bigger than ourselves. 

Panthalassa is known for its avant-garde approach towards ocean-related stories. Tell us more about your editorial vision.

We keep this journal as a way to remind us the fascinating relationship we have built as a species with the ocean. We want to surprise our readers and bring people who are not necessarily receptive to ocean themes through beautiful aesthetics and unexpected stories.

Throughout your different projects, you tend to depict a certain philosophy of sustainability. Why is it so important to raise awareness of sustainable fishing and cooking today?

During the past few years, we’ve been working close with NGOs like Oceana and the Marine Steward Council supporting their efforts to end overfishing. We will need fish to feed the 9 billion people on this planet, and the only way is to secure healthy oceans and bring back the abundance our seas once had. I believe we can play a critical role by telling stories of sustainability and helping shift the narrative of the seafood industry.

What’s next for Panthalassa?

We are about to open a collaboration space in San Sebastian, a dream I had since starting Panthalassa. But I don’t want to give too much away. You will find out more about it soon.

Short Film: Technogym / C41 Studio

Creative director: Luca Attilio Caizzi

Photos : C41 Magazine

Read the full story on C41 Magazine.

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From May 17 to 21, Pasaia hosted the Maritime Festival for the very first time. As a celebration of traditional wooden boats, the basque seaport welcomed thousands of visitors for a 3-days cultural, gastronomic and musical event.

Due to the weather, strong winds and sea conditions, the Hermione, built in Rochefort, France, has been struggling in a thunderstorm, fighting to turn around Portugal and make its way to Pasaia. As a guest of honour, the 47-metre-high, 65-metre-long replica of the Hermione, the three-masted, 32-gun frigate that carried Lafayette to America in 1780, finally docked at the Gipuzkoa seaport on Sunday, arriving to a hero’s welcome in the Basque village. “It was magnificent to see her coming up the stunning harbour entrance« say some visitors in the crowd, come especially for the occasion. As one of the Basque Country’s most charming towns, the historic medieval town of Pasaia has been home of French poet Victor Hugo in 1843. Described as  fascinating, its colourful houses nested in the overwhelming green cliffs stretch out towards the Atlantic ocean.

A Bourante, A Marosa, Gaztibelza, Os Galos… Dozens of wooden boats made the journey from Marseille, La Rochelle or nearby seaports like Zumaia and Lekeitio. One of the biggest boats, a three-masted barque called Kaskelot caught the crowd’s attention. As one of the largest remaining classic wooden ships in commission, Kaskelot was originally a traditional Baltic Trader built in 1948 by J. Ring-Andersen, one of the world’s most reputable shipyards, for the Royal Greenland Trading Company in Denmark. During the 1960s, Kaskelot worked as a support vessel for fisheries in the Faroe Islands. Since 1981, she’s bee featured in many TV and film productions, including Return to Treasure Island, The Three Musketeers, David Copperfield and Shackleton.

As San Sebastian-based ocean and boats lovers, we couldn’t not go. For 3 days, our souls were quenched with maritime spirits. Here’s a recap through 35mm films.

Photos : Elisa Routa

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« Where everything happens at the touch of a button and requires a computer science degree to understand and repair, Infinity’s working parts are manual, simple, laborious, greasy and somewhat comprehensible. » 36,7 meters-long, Infinity have properties that make it exceptional for a polar vessel. We met Northern California-based director and filmmaker Nico Edwards, author of ‘Sea Gypsies: The Far Side of the World’, his first feature. The movie seeks to tell the ambitious journey of a group of modern seafaring gypsies across the Pacific Ocean. « Captain Clemens Gabriel has transformed Infinity into a sea tribe, comprised of crew from all over the world» he said. « Water, trees, dusk, mountains, sunrise and dramatically bad weather are some of the strongest catalysts for awe. So along with extreme pest control, the voyage is a quest for awe, and for the sheer joy of it. » So, please, get onboard this hand-built sailboat described as a ‘bunker that floats’…

Tell us a bit about Infinity, an environmentally friendly hand-built sailboat… 

Though by all outward appearance, these voyages appear to be exercises in reckless abandon, and while it is true that infinity was not designed to travel through ice, Infinity is an incredibly tough boat made of ferrocement. She was constructed in 1977 in Oakland CA, and is believed to be the largest ferrocement yacht ever built, meaning she’s made of metal reinforced concrete and is basically a bunker that floats. Ferrocement, a well tested and long practiced form of boat construction, no longer in fashion due to its downsides of being extremely labor intensive during construction and heavy compared to fiberglass or aluminum, does have properties that make it exceptional for a polar vessel, such as incredible toughness, impact resistance and strength in any temperature. In the Ross Sea, Infinity made impact with a large number of icebergs without so much as a scratch. Infinity is also very green, as her sails are recycled from super yachts, and sowed up to fit. She also has a very large solar array, which provides for all her electrical needs as well. Right now, she is also a vegan ship, trying her utmost to source all foods locally.

Sailors, a captain, an electrician, a carpenter, and filmmakers… Most of you are, above all, adventurers with a taste for the extreme…

Infinity seems to be a magnet for those who just don’t fit in anywhere in particular, mainstream societies cast offs. A rotating group of wanderers, they come together on Infinity as a sort of ocean going tribe, then they head off across the globe to earn a living for a while doing various things. We have carpenters, surveyors, electricians, professional sailors, and even a former NASA rocket scientist, but they always seem to return to Infinity just as soon as they are able. 

When did you first have the -crazy- idea of the « Sea Gypsies » project? 

In 2011, well ensconced in a little padded gray cubicle, in a nondescript office park on the side of a generic highway in Silicon Valley, I was growing grim about the mouth. The 3 hour-commute and job that would most likely be replaced by an algorithm in a few years was not providing much in the way of stimulation. So one day, I took stock of the situation, and having nothing in particular to interest me on shore, I decided I would sail about a little and see the watery parts of the world.

Before I left, I did the first thing that anyone nowadays would do… I googled my options. This led me to a website called FindACrew.org, which connects crew looking for boats, to boats looking for crew. Opportunities abound for all skill levels, from landlubbers to salty sea dogs. This is how I came across Infinity. I was looking to learn to sail and she looked like a learning boat. By this I mean, that unlike the more modern, technologically advanced sailboats of our day, where everything happens at the touch of a button and requires a computer science degree to understand and repair, Infinity’s working parts are manual, simple, laborious, greasy and somewhat comprehensible. 

I joined the boat in Singapore in early 2012 and we sailed through the Malacca Straight into Malaysia, all the way up to the Andaman coast of Thailand. This was probably the most memorable 5 months of my almost 30 years of life. The time machine slowed to a crawl as it gorged on the abundant unknown. Roughly a year after leaving the boat, I was back in the US, plugging along, when out of the blue one night I get a call from Captain Clem. He says the boat is infested with tropical termites he can’t get rid of, and he heard that if he dropped the temp of the boat below freezing for 3 days it would serve as an environmentally friendly, yet extreme form of pest control. To get the boat below freezing for such a long time, he had it in his mind to make a pacific crossing from New Zealand to Patagonia, with a visit to Antarctica, and wanted to know if I might like to join in and video the experience. The decision seemed brash, as he intended to start the 15,000 mile voyage in “a couple of days”. I quickly agreed to go, and informed him I would join the boat as soon as I had sold my possessions and put my affairs in order.

The plan had more than a touch of madness to it, due to Infinity not being at all designed or equipped with cold weather in mind. I was pretty sure Infinity did not have any heaters, insulation, nor did the main saloon have a door to keep the outside, outside. I looked at an atlas and tallied up my frequent flier miles (hard earned through years of signing up for credit cards solely for the bonus miles) and schemed up a way to meet the boat in route. A couple weeks later and I would be rejoining Infinity on the island of Trukk, in The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). Our path would lead south-ish, meandering down the international date line, to New Zealand before heading east. It would cover over 15,000 nautical miles and was expected to take roughly 10 months.

You’re currently travelling on 8,000 miles across the Pacific ocean, from New Zealand to Patagonia, with a stop in Antarctica. What are your motivations, intentions, and goals?Just « for the sheer joy of it »?

Awe has the power to diminish the emphasis on the individual self, encouraging people to forgo strict self-interest, to work towards improving the world around them. Research conducted in the 1960’s on awe or transcendent ecstasy found that the most common triggers come from nature. Water, trees, dusk, mountains, sunrise and dramatically bad weather are some of the strongest catalysts for awe. So along with extreme pest control, the voyage is a quest for awe, and for the sheer joy of it. 

How is life organized onboard? Does everyone has duties and a daily schedule?

Though perpetually exploring, daily life onboard consists mainly of sailing and maintaining the boat and crew. The rhythm of life onboard reflects the necessities of a sailing vessel. Cleaning the boat, navigating an approximate course, raising sails, keeping the boat clean, maintaining an approximate course, oiling, greasing, scraping, scrubbing, disinfecting, cleaning, lowering sails, killing bugs, and of course… cleaning. Crew join up with every level of skill, and the experience they gain depends on what they seek from their time aboard. Some join up with the intention of becoming professional sailors or some already are and just want a change of pace. Everyone contributes, everyone learns something, and yes, lots and lots of work, mostly in schedules. 

« What can be found in abundance on board is blood, sweat, enthusiasm, risk tolerance, disdain for authority, and an ample supply of alcohol,» says the voiceover of your film entitled « Sea Gypsies: The Far Side of The World ». Does it sum up your balance onboard?

Pretty much, its a whole lot of work just to keep it going. A boat is a delicate structure of rapidly decaying materials, floating atop and constantly being bathed/marinated in, a caustic brine of destruction. They are holes in the water in which people throw money in, never to be seen again. Unless you’re really hardworking and crafty, up to but not necessarily over the point of conniving, a boat owner can expect to part with upwards of 10% of their boats value per year in upkeep costs. To avoid the constant shelling out of cash, one has to do all the work oneself… or have volunteers/suckers do it. This voyage being no exception, Clem maximizes the blood sweat and toil of his crew. 

The movie tells the ambitious journey of a group of modern seafaring gypsies across the Pacific Ocean. Were you prepared to the level of adrenaline you’ve been experiencing? 

I think for the most part people were prepared for a lot, but the massive hurricane of ice in the Ross Sea was a whole lot more than we expected and we’re pretty lucky to be alive in all honesty. I think if we did the trip 3 times, one of those times we would not have made it… at least. When help is 3 weeks or more away, you hope that you just die as quick and painlessly as possible. When you’re alone at sea, you feel like anything and everything is possible. It’s also a lot like groundhog day when you don’t see land for months at a time, you start to think you might be trapped in purgatory. 

What’s next now?

I head back to the boat in one months time, and we plan on heading North, attempting to sail further north than anyone in history. Following the two warmest Arctic summers on record, the sailing vessel Infinity will tackle the formidable Northwest Passage, attempt to reach the Northernmost inhabited settlement on the planet, aptly named Alert. More than just breaking a record, reaching this normally icebound settlement at the tip of Ellesmere Island, will be a stark warning to the world. To reach Alert at 82° latitude, Infinity will traverse through Nares Strait, a narrow channel of fierce currents and rapidly moving mountains of ice at the height of summer. Along the way, the ship and crew will battle severe storms, avoid marauding icebergs and hungry polar bears, and explore a part of the world that is rarely seen. This is the most dangerous maritime route in the world; more people have been to the top of Mt Everest than have successfully taken a sailing vessel through the Northwest Passage, and no one has ever sailed this far north. The full route will be over 15,000 miles and take 10 months from Tonga to Greenland. The expedition begins Nov 2017.

Follow their adventure online.

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Niklas Reisenauer, based in Lübeck in Northern Germany, worked in the German navy before committing himself fully to sailing. Today he competes in the newly founded German Sailing League (Bundesliga). As the first nation to establish a national sailing league in 2013, Germany didn’t foresee the rapid development of the new sailing format. Earlier this year, the German Bundesliga commenced its fifth season in Lake Chiemsee, in Bavaria. With some former Olympic sailors competing in the Sailing Bundesliga, this season provides a high-level competition. 

We sat down with Niklas Reisenauer, skipper of the Panthalassa crew during the Media Sailing Cup, to discuss performance, taking risks and professional sailboat racing. “It’s been a big challenge to race during the Media Cup. As an international team, it’s never easy to communicate. You need to choose a language, explain the different manoeuvres, and stick to it. It’s hard for everyone, and it can be a bit stressful, but like German Bundesliga, I love a challenge.”

When did you start sailing?

I started sailing at the age of 13. At the very beginning, I sailed small boats like dinghies and optimists. During my free time, I would sail across the Mediterranean Sea, in the English Channel, or off the Greek coast. Later, I sailed more than 10 different types of bigger boats. I ended up travelling all over Europe, competing in both the European Championships and the World Championships.

Tell us more about the professional competitions…

In the past, I sailed in what we call “Handicap Systems”. Handicap Racing describes races where boats – either dinghies or yachts of different speeds – compete against each other. Each boat is slightly different, so if they compete in the same race, the position and actual time can be reviewed and corrected. For example, although you may be first on the finish line, after calculation with the handicap factor, physical parameters of the boat (length, beam, weight, sail area) and past performance, you can actually place 4th or 5th. The handicap factor plays a big role in the competition. To be honest, it can be really annoying. It makes the race quite difficult. The handicap factor is called the ORC race and it is very popular in Germany. It is expensive for all the participants as everyone tries to find the best material, hire the best sailors and the lightest mass. Sailing involves a variety of competitive formats but I prefer yacht sailing – it means boats against boats – like we have here in Hamburg. I like competition between same classes of boats. In these types of races, boats have exactly the same sail size and exactly the same weight. It seems fairer as it depends more on the human aspect. 

Competition plays a big part of your life today as you compete in the Bundesliga, the National Sailing League…

Yes, I’m not a long-term sailor. I tried it but I like to have short races and short competitions. That’s why I chose the Bundesliga in Germany. It’s a lot of fun. It took time to end up here. The Bundesliga was founded 4 years ago. It is a new challenge for Germany as well as for Europe. It’s somehow similar to soccer because we have now a Champion’s League. Today, I compete both as a team and for the country. 

What does training for the Bundesliga exactly mean?

Training is a real problem for all the members of a same crew because we sail J70, like here in Hamburg. To sail this boat, you need a crew of 4. However, as in soccer, you always need more than 4 people on the bench, as it depends on certain conditions such as the wind and overall weather, or your competitors. Most of the sailing clubs like to have people with different weights in their team. For onshore conditions, such as lakes, we need light crews, so we’ll make 70kg members our first choice. I personally belong to the heavy ones as I weigh 95kg. I’m usually picked up for offshore conditions such as the Baltic Sea. Training depends on each individual race. We try to find competitors and sparring partners before the main race. We organize small races and spend a lot of time on water which is very important as you need time on the boat. The real advantages in competition come from spending time with your partners, working on the tension of the sheets, the main sail, the foresail, how to use the Gennaker, etc. 

Where do you go to train and compete?

We prefer the Baltic Sea because it has no tide, so it becomes easier. Here in Hamburg, we have more than 4 metres between high and low tide so that makes things more difficult for sailing. There are also lots of currents, which is why the Baltic Sea is more popular over here. Sometimes we train on a small lake nearby Lübeck. It’s about a 10 km-long lake. We try to train two weeks before the race starts. We generally train on lakes, rivers and on the sea. It means if we have a race in Flensburg, in northern part of Germany, we have to go there two weeks before in order to have an intense training session.

What have been your biggest challenges as a professional sailor so far?

My biggest challenge has always been the World Championships. The World Championships require a lot of energy and a lot of time. You must prepare your boat, and safety and emergency equipment. Sails have to be measured, and you need official stamps on your sails and on your boat, etc. It’s a lot of effort, but again, I like it because we have only one sail, one team, and the same chance for all.

What are your projects for this year?

Sailing in the Bundesliga as it requires a lot of time and training. As we’re not so good at the moment, we need to train more. We can potentially qualify at the end of the year. We have to put our energy into remaining in the league. For the first time this season, the four last teams of the First League will be relegated directly. There will be no relegation regatta as in former years. If you find yourself in the Second League, it’s very difficult to go up again. In Germany, you have 60 German Clubs which try to come up to the league. It’s not that easy so we need to work hard! 

 Photos by Elisa Routa

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