I am Franco, the skipper of Anima II. I was born in Livorno, on the rocky coast of Tuscany where the mistral can hit hard at times. My family also has a sailing background and therefore I have been on boats my whole life. Together with my father, I started sailing. As a family, we spent the long Mediterranean summers on our 39 ft sailing yacht. I still remember the smoke of the Aetna volcano when we first visited the Aeolian Islands in North Sicily.
Many years later, I worked in London in the hospitality business. I went through all the roles and eventually opened my own bar and restaurant back in Livorno. This was an interesting part of my life and kept me busy for 10 years.
However, my passion for sailing was always stronger than anything else. I sold my business and went back into the marine world and started working and racing on a beautiful classic yacht, the 1952 Sangermani yacht.
In the following years, I had the honor and pleasure to work for some amazing captains who helped me develop my skills in all aspects of the yachting business. The beauty of this profession is not only about work but also the beauty of the sea with its endless, lovely, quiet, and secret spots to anchor.
In 2014 I did my Yachtmaster Offshore qualification and also added my Cruising Instructor license. I wanted to spend time training people who share the same passion for sailing and the sea, so I went to the Canarian Islands for 2 years teaching and also did yacht deliveries between the Canaries and various locations in the Med. This was an amazing time of my life because I also met a sea-woman, who would soon after become my wife and later the mother to my 3 boys.
Together we took charge of a Catamaran in Sydney and sailed the Australian east coast, down to the Indian Ocean and across to Seychelles. 3 months of blue water sailing, strong winds, and sunsets made our hearts jump. We were guided to anchorages by families of dolphins in the amazing atoll of Cocos Keeling. We loved what the Indian Ocean had to show us. We were commuting between Seychelles and Maldives, had a wonderful time, and still carry the memories of this important time in our hearts.
Back in the Mediterranean, I skippered classic and modern yachts before spending some time off with our newborn son. Later I continued as a skipper in the Balearics and Sicily on yachts of a similar size to Anima II.
During the time of COVID, I decided to start a small yacht service company and also worked in the marine industry supporting marinas, doing yacht management and deliveries.
Now is the time to go back to doing what I like most: being a skipper of a beautiful yacht, spending time with people, and coaching them to sail.
I am so excited to be part of the team in my new role as skipper of Anima II. She is such a beautiful yacht and I am thrilled to start this adventure.
