8 days in the States, 3 prestige sailing schools involved, 2 youngsters of the Mascalzone Latino Sailing School with 1 instructor for the second year running. These are the numbers of an expedition crowned by a dedicated event, the “PIB Sailing Championship”: without doubt it will leave a deep mark on the two lucky young Neapolitan students and sailors who had the extraordinary opportunity to conquer this special occasion. As has happened for two years, the Sailing School dedicated to recovering kids with social problems in Naples organises exchange programs with sailing clubs in the world where the young athletes can go for at least a week for an experience that is training, in life and in sailing, in excellent multicultural contexts both in sporting and organisational terms such as Lugano and Boston. In the famous Massachusetts university city the project reached its second year thanks to renewed collaboration with the Italian Consulate in Boston, with the MIT Sailing Pavillon, Courageous Sailing and the Community Boat Center, and to partners Sauces’n Love, Scarpetta, the Euno restaurant and Italian travel agency Ricky World.
Salvio’s account:
When I learned I was going to Boston I was really happy. It was an undescribed double thrill the evening before we left: my eyes were wide open in bed, I still couldn’t believe it. Then when I went to the airport I wasn’t afraid to fly, because I believe in destiny.
When the plane took off I still couldn’t believe it, only once we were in the air I realised I was going to America.
When we landed in Rome I was still a bit in tilt, too excited, but there was just time to have a bite and we took off again. During the nine-hour flight I tried to imagine how Boston would be. When we got there I was struck by the skyscrapers and when I saw Frank’s quarter it was a huge thrill.
We did a whole lot of things all through the week but the things that struck me most were when Frank helped a blind person crossed the road, I understood the difference between America and Italy already in little things. In America they don’t judge you by appearances.
The other things that struck me were the stories the people I was lucky enough to meet told me.
The story of Giovanni who arrived in America without speaking English with a wife and daughter. Or Antonella who travelled in Germany and Austria and then came to America where she still works as a research. These people help me understand that you don’t need to be something special to become somebody, willpower is enough.
Maybe one day I’ll be here, I don’t know, but I know I will study for myself because it’s useful for me. I’m grateful for this opportunity, it helped me grow up and understand a lot of things. Thank you.
Laura’s account:
On May 7 I learned I had been chosen to go to Boston, I could hardly believe it, I’d always wanted to go. The day of departure I was very happy but also anxious, because when I’m away from home for a few days I feel uneasy, but I was wrong. We were fine with Frank, I felt at home and he gave us everything we needed.
With all his commitments in his free time he took a cycling round Boston. This shows he’s a very generous person, because in his free time he did a lot of things for us and we really had a lot of fun. The instructor who accompanied us, Bellomino, whom I thank very much because he kept us relaxed and having fun when we visited the city or were racing. On the days of racing I’d never had so much fun! I was really happy and strangely not anxious. It was an experience you can’t forget. It was the first time I’d set foot on that boat and luckily it went well.
The following days we went to the Saracenis’, and Antonella and other very likeable girls showed us that in a lot of places there were golf courses, basket maul and football pitches and other sports. They were all lovely and well looked after, I’d like to see them here in Italy. Boston is a very beautiful city because there are green spaces and public swimming pools, then more modern spaces with skyscrapers and big houses. I loved the skyscrapers, we took lots of photographs and we went in the Prudential building, a skyscraper with shops and souvenirs. One of the things I found most interesting about the trip was when we went to Harvard, one of the most famous universities. I didn’t expect the universities to be so big with all those buildings and shops.
This experience opened my eyes because in Italy there is not much chance of getting a job and to have a better future you have to study hard. I said to myself that I will work as hard as I can to improve my studies and my abilities.