The big ambition

We speak to ARGO Challenge's Lars Grael and Antonio Spinelli and about the first disabled America's Cup campaign

Remember Dolphin & Youth, the 1993-4 Volvo Ocean Race campaign? That was a combination of Matt Humphries’ Youth Challenge and the disabled Dolphin Challenge. Now disabled sailors are attempting to reach another pinnacle of our sport with the Italian-based ARGO Challenge spearheaded by Torben Grael’s younger brother Lars. Their goal: to win the America’s Cup.

Almost 10 years ago to the day, Grael was involved in a terrible accident while in the middle of a Tornado race. “I was sailing a Tornado competition in Vittoria in Brazil when during the race a power boat came at high speed. The guy was not looking out and was drunk.And he went onto the course and hit my Tornado and the propeller cut off my leg,” he recalls as we gape at the recollection of this terrible story. “I was almost dead at the time. I feel very happy to be alive, doing what I want, taking part in sailing challenges, being with my family, helping sport in Brazil.”

Today Grael has joined forces with Antonio Spinelli to run ARGO Challenge, on the road to the America’s Cup.

The idea for this project came about around three years ago through Spinelli, who at the time was working for an association in Turin, teaching disabled people how to ski. Via this association he had also come across some disabled sailors and he says he began to wonder about them taking on some larger challenges. But his aim was galvanised when he saw a TV program where Torben Grael was talking about his brother and getting him sailing again. “It remained in my mind,” says Spinelli. He picked up the phone and tried to track down Grael. “I contacted all the Grael family in Brazil. First I met the mother, then the wife…” Eventually he caught up with the man himself.

Lars Grael takes up his side: “The first time he talked with me about an America’s Cup campaign, I said ‘come on - it doesn’t’ make any sense’. And then we started talking…He convinced me to go to Turin and have a meeting with the Mayor of the city and some potential sponsors to discuss the viability of the campaign. Now we are trying to make the dream come true…”

Since then ARGO Challenge has taken part at a number of events including the Voiles de St Tropez on board the 12m French Kiss. Last week they were in Porto Cervo racing on board Carlo Puri Negri’s Farr 70 Atalanta 2, the one time Rolex Middle Sea Race winner.

So how did this come about? “We had contact with him [Carlo Puri Negri] in Milano in June when Antonio Spinelli presented the Argo Challenge and he was very impressed and decided to join us, to make this partnership,” recounts Grael. “He was great support and he had a very good commitment with us.”

Negri has recently announced that he is building a new STP65 - but Grael says it remains to be seen whether they will get to race it.

As Spinelli and Grael have been slowly and steadily building up ARGO Challenge, so they have been recruiting sailors. Particularly thanks to the publicity gained from their America’s Cup announcement, they are now in contact with many promising sailors from around the globe. However they are keen to point out that while their ultimate aim is to mount a Cup campaign, it will not be with a 100% disabled crew.

Grael explains: “It is a high level competition, so we have to prove to the world that we can compete on the same level. In this case every disabled sailor has to prove they are as competitive as a normal sailor. If they prove that, then they will be on board.”

Spinelli adds: “Another reason we think it is better to have a mixed crew is because we want integration - integration not segregation. That is what we want to say. That is our message – this is a great sports challenge and a great social message.”

Obviously this article appears at the same time as the Paralympic Games is taking place in China. Paralympic sailors will certainly feature strongly in ARGO Challenge and as a result the team only had five of their number aboard Atalanta 2 in Porto Cervo last week.

In addition to Grael, this included French sailor and leg amputee Loic Tourze, Paralympic cycling gold medallist Pierangelo Vignoti (who’s left left is 6cm shorter than his right). In addition they have secured the services of Luna Rossa grinder, trainer and water polo Olympian, Umberto Panerai, who lost his right leg in an accident.

At present they have 12 sailors, but as Spinelli puts it: “The problem is not to find the athletes, the problem is to find the money to go on.”

Grael personally has been continuing to Star sail and this year has competed in the Bacardi Cup and the Worlds in Miami, followed by the Eastern Hemisphere Championship in Split and the Europeans. However his biggest success this year was winning the South American championship this year in Rio.

So all we need now is an America’s Cup…