THE FASTEST WOMAN AROUND THE WORLD, DONA BERTARELLI HAS SPENT 10 YEARS TRYING TO WIN THE JULES VERNE. HELEN FRETTER FINDS OUT WHY
Ocean racing is an unsentimental world. It’s deeply unglamorous, stripping its participants of every iota of vanity. Failures in preparedness will be hurriedly found out, but even the most careful and thorough, most deserving of campaigns can see their chance of victory slip away in the sudden tumbling of a rig or the slow veer of a weather system. It’s an arena where the funds required to play are eye-watering – but where money, ultimately, cannot buy success.
So why on earth would a billionaire choose to undergo all the privations of six weeks at sea, of using a bucket for a toilet and eating freeze-dried food, sleeping in a damp, hot-bunk, and living in a state of constant adrenaline and anxiety? Because that's what Dona Bertarelli has signed up for, as she goes on standby with the rest of the Sails of Change team for another tilt at the non-stop crewed around the world record, the elusive Jules Verne Trophy.
The Spindrift campaign, now Sails of Change, is unique on many levels. For starters, it's a privately-backed campaign. While other ocean racing stables – such as Gitana which enjoys the largesse of the Rothschild family – may rely on the enthusiasm of a few key decision makers, the boats are raced by paid hands. On board Spindrift, Dona herself is a member of crew, while her husband, Frenchman Yann Guichard, is the professional skipper. Her adult son has been part of the race team, and Yann’s brother is one of the team’s core pro members. It’s a unique family endeavour, for a unique family.
FAMILY AFFAIR
The Bertarelli name is deeply entwined with sailing at the highest level. Italian-born Dona, now 53, and her elder brother Ernesto moved to Switzerland when they were children. She was not quite 30 when she and Ernesto inherited Serono, a multi-million pound pharmaceutical company that had been built by their grandfather. Under Ernesto as CEO, the company diversified, with revenues reportedly increasing from $809 million in 1996 to $2.8 billion in 2006.
Ernesto famously poured his passion for sailing, and ability to invest staggering funds, into the America’s Cup. His Alinghi team shook things up and brought sailing’s most famous trophy to Europe, taking back to back wins before being defeated in 2010. It placed the Bertarelli family firmly in the annals of yachting history.
Ernesto and Dona’s father was a keen sailor, and they spent time in childhood sailing on the Swiss lakes or Tuscan sea. Although Dona
