Going back to where it all began: coming full circle and starting a new journey
Sometimes to move forward, you need to take a step back. You need to go home.
For me, that home is the Società Nautica Pietas Julia in Trieste, the yacht club where, at five years old, I first set foot on a sailboat. That’s where my love for the sea was born, and where my journey began: first as a young athlete, and later as a sailor representing Italy.
It has been such a privilege competing in, and making a living from, the sport that I love, a sport that has literally taken me around the world and I feel a really strong desire to give something back to the community that raised me. That’s why I’m so happy and proud that Società Nautica Pietas Julia (SNPJ) is the first beneficiary of our ‘Believe, Belong, Achieve Grantee Program’, an initiative created to inspire, involve, and support the next generation through sport, sustainability, and social inclusion.
Francesca visiting the SNPJ in 2024 © Giovanni Aiello | Team7Sailing
The funding will go towards the SNPJ’s Fair Winds for Youth, a three-year initiative that combines youth competitive sailing, education, environmental awareness, and - above all - inclusion. At the heart of the project is Vento Inclusivo, a program dedicated to children and teens with autism spectrum disorders and intellectual disabilities, helping them experience the sea as a place of growth, confidence, and belonging.
When the club’s president, Alberto Valenti, shared this initiative with me, I was immediately hooked. He told me that for the SNPJ, this collaboration means much more than just a sporting program, it’s rooted in shared values like love for the sea, care for young people, and the will to make a difference. He also told me how special it is for everyone at the club to see me return to the place where it all started. “Francesca began sailing here as a child,” he said, “and seeing her come back today, with this energy and vision, is a source of pride for our entire community.”
Francesca with the SNPJ’s Club President Alberto Valenti - © Giovanni Aiello | Team7Sailing
His words truly moved me, because they’re true - anyone who knows me understands how much this place means to me. Coming full circle, in this case, doesn’t feel like an ending at all; it feels like a new beginning.
Giovanna Micol, the club’s sports director, expressed the same sense of excitement and purpose. She explained that thanks to this support, the club will be able to expand Vento Inclusivo, offering more opportunities for young sailors and combining sport with environmental responsibility. She told me that my journey shows young people that if you can imagine it, you can make it happen - and that’s exactly the message they want to pass on to their sailors.
Words like these remind me every day why I believe so strongly in sport as a tool for change. This project wouldn’t be possible without my partner, 11th Hour Racing, which has always shared my conviction that sailing can be a powerful driver for awareness, sustainability, and inclusion.
Francesca, second from right in the back row, with her sailing team friends at the SNPJ © SNPJ
I truly believe that by giving young people the chance to discover sailing, without barriers and without exclusions, we can help build a fairer, more open, and more conscious future.
My journey to the Vendée Globe is only just beginning. But I’ll face it with even greater determination, knowing that we’re making a tangible impact along the way, right where it all began for me.
And maybe, among those children who are learning to sail today, there will be the next person to represent Italy in the Olympic Games and go on to race around the world.
And I can’t wait to see that happen.