The Story
The Story of Ikigai Sailing - A Journey of Passion and Purpose
How Ikigai Sailing was born — told by Luca, founder and skipper. A story of leaving a life on land to follow the sea, and turning a personal reckoning into a shared voyage.
The Story
The Story of Ikigai Sailing - A Journey of Passion and Purpose
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Before
Luca starts young as an entrepreneur, following his father's footsteps and opening his first business while still a minor. A love of freediving sparks a deeper passion for the sea — first an inflatable, then his first real boat.
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2015
Commitments pile up and time for himself runs out. Then a severe family loss becomes an internal earthquake, forcing a complete reckoning with his priorities.
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The decision
He frees himself from his commitments, sells what he can, and starts travelling — devoting himself one hundred percent to what he truly loves.
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2020
Now a freediving instructor in Thailand with professional sailing certifications, he delivers a boat to Tunisia during Covid and is stranded there for a year — time to reflect on what he really wants.
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The idea
Inspired by the book Ikigai, the vision becomes clear: gather friends from around the world who share the same passions, find a boat, and sail the world promoting a sustainable life of healthy food, sport and adventure.
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2022
The first boat turns out to be a scam — the owner vanishes with the vessel. Undeterred, his friend Brano buys a Catana 47 catamaran and entrusts it to the association. Ikigai Sailing sets sail.
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Today
Two and a half years, 20+ countries and 10,000+ nautical miles later, the adventure is exhilarating — and the journey continues, with a Pacific crossing on the horizon.
“In my previous life, I was an entrepreneur. I started very young, following in my father’s footsteps and opening my first business while I was still a minor. My passion for sailing began early on, thanks to another great passion of mine: freediving.
With my first earnings, I bought my first inflatable boat and, shortly after, my first real boat. However, as the years passed, my commitments increased, and I had less and less time for myself. Dissatisfaction grew due to stress, until 2015, when my life underwent an internal earthquake: a severe family loss made me question everything, forcing me to reconsider my priorities.
At that moment, I made a drastic decision: I freed myself from my commitments, sold what I could, and started traveling, dedicating myself 100% to what I truly loved.
So, from being an entrepreneur, I rediscovered myself as a freediving instructor in Thailand and deepened my knowledge of sailing, earning professional certifications. This new path led me to transfer a boat to Tunisia during the Covid period. Stranded there for a year, I had yet another opportunity to reflect on what I truly wanted to do with my life.
That was when the idea of Ikigai was born. The inspiration also came from reading the book Ikigai, and the vision became clear: to bring together friends I had met around the world who shared the same passions, get a boat, and set off on a sailing journey around the world — promoting a sustainable lifestyle based on healthy eating, sports, and adventure.
We found a boat in Tunisia and started preparing it, but the first attempt failed — it turned out to be a scam, and the owner disappeared with the vessel. Despite the disappointment, a friend, Brano, who shared my vision, decided to buy a beautiful catamaran and entrust it to the sports association I represent.
After two and a half years of traveling, the outcome of this adventure is exhilarating, and the journey continues.
We look forward to welcoming you on board!”
From the logbook
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