Due uomini e il mare

Il Napapijri Bulletin è un progetto editoriale mensile che racconta storie straordinarie di persone straordinarie. Esploratori moderni, amici del brand, icone culturali: ogni mese, The Bulletin celebra coloro che osano abbandonare le mappe conosciute per esplorare territori inaspettati.

Ruoli diversi, stesso orizzonte, una comprensione comune: il potere indomito del mare non può mai essere controllato, solo compreso.
Sia Giacomo Basagni che Federico Fiorillo lavorano per Solaris Yachts, uno dei cantieri navali a vela più prestigiosi d’Italia. Giacomo guida eventi e comunicazione per Solaris Yachts, plasmando l’esperienza della vela attraverso lo sguardo di un velista. Rappresenta la dimensione condivisa del mare: le persone, le storie, i momenti che lo trasformano in uno stile di vita. Il suo motto? “Mandate i vostri figli a scuola di vela!”.
Federico, invece, lavora a stretto contatto con le barche, supportando gli armatori in ogni fase della navigazione. È un uomo di poche parole, ma quando parla va dritto al punto: rispetto, consapevolezza, intelligenza.
Li abbiamo incontrati alla Solaris Cup 2026 a Porto Rotondo, in Sardegna, dove Napapijri ha partecipato come partner dell’evento, per parlare di esperienza, memoria e di cosa significa vivere il mare.

How did your relationship with the sea begin?

GB: It started very early, thanks to my parents. Sailing school, then regattas, then years of living the sea in different ways: racing, cruising, sharing it with friends. Over time, it stopped being just a passion and became something more.
Today, I still don’t see it as something you do, but something you live. And that’s exactly what connects Solaris to Napapijri: the idea that experiences come first, and they stay with you.

FF: My first love was windsurf. In many ways, it still is. I’ve travelled the world for it, lived abroad teaching it. As for boats, I started from sails: cutting them, observing them, trying to understand how the wind moved through them. There isn’t a real school for this. You learn by doing, by studying boats, and by building a relationship between yourself and the sea.

What does it mean to really know the sea?

GB: The sea is made of two things at once: extreme technique and something very ancient. On one side, there’s engineering, materials, precision. On the other, there’s a knowledge that comes from far away, from generations of sailors who have come before us and whose rules, no matter how old, still guide the relationship between men and sea.
That same balance is something we also recognise in Napapijri innovation moving forward, but always anchored to a deeper and more meaningful heritage

FF: Knowing the sea means knowing your limits and, to do that, it takes intelligence. You’ll meet all kinds of people at sea: rich, poor, likeable, unlikeable. But never stupid. You need to be smart to sail. Boats are complex, but not complicated. It takes focus, precision, humility. Technology only goes as far as the sea allows.

How did your relationship with the sea begin?

GB: It started very early, thanks to my parents. Sailing school, then regattas, then years of living the sea in different ways: racing, cruising, sharing it with friends. Over time, it stopped being just a passion and became something more.
Today, I still don’t see it as something you do, but something you live. And that’s exactly what connects Solaris to Napapijri: the idea that experiences come first, and they stay with you.

FF: My first love was windsurf. In many ways, it still is. I’ve travelled the world for it, lived abroad teaching it. As for boats, I started from sails: cutting them, observing them, trying to understand how the wind moved through them. There isn’t a real school for this. You learn by doing, by studying boats, and by building a relationship between yourself and the sea.

What does it mean to really know the sea?

GB: The sea is made of two things at once: extreme technique and something very ancient. On one side, there’s engineering, materials, precision. On the other, there’s a knowledge that comes from far away, from generations of sailors who have come before us and whose rules, no matter how old, still guide the relationship between men and sea.
That same balance is something we also recognise in Napapijri innovation moving forward, but always anchored to a deeper and more meaningful heritage

FF: Knowing the sea means knowing your limits and, to do that, it takes intelligence. You’ll meet all kinds of people at sea: rich, poor, likeable, unlikeable. But never stupid. You need to be smart to sail. Boats are complex, but not complicated. It takes focus, precision, humility. Technology only goes as far as the sea allows.

You both work with people as much as with boats. What is that relationship like?

GB: Solaris customers don’t buy boats just to own a product. They are spaces for families to live, to come together and share experiences. People grow up on them, they build memories that stay long after the journey ends. It’s not about what you buy, but about what stays with you. A boat, like a jacket, becomes part of your story.

FF: Before a navigation, you choose each other. Sometimes, you leave each other. There has to be trust. You work together, solve problems together. When accompanying clients, my job is to test the boat, identify issues, and make them aware that there will always be some degree of uncertainty.
You get to know each other closely sharing space and handling the first transfer together. It becomes a process of discovery and communication.

What does courage mean in your world?

GB: For me, it’s about responsibility. Creating an experience means taking care of people, of expectations, of everything that unfolds around it. It is grounded approach to exploration, where courage is not about extremes, but about being present, prepared, and aware of what you’re experiencing.

FF: I wouldn’t call it courage. I leave that to people who save lives by putting their own lives on the line. I prefer awareness: of knowing the risks, understanding your limits, and acting accordingly. The sea teaches us what it means to be away from the protection of social and cultural constructs: in this natural state men learn fear, hope, and acceptance.

What always remains unpredictable?

GB: No matter how much you plan, every experience at sea becomes unique. Every boat tells a different story, because every person lives it in their own way.
That’s what creates meaning: the unexpected, the part you cannot control. It’s the same principle that connects Solaris and Napapijri: what matters is not just the journey itself, but the memory you take away from it.

FF: The route is never really yours. You can have maps, you can have a plan, but ultimately the wind decides how you get where you want to go.
At sea, control is a necessary and negotiable balance between intention and conditions.

What does courage mean in your world?

GB: For me, it’s about responsibility. Creating an experience means taking care of people, of expectations, of everything that unfolds around it. It is grounded approach to exploration, where courage is not about extremes, but about being present, prepared, and aware of what you’re experiencing.

FF: I wouldn’t call it courage. I leave that to people who save lives by putting their own lives on the line. I prefer awareness: of knowing the risks, understanding your limits, and acting accordingly. The sea teaches us what it means to be away from the protection of social and cultural constructs: in this natural state men learn fear, hope, and acceptance.

What always remains unpredictable?

GB: No matter how much you plan, every experience at sea becomes unique. Every boat tells a different story, because every person lives it in their own way.
That’s what creates meaning: the unexpected, the part you cannot control. It’s the same principle that connects Solaris and Napapijri: what matters is not just the journey itself, but the memory you take away from it.

FF: The route is never really yours. You can have maps, you can have a plan, but ultimately the wind decides how you get where you want to go.
At sea, control is a necessary and negotiable balance between intention and conditions.