The boat, with its technical knowledge to acquire and necessary operational choices resulting from further mediation between us, the wind, and the waves, demanded respect for rules and introduced initially unknown roles. It shaped clear yet initially mysterious codes: there was another to cooperate with, another to discover.

This process allowed the formation of a new reference group, an alternative to the one in which the “disadvantaged” individual was typically placed, recognising rules and habits often without full awareness. The project “For a Sea of Inclusion” stemmed from the belief that the boat represented a different place, “a mysterious and magical horizon from which to observe things and oneself.” It was the ideal environment where every “sailor” confronted their limits and those of others, seeking to face them together as a “crew.”

The project brought together “on the same boat” individuals with and without intellectual disabilities to admire and, at the same time, personally experience the transformative power of sports. Diversity was celebrated, challenges were faced collectively, and the sea symbolised unity and shared achievement.