It has been an absolute pleasure to have Marco as our captain for the past five years. His dedication to his craft, his expertise and unwavering commitment to the safety and well-being of crew and students has been an inspiration to us all.

We especially remember his first trip as our regular captain, when he brought Sørlandet home from Bermuda at the height of the pandemic. His leadership is truly remarkable. Not only did he bring Sørlandet safely back to Kristiansand on May 17, but he also led the crew in completing the longest single voyage in the history of Sørlandet.

Marco is a true sailing enthusiast. His knowledge and experience with sailing ships is unsurpassed and we have always enjoyed reading his daily reports, which were a delightful mix of factual information and humor.

"When you follow us on the map it may seem by looking at all different courses that we have forgotten where to exactly find Cabo Verde, but we are zig-zagging downwind to avoid having the wind straight from abaft to prevent for much rolling."

Thank you again, Captain Marco, and good luck with your life as a semi-retiree with great commitment to the sailing ship culture.

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