Vibeke Venema

In 1999, Marco Amoretti and family friend Marco De Candia crossed the Atlantic from the Canary Islands to Martinique in two modified floating cars to fulfil the lifelong ambition of Marco’s terminally ill father, Giorgio. After Marco’s brothers Mauro and Fabio were rescued, the two men spent 119 days at sea battling equipment failures, isolation, a shark encounter and tropical storm Emily. Giorgio died during the voyage, but the pair continued and reached Martinique on 31 August 1999. The expedition fulfilled his dream, although the planned continuation to New York never happened; both men later struggled to adjust to ordinary life after their extraordinary experience.

In 1999, Italian adventurers Marco Amoretti and Marco De Candia crossed the Atlantic for 119 days in two cars modified to float, fulfilling the dream of Marco’s terminally ill father, Giorgio Amoretti. Marco’s brothers Mauro and Fabio joined the launch but were rescued after 11 days adrift. The two remaining travelers survived equipment failures, shark encounters, isolation and a tropical storm before reaching Martinique on August 31. Giorgio died during the crossing, and the expedition profoundly affected the men, who later struggled to readjust to life on land.