My one-week experience on a sailing boat on the Island of Elba with Raffaele, a long-experienced skipper, unfortunately turned out to be a disappointment in many respects. While there is no doubt about Raffaele's skills as an experienced navigator and his deep knowledge of the island, his positive qualities unfortunately end there. Raffaele demonstrated an extremely authoritarian and decision-making attitude, which made the whole experience stressful and unpleasant. From day one, the rules imposed were strict: access to the kitchen and pantry was prohibited, except to get water. The sailor's shower is the only one possible. Little food and always the same. This restrictive approach created a climate of tension on board, where every request for flexibility, even the slightest, was met with resistance. For example, a simple desire to arrive at port an hour earlier so that he could relax and take a shower in peace turned into a struggle, making it evident that the daily program was organized exclusively for the skipper's convenience. Another downside was the state of the boat, which was visibly dirty and was not cleaned for the entire week. We had to clean cobwebs and traces of grease. This has contributed to making the environment on board unpleasant, especially considering that the solution offered by Raffaele is presented as "all inclusive". However, the experience was far from being so. Even the kitchen was not the best, with the last day when I found a nice hair in the plate of cold pasta with oil and cherry tomatoes. Another sore point concerns the economic management of the holiday. Raffaele requires payment not only for the galley, as would be natural, but also for all breakfasts and dinners consumed outside the boat. This would also be acceptable if it were clarified in advance and not mandatory, but it becomes unacceptable when it turns out that the tour of the restaurants is already pre-planned by Raffaele, with an obvious preference for places run by his friends. This leaves little room for personal choices and personalization of the experience, further contributing to the sense of rigidity and control. I would recommend this experience only to those who are at their very first experience on a sailing boat, perhaps with small children under 5 years old, and who appreciate an authoritarian guide who tells them what to do at all times. For anyone looking for a relaxing, flexible, and well-organized experience, this vacation will likely be an experience to forget. Personally, it was a disappointing week and far from expectations.

Very experienced and determined skipper with a strong ability to manage and plan for the cruise, but above all a high-level professional whose main conditions are safety and tranquility of navigation; moreover he is also an excellent cook. "A SECURITY"

Raffaele is an experienced skipper, he will guide you in the streets in maximum safety preparing tasty lunches for you! A relaxing holiday!