Scorpio News
The End of an Era: Farewell Comandante Gianfranchi!
Captain Sergio Gianfranchi, known as “Comandante”, is an integral part of Scorpio’s storied history, not only working for the company, but also shaping its direction and expansion. After nearly four decades, Captain Gianfranchi’s contribution to this company is felt in every department and he leaves a legacy that will resonate for generations to come. For many, his retirement in December, 2024 marked the end of an era. Hailing from Carrara, Italy, a port city at Tuscany’s western edge, Sergio grew up surrounded by a legacy of shipping. For centuries, ships laden with the famous ‘Carrara marble’ have departed its port, destined to create statues, palaces, and monuments across the world. For generations, Gianfranchi vessels have shipped this marble on the Carrara – Marseille route. Therefore, it’s no surprise that from childhood, he felt the pull of the sea, becoming a fourth-generation Captain. “All my life, I wanted to go to sea,” he shares, adding that his earliest school drawing was a wind rose—a simple sketch that revealed his lifelong passion for sailing.
Early Years: Merchant Marines
Determined to follow his calling, he endured a grueling 5am commute to study at La Spezia’s Nautical Institute, over an hour away in the Liguria region. Graduating in 1963, the young cadet immediately joined the Marina Mercantile, or Merchant Marines. By then, it was clear that Sergio wasn’t just continuing a family tradition; he was forging a path uniquely his own. His first contract was aboard a NAI general cargo ship, Monbaldo, under a captain from Genoa who spoke exclusively in the Genovese dialect. Not one to back down from a challenge, Sergio quickly learned the dialect, adapting not only linguistically but also to the rigorous life at sea. Despite the grueling work, Sergio looks back on this era with nostalgia.
A Different World
Back in the 1960’s and 70’s, seafaring was a world apart from today’s commercially driven schedules. Ships were vibrant communities of 49 men (because at 50, you require a medic, he explains) who ate, worked, and spent their free time together. Describing a typical evening sailing through the tropics, the lack of AC and sweltering heat drove the entire crew to the poop deck, where they sat around listening to music, someone would play the guitar, they would eat, drink, and dance out in the great expanse of the sea. “We were no longer Master and subordinates, we were just friends onboard.” Friends that Sergio made onboard in those days are still friends with him today, and though they all live around the world, they keep in contact with messages and occasional phone calls. Another big difference were the schedules. Often having extended time in port awaiting cargo, seafarers had time to explore foreign cities, make friends, and immerse themselves in local cultures. “It was a different world, back then,” he says, explaining that a sense of adventure and yearning to travel the world was the main attraction to become a seafarer. “Still now,” he remarks, “I would like to go back onboard, but I think that life onboard is different.” Although the crew comradery seems almost dreamy compared to today’s busy schedules, life onboard was a lot more difficult in many ways. Seafarers were cut-off from home for almost a year at a time. Communication with loved ones was limited to letters that took months to arrive, and phone calls were brief, three-minute exchanges over the radio, once per month. Sergio recalls the typical exchange: “Hello, can you hear me? Yes, I can hear you. Is everything okay? Yes, I’m fine. Ok, Ciao!” With average contract lengths of 9-10 months, the isolation from home was a struggle for many. Despite this, Sergio thrived in the tight-knit atmosphere of his crew. These formative years instilled in him a deep respect for the traditions and camaraderie of life at sea.
Mastering the Art of the Sea
Crews of 49 sailors were necessary to handle the amount of manual work that is now taken care of by computers. Coordinates, calculations, paper maps, ship’s logs, notes, cargo data, check lists… all were manually calculated and handwritten. “There were no adding machines!” Navigation especially was different. Today, we have constant real-time position but back then, you needed to use a sextant to find your place in the world. “Everybody had their own system, because a sextant is something that you have to feel,” he explains. “I was able to make the fix without looking to the horizon.” The best seafarer is the one who knows all the parts. Knowing the ship is one of the most important tasks for a seafarer, according to Captain Gianfranchi. “A ship is built to make money,” he says. Whenever teaching cadets, he made sure to explain that every item on a vessel, even down to the smallest screw, serves a purpose. When he was serving as Master, he wouldn’t promote a Chief Officer before taking him to the pump room and quizzing him on different parts of the ship. “I would ask: What is this? What is that? What does this do?” This attention to detail was not only for operational knowledge, but it was also for respect of the vessel. For him, a ship is a living being: “When the ship is running, even if there is nothing in it, you feel that it is alive.” Though serving as a Master for over three decades, it was the rank of Chief Officer that he enjoyed the most. Sergio found immense satisfaction in the intricate logistics of loading general and bulk cargo. Whether it was grain, cotton bales, ore, pallets, or oil, he took pride in achieving a perfectly balanced load, ensuring smooth sailing and efficient unloading. A well-loaded vessel, he says, reflects careful planning and teamwork. Gianfranchi’s promotion to Chief Officer came aboard NAI’s largest OBO vessel, the Marcus Lolli-Ghetti. The ship’s colossal capacity and global voyages, from Brazil to Japan and the Persian Gulf, were a proving ground for Sergio’s skills. Later, he honed his expertise building new generation vessels at Venetian shipyards.
Scorpio: A New Chapter
In 1990, Sergio joined Scorpio, a decision that would shape the rest of his career. Already a seasoned captain, he brought years of experience from NAI and Almare to the company, but it would be his time at Scorpio that provided the most challenging and rewarding experiences of his life. As Master of Mara, Captain Gianfranchi received a Chief Officer from India, named Firdaus Bhathena. As you may recall from the last issue of Beacon, Captain Firdaus just retired from his 35-year career with Scorpio. These two seasoned Captains have spent decades as good friends, built on a foundation of deep respect for one another and their commitment to a job well done. One year, on special request, Sergio briefly ventured into the world of yachts, commanding the vogage of the Prince of Brunei’s yacht from Brunei to Singapore to Italy, during a break between contracts. The route was notorious for hostile takeovers, but the Comandante’s smarts and experience led to an incident-free voyage, earning a recommendation to the owner, who asked the Comandante to remain for the summer. Sergio replied: “Why not?” However, the restricted routes within the Mediterranean and the lack of maritime challenge didn’t suit him. After three summer seasons of what he called “boring” trips between Monaco and SaintTropez, he bid the high-profile millionaire farewell and returned to Scorpio full-time. The Comandante’s final assignment as Master was aboard Los Roques, a vessel that marked the culmination of his seafaring career. His work ethic and leadership set the standard for Scorpio captains, and his ability to navigate both the technical and interpersonal aspects of the job earned him widespread respect.
Transition Ashore: Shipbuilding and Operations
In 1999, Sergio was chosen to cooperate with Scorpio’s Technical Manager, Francesco Bellusci, and, as “On-Site Owner’s Representative”, was supervising the whole cycle of new vessel construction. During this period of building the four new vessels that Dr. Glauco Lolli-Ghetti, the Founder and Owner of Scorpio, had ordered from the 3Maj Shipyard in Rijeka, Croatia, Sergio learned even more about the details of ships. He refers to this time as a “fantastic period,” where the fusion of this ship building experience, together with his extensive practical experience at sea, had the effect of “cementing his love for Shipping.” A new challenge came in 2002, when, after the final sea trials of the Aframax “Venice”, he was called to the Monaco Office, to serve as Operations Manager. Adjusting to office life wasn’t easy, but his deep understanding of ships and their crews proved invaluable shoreside. Describing it as “a new experience”, Sergio had to completely change his perspective from the vessel side of daily operations to the financial side, where every second is money. “For me, I was only technical, so it was difficult to understand. But I had luck to have good cooperation from colleagues.” Crediting Rosada Guglielmi with helping him make the transition and understand the financial side of the job, he learned quickly and within six months, he had made the full transition. Over the next decade, ‘Comandante’ helped shape Scorpio’s operations, leveraging his maritime experience to navigate the complexities of the financial side of shipping. Earning the title of Chief Operating Officer for the newly established Scorpio Tankers, Sergio was part of the team that opened the New York office. One of his proudest moments came in 2011, when he stood on the balcony of the New York Stock Exchange as Scorpio Tankers hosted the bellringing. Standing with the founder and CEO, Emanuele Lauro, who he had trained onboard when he was a young man, was a moment he would cherish forever.
Establishing Scorpio in India
Today, Scorpio Marine Management has well over 400 employees and cares for over 3,000 seafarers. But it started with a meeting between six people: a delegate of three from Scorpio: Aldo Poma, Sergio Gianfranchi, and Rosada Guglielmi; meeting with three prospective heads: Tarun Kumar, Sanjay Kapoor, and Suresh Kalyankar. This initial meeting was to scope out the location and get a sense of the people who would be in charge. The meeting proved more than successful, as it showed to both parties the qualities of leadership that Scorpio held in upmost importance—the values of human-centered leadership that cares for people. Sergio described his experience meeting the team as “speaking the same language”, referring to how both sides see the world, see the shipping industry, and see operating a successful business. From that initial team of three, Scorpio India was born and has now grown into the cornerstone of Scorpio’s global operations. “The company has really grown up. And it just keeps growing and growing.”
A Career Defined by Excellence
Perhaps one of the most remarkable aspects of Sergio’s career is his flawless safety record. Over decades at sea, he never experienced a fire, collision, or fatality—a feat he attributes to meticulous preparation and a deep knowledge of his vessels.
He was known for his hands-on approach, whether it was inspecting the bridge at night to ensure vigilance or testing potential Chief Officers on the intricate workings of a pump room. On 22 May 2014, at the Hyundai shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea, Captain Gianfranchi was honored with being the namesake of Scorpio Tanker’s newest vessel, STI Comandante. In a ceremony filled with flags and fanfare, the Heads of Hyundai, Scorpio’s Technical Management team and Sergio’s family celebrated the inauguration of the new 184-meter tanker ship. Sergio’s wife, Giovanna, was named the vessel’s Godmother, her second time Christening a ship. It was an incredibly proud moment for the captain, made even more special by sharing the occasion with his wife and two daughters—a fitting tribute to a man who has given so much to the maritime world. Thinking back to the celebration, Sergio was visibly proud, and he said: “When I was chosen to give my name to a ship, and my wife as the Godmother of the ship, this made me very happy.”
Retirement: A New Horizon
Having retired from his executive roles in 2015, Sergio continued on as Fleet Operations Manager for another decade. Staying as long as he felt his contributions were useful, he has finally decided that it’s time for a new role. “Today, I think it’s time to learn how to be old,” he says with characteristic humility. For the first time in decades, Sergio will settle in Carrara with his wife, ending a long-distance chapter that began in 1966. Retirement may be uncharted territory, but if his career is any indication, Captain Gianfranchi will approach it with the same curiosity, dedication, and skill that defined his life at sea. As Scorpio and the maritime community bid farewell to Captain Gianfranchi, we do so with profound gratitude and admiration. His stories, lessons, and legacy will continue to inspire those who follow in his wake. Fair winds and calm seas, Comandante!
This article is featured in the Beacon 27 magazine. While onboard, you can download the full issue from DocMap: O:\ApplicationData\FileSync\fromoffice\all\Beacon\
