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THE LONGEST SELF-RIGHTING AND UNSINKABLE VESSELS EVER BUILT IN ITALY, FITTED WITH WORLD-LEADING TECHNOLOGY The boat will be named Aurelio Visalli, for a Coast Guard posthumously awarded the Navy’s gold medal for distinguished serviceMessina, 13 December 2022 – Intermarine S.p.A., a subsidiary of the Immsi S.p.A. industrial Group (IMS.MI), today delivered the “Aurelio Visalli” to the General Command of the Corps of the Port Captaincies, Coast Guard, at the Messina shipyard. The vessel is the third boat in the “Angeli del Mare” class, the longest self-righting and unsinkable boats ever built in Italy and among the world's largest search and rescue units. The Angeli del Mare class is designed for search and rescue operations at sea and dedicated to coast guards who lost their lives while on active service and were awarded the gold medal for their dedication and sense of duty. The launch ceremony and presentation of the boat took place in the presence of the General Commander of the Corps of the Port Captaincies, Coast Guard Admiral Head Inspector Nicola Carlone, the Chair of Intermarine, Antonino Parisi, and Mrs Tindara Grosso, Visalli’s widow, who christened the boat. The handover of the Aurelio Visalli will enable the crew to begin familiarising themselves with the boat so that it can become operational as soon as possible, under the command of Lieutenant Andrea Graziani. Petty Officer second class Aurelio Visalli, who served with the Milazzo Port Captaincies, lost his life on 6 October 2020 in a heroic attempt to rescue two young men in difficulties in the sea. Dramatic circumstances that attested to the generosity, courage and humanity of Petty Officer Visalli, who was posthumously awarded the Navy's gold medal for distinguished service. “Bravery, generosity of spirit and an uncommon sense of duty… – reads the medal citation – …an example of courage, altruism and the highest sense of duty taken to the extreme sacrifice”, the words honouring Aurelio, who “…knowingly exposed his own life to manifest danger” in the attempt to save the life of others. Like its sister vessels the “Natale De Grazia”, the first in the class, and the “Roberto Aringhieri”, the “Aurelio Visalli” presents the features of a new type of vessel designed and developed to perform the vital task assigned to the Coast Guard by history and by law: sea search and rescue, a mission that the new boat will be able to perform even in the most testing meteorological and marine conditions. A product of excellence from Italy's shipbuilding industry and a proud example of the country’s maritime capabilities, it is one of the largest search and rescue vessels in the world, and the longest self-righting and unsinkable boat ever built in Italy. With its 10-strong crew, the “Visalli” represents the best in current naval technology, with state-of-the-art propulsion and communication instruments. Measuring more than 33 metres LOA, it is equipped with an advanced command and control system to guarantee greater autonomy, greater receptive capabilities and better logistics for the crew and for rescue operations. It has a top speed of more than 31 knots and guarantees a range of over 1,000 nautical miles at a speed of 28 knots. «When this boat goes into service,” said Admiral Nicola Carlone, “it will be a tangible expression of generosity and courage: the values that made Aurelio an example for all of us and for the country, in the name that it bears and the missions it will complete. I express my sympathy and that of every member of the great Coast Guard family to his loved ones.» The vessel was built in the Messina shipyard by Cantieri Navali Intermarine spa of Sarzana (Immsi Group), with European funding under the Internal Safety Funds 2014-2020 - Specific action 70.2.AS2 “ANIMO ANIMO VITAM MARI DEDIT” : “(The boat works, ed.) with the courage of those who dedicate their lives to the sea” is the boat’s official motto, reflecting, through the power of Latin, Visalli's sense of belonging to the Corps, his courage and generosity, and his legacy to the new generations and to those who, like him, are part of the Coast Guard, which provides invaluable service for the community every day.