the station, commenting later on the clarity of the speech. Crew With a crew of some 30, Elettra was able to sail long distances without needing to refuel; in 1922 she first crossed the Atlantic to New York, surviving the effects of a severe storm. An important crew member was the radio officer, Adelmo Landini, who was known as the 'marconista', the Italian term equivalent to 'sparks' in English. Landini, who sailed with Marconi from 1927 to 1931, had been a wireless operator decorated for gallantry in the army during the Great War. He was not only a skilled Morse code operator but also a self-taught expert in wireless technology. As such he not only assumed the duties of the yacht's radio officer but also assisted Marconi with his experiments. Indeed Landini later became an experimenter and inventor in his own right, registering seven patents for his inventions. In 1938/39, he registered a patent concerning the bouncing of radio waves off the surface of the moon – a phenomenon that he had first become aware of while serving on Elettra. In 1931 while the vessel was en route from Cannes to Santa Margherita Ligure, Landini lost his balance during bad weather and brushed against a high tension cable. Following this accident he left Elettra and did not return to work with Marconi. Marconi's reflections on the advantages of a seaborne laboratory Without Elettra it would have been impossible to carry out my experiments in the Mediterranean and in the Atlantic; I would not have been able to continue and develop my research into short wave transmissions. With my seaborne laboratory – unique in the world – I have been able to realise my dreams. For example, how to beam (direct) a radio signal and to use radio for navigational purposes. This yacht has not only made me independent, but also freed me from distractions and the curiosity of others. I have been able to work at any time of the night and day and move around in a way that would have been quite impossible on dry land. Wireless experiments from the vessel Of particular importance were the experiments conducted from Elettra in the Gulf of Tigullio – communication being established with a coast station in one of the Gualine towers on the Sestri Levante peninsula. In honour of this, the Gulf of Tigullio was renamed the Gulf of Marconi