Those born by the sea often remain enchanted by this element forever. Yachtsman, master of sports of international class Yuri Firsov took the helm of the dinghy at the age of ten. He has been in yachting for almost half a century.
The date of birth of Yuri Viktorovich Firsov is May 13, 1963. According to his zodiac sign (Taurus), this is the Day of Natural Charm. This active, energetic person has been faithful to a steep wave and a gust of wind for almost half a century.
Yu. V. Firsov is a professional yachtsman, certified skipper, yacht captain.
Hometown: Tuapse, Krasnodar Territory. Currently he lives in Moscow.
Marital status: widower (third wife, singer Valentina Legkostupova, died on August 14, 2020).
Children from two previous marriages: son Daniel (30 years old), daughter Vasilina (16 years old).
All my life on the water
The yachting experience of the Tuapse skipper has been calculated since 1973.
Yuri made his first steps in sailing at the Sports Palace, where his parents took him at the age of 5. Next to the swimming section, where he successfully trained, there was a sailing school. In a sporty gamble, the boy watched with interest the activities of the boatmen. And at home his games were not cars and "shooters", but sea travel.
I tried to get up at the helm of the nimble and dynamic sailing dinghy "Cadet" at the age of 10, when, without consulting his family, he left sailing without asking and went to another section. After sailing 300 meters, the boy realized that chasing yachts was for him.
In his homeland, in the Tuapse yacht club, studying in detail yachting weapons and astronavigation, he received his first yachting education. And the chief mentor - the honored trainer of the USSR V. V. Yushkov. Under his leadership, Yuri achieved his first successes: he became a master of sports, the winner of regional competitions in the Kuban, the champion of the Russian Federation.
Yuri Firsov's record of achievements in yachting:
- nine “gold” victories in the Russian Championships;
- team "bronze" in the races of fleets at the European Championship;
- the title of the world vice-champion in the Mini transat class;
- Multiple participation and prizes in international tournaments: Sail of White Nights (1st place), Java Trophy (1st place twice);
- in ROLEX CUP races covered 630 miles from Sydney to Hobart four times;
- took part in the program of forming a Russian team for the 10th ocean voyage VOLVO OCEAN RACE;
- other.
On his 48th birthday, the yachtsman made himself a present: he became the owner of a beautiful sports dinghy “eM-Ka” RUS.65.
In 2013, he entered the sports struggle to expand the representation of the Russian flag at international competitions in the Mini Transat 6.5 class. These are the smallest boats on which transatlantic races are held (length 6.5m, width 3m). As part of a two-man crew in the Mini class, Firsov made his brilliant debut at the Arcipelago 6.50 in the Italian city of Talamone (2nd place). This was followed by Gran Premio d'Italia and Sanremo Mini Solo. The last of these regattas was a successful qualification for the singles race across the Atlantic Ocean.
Yuri Firsov in 2015 became the first Russian representative at the MiniTransat regatta. In the format “alone, non-stop, without the right to use external assistance,” he covered 4200 miles, taking off from the Gulf of Douarnenez and passing through the Canary Islands to the Caribbean archipelago (Guadeloupe Island). He spent a week in the ocean.
Not only the sports life of Yu. V. is connected with sailing trips. Firsov, but also his business. The yacht captain recruits teams to participate in cruises, tours, corporate teambuilding and regattas. The cost of one day for those wishing to relax on a yacht - from 55 €. This allows Firsov to plan and execute his budget.
The Russian skipper ferries yachts, cooperates with charter campaigns, operates recreational and racing models Yuminoka Farr 40, Solona 41, Lagoon 42, Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 44. Yuri Viktorovich owns the sports cruiser Grand Soleil 42 Vivat. It is not for nothing that they say that yachts and motorcycles are things that men play all their lives.
Prince on a snow-white yacht
Navigation under sails in many ways became fateful for Yuri Firosov. Important events in his personal life are also associated with him.
- In the footsteps of his father, the son from his first marriage, Daniel, followed. The young man received his profile education at the State Maritime University. Admiral F. F. Ushakov and the Kuban University of Physical Education, Sports and Tourism. Since 2008 he has been a professional skipper. One of the founders of the Yacht23 yachting school.
- Yuri met his second wife Natalia, with whom he lived for almost 20 years and raised his daughter Vasilina, in Marseille, when he was returning from another international regatta.
- On board the yacht, a wedding was celebrated with the famous singer of the 90s Valentina Legkostupova. By the fall of 2019, the correspondence 5-year communication on Facebook has gone beyond the boundaries of a friendly format. Romantic meetings under sail led to the fact that both left their families (children have already been raised and you can "live for yourself"). The marriage was registered on 2020-04-07 in Sochi, and the couple got married in a village near Feodosia.
In a southern manner, a flirtatious and smiling, strong and tanned man, skillfully straining the sheets of sails and catching the "clean" wind, always created in the eyes of those around him the image of a successful, rich, idly strolling along the seas "prince on a snow-white yacht." With age, some external resemblance to Donald Trump was added to the textured and brutal appearance of the yachtsman, which only added to his charm. However, this impression is misleading. Yachting is a serious business, costly in terms of investment of effort and money. And prosperity and prosperity do not always go alongside this. And fate loves to strike at exactly the moment when you do not expect it at all.
The coronavirus quarantine regime for several months of 2020 left Firsov without doing what he loved and deprived him of his job. Drinking helped to miss the sea and the wind on self-isolation. Together with Yuri, the depression caused by the lack of concerts and public events was "flooded" by his wife, formerly popular singer Valentina Legkostupova. An accident that happened to her at home, during their joint "alcoholic voyage", became the cause of the tragedy. The singer passed away on August 14, 2020.
The dramatic pitch floor in the personal life of yachtsman Yuri Firsov turned everything upside down in an instant. Now the image of the "prince" has changed to the role of a "villain": a former admirer of the artist, who persecuted her, specially soldered her and sought death in order to claim an inheritance. For many months, his persona became the subject of discussion in the media and on the Internet.
Time will tell what will happen next, who is right and who is to blame: after all, everyone has their own vision of the tragedy. It is important for a person who is publicly exposed in an unfavorable light to remember one thing: it is scary not to fall into the mud, and not to rise out of it. In the meantime, shocked by what happened, Yuri Firsov goes to church and seeks salvation in his native element: “I need the sea, like air, as an opportunity to live and survive. I have no other way ….
