TAG Heuer 2015 Sailor of the Year: we reveal the names of the designers in the race

The presentation of the candidates for TAG Heuer 2015 Sailor of the Year continues: in this installment we present in detail the designers (new this year) running for the title.

WHAT IS THE SAILOR OF THE YEAR
Here we go. Once again this year the time has come to award the most prestigious prize in Italian sailing. The Sailor of the Year has been awarded since 1991 to the best Italian sailor elected by a web poll that involves thousands of fans in the first phase and is decreed by a jury of quality. And, this year we thought we would involve you even more: never, as in the coming days, it will be your votes that will decide who will be part of the shortlist of candidates for the final victory, among whom will be revealed, at the 2015 TAG Heuer VELAFestival (May 7-10 in Santa Margherita Ligure: find everything about the event here), the TAG Heuer 2015 Sailor of the Year.

THE “MAGNIFICENT HUNDRED”
There are many, deserving sailors who have distinguished themselves through achievements, feats, passion and even patronage. Too many to make a strict initial selection. So, rankings and articles in hand, in the editorial office we took stock of the past season by identifying 100 “nominees” among drifters, specialists in Olympic classes, monotypes, IRC and ORC offshore racing on the vintage sail circuit, sailors and designers. But not only that. Every owner knows that the boat has a soul. So, we said to ourselves, why not treat it as a person? We also created two ad hoc categories related to both offshore and classic winning boats.

HOW IT WORKS.
These days we are presenting to you, category by category, the candidates we selected. Mind you that the categories are only indicative, because this will be a real “cauldron” in which the rule of “all against all” will apply: once the submission of nominations is over, we will go to the votes, and it will be you, with your preference expressed on our site, who will make the subsequent skimming. From 100 there will be 50 left, from 50 25, and so on, until you identify the shortlist of hopefuls whom you can meet in person at the TAG Heuer VELAFestival and among whom a quality jury, made up of the best journalists and sailing professionals, will decide (also taking into account the number of votes you cast) the winner of the TAG Heuer Sailor of the Year 2015.

KNOW IN DETAIL THE CANDIDATES ALREADY SUBMITTED

1- IRC/ORC WINNING OWNERS,
2- THE MARINERS
3- THE DERIVISTS
4- THE WINNING OFFSHORE BOATS
5- THE WINNING VINTAGE BOATS

CANDIDATES ON THE CATWALK – THE DESIGNERS

ROBERTO BISCONTINI
After years and years dedicated to the America’s Cup, designer Roberto Biscontini (owner of Biscontini Yacht Design) has returned to the production boat market by signing the new Advanced A44.

ROBERTO BOSI
Roberto Bosi, an architect who heads Inoxsail, a young startup within the Milan Polytechnic, has invented Phinna: that is, an active drift fin, which hydrodynamically changes its profile and adapts to the flow of water. So much for those who say that nothing is being done in Italy.

GIOVANNI CECCARELLI
Ceccarelli embarked on an innovative and original project: that of the Neo 400, modeled from the sail plan studied by Paolo Semeraro of Banks Sailing. A successful project, judging by the boat’s result at the last Rolex Middle Sea Race: third place overall!

MAURIZIO COSSUTTI
Maurizio Cossutti juggled Racer and Cruiser Racer last year: the Italia Yachts,15.98 (whose engineering he oversaw) as well as the competitive Salona Next 37 took to the water.

UMBERTO FELCI
Even in 2014 (the year in which he celebrated his 50th birthday) Umberto Felci confirmed himself as a champion in pliability, alternating between pure racer projects (such as the Ice 33 Mataran MK3) and production boats (such as the Dufour 382 and 560 GL).

NAUTA DESIGN
Nauta is the only Italian firm capable of carelessly going from 35-foot production boats to megayachts of over 100. Mario Pedol and Massimo Gino are responsible for, among other things, the “transformable” concept of Beneteau’s new Oceanis range.

MATTEO POLLI
Matteo Polli, Chief Designer of Italia Yachts, knows how to make the boats he designs run. From 2014 are the Italia Yachts 15.98 and the fast cruiser-racer Low Noise 2 (the first Italia 9.98 off-roader) commissioned by Giuseppe Giuffré (for whom Polli also optimized the M37 Low Noise), which was immediately a winner in the first races it faced.

TONI PUNZIO / ILARIA INDACO
Totally made in Italy is the 625 Sail catamaran, built by the Syracuse shipyard Set Marine and designed by Toni Punzio and Ilenia Indaco: underdeck spaces with an original layout and aggressive hulls make it one of the most interesting boats of 2014. Let us not be told that catamarans are just the stuff of the French!

ALBERTO SIMEONE
Alberto Simeone, father of all Mylius, also designed the innovative 18E35, launched in 2014, a hi-tech Italian pride: the hull is in composite and the rigging in flexible carbon, light, strong but at the same time easy to pick up in the boat’s decommissioning.

THOMAS SPADOLINI
The Italia Yachts 15.98 marks Tommaso Spadolini’s return to the sailing world, moreover in a production boat. The Tuscan architect born in 1957 (specializing in megayachts) was responsible for exterior styling and interior layouts.

THE FULL LIST
While we wait to know the story of each of them in detail and the reasons for our candidacy, here is the list of names (strictly in alphabetical order) of the “magnificent hundred,” men and boats:

Achille Onorato, Alberto Bolzan, Alberto Bona, Alberto Rossi, Alberto Simeone, Alessandro Caldari, Alessandro Di Benedetto, Alice Secco/Martina Galvan, Andrea Fornaro, Andrea Mura, Andrea Pendibene, Angry Red Unitenergy (T-34), Antono Squizzato, Baciottinho (Dufour 34 Performance), Black Bull (J-111), Blu Colombre (First 40.7), Carlo Alberini, Carlo Ciabatti, Carlotta Omari/Francesca Russo Cirillo, Carolina Albano, Cippa Lippa (Cookson 50), Daniele Benedetti, Diego Negri/Sergio Lambertenghi, Duvetica White Goose (Arya 415), Edoardo Lupi, Elena Berta/Giulia Paolillo, Elisabetta Fedele, Energy Solution (ILC26), Ettore Botticini/Lorenzo Gennari, Flavia Tartaglini, Flavio Favini, Francesco Conte, Francesco Marrai, Giancarlo Pedote, Gianclaudio Bassetti, Gianluigi Ugolini/Giulio Zizzari, Gianmarco Planchesteiner, Giorgia Speciale, Giovanni Ceccarelli, Giovanni Soldini, Giulia Alagna, Giulia Conti/Francesca Clapcich, Giuseppe Giuffré, Giuseppe Puttini, Globulo Rosso (Este 31), Guido Miani, Il Moro di Venezia (Maxiyacht IOR, 1975), Joyce Floridia, Lanfranco Cirillo, Latifa (Fife, 1936), Low Noise (M37), Luigi Pavese, Marco Gualandris/Marta Zanetti, Marco Rodolfi/Matteo Auguadro, Margherita Porro/Andrea Francesca Dallora, Marino Quaiat, Mario Pirri, Marta Maggetti, Martino Orombelli, Matteo Miceli, Matteo Polli, Mattia Camboni, Maurizio Cossutti, Michele Benamati, Michele Cittadini, Michele Ivaldi, Michele Zambelli, Milù (Mylius 14E55), Namib (Sangermani, 1967), Neo (Neo 400), Nyala (12 M.S.I., 1938), Paolo Bertuzzi, Patrizio Bertelli, Piero Plato, Pietro Bianchi, Riccardo Andrea Leccese, Roberto Biscontini, Roberto Bosi, Roberto Spata, Roberto Tomasini Grinover, Ruggero Lo Mauro, Samurai (Sangermani, 1962), Sandro Montefusco, Selene (Dehler 44), Silvia Zennaro, Simone Ferrarese, Sirius (New York 32, 1937), Stefano Cherin/Andrea Tesei, Studio Nauta, Tommaso Chieffi, Tommaso Fabbri, Tommaso Spadolini, Toni Punzio, Umberto Felci, Valentina Balbi, Valerio Galati, Vasco Vascotto, Vittorio Bissaro/Silvia Sicouri, Vittorio Gallinaro, Wianno (1932).

DO YOU THINK ANYONE IS MISSING AMONG THE IRC/ORC/ALTURA OWNERS? NO FEAR
If you believe that some other name may be part of the shortlist, please do not hesitate to indicate this by sending an e-mail to speciali@panamaeditore.it, accompanying it with a photo of the candidate of your choice and the reason for the nomination. We will create a special section of “your picks,” and the top vote-getters will have the right to join the nominees.

FIND OUT WHAT THE SAILOR OF THE YEAR IS
FIND OUT WHO WILL BE HONORED
DISCOVER THE DAY OF CHAMPIONS