“Because I am worth it.” In defense of bowmen around the world.

Prodieri read here. A few days ago we received in the editorial office a letter from an “old, very old reader,” as he calls himself, Sergio Trani: to many of you the surname will not sound new. That’s right, he is the father of Andrea Trani (pictured above by Fabio Taccola), a very strong bowman for Gabrio Zandonà, together with whom he won the World title in 2003. For that great achievement (only the Chieffi brothers had managed it 18 years earlier) Gabrio was awarded Sailor of the Year 2004, but, Sergio writes, “if Gabrio Zandonà won a world championship, so did Andrea, who in his time for the Sailor of the Year award was forgotten. That recognition certainly awaited Andrea as well, as you rightly awarded Nacra crew Vittorio Bissaro and Silvia Sicouri in 2015 for their achievements.”

You are right, dear Sergio. Zandoná himself, at the award ceremony, paid tribute to his son Andrea: “If I’m here it’s half thanks to him, he deserves the golden trapeze.” Because the bowman counts, at least as much as the helmsman.

EVERYONE IS EQUAL, BUT SOME ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS?
Periodically the issue of unequal treatment of coxswains and bowmen pops up: last time in 2015, when the bowwoman of the great Argentine sailor Santiago Lange, Cecilia Carranza Saroli, had decided to protest the decision of the former ISAF (now World Sailing) not to allow her to compete in Weymouth because Lange was and was not able to compete in the regatta. The rules of the International Sailing Federation did not allow coxswains to be replaced if necessary, while the bowman could be changed safely: implied, therefore, that the ranking points valid for access to the World Cup circuit related only to the coxswain without considering who was on the bow. At the time it was bowmen’s insurrection. Rightly so.

THE IMPORTANCE OF “NON-TIMERS”
But let’s leave regatta regulations alone for a moment. Reading on some forums, there are those who still regard the bowman as an “athletic mass” at the orders of the more experienced helmsman, citing cases of rugby players and gymnasts “hired” as grinders in the America’s Cup. Nothing could be more wrong: Just think of the recent cases of Francesca Russo Cirillo, who has won two 420 world championships, one as bow and one at the helm, and Benedetta Di Salle, a 420 rainbow winner as bowwoman and Juniores 470 winner at the helm. Or Angelo Glisoni, Giorgio Zuccoli’s bowman who as a coach just won an Olympic bronze medal. And the list could go on and on. As they said in their time. Vittorio Bissaro and Silvia Sicouri: “The roles of helmsman and bowman on board are well defined and distinct, but inseparable from each other; strong crew are those who can find balance in the dynamics at sea and ashore, respect and trust in their partner’s abilities are essential to cross the finish line and have fun doing it“. Even in offshore sailing: helmsman and bowman, drizzler, navigator, tactician, tailer, are all cogs in the same mechanism and contribute to making the complex machine that is a sailboat crew work at its best. Regardless of its position, if a gear breaks, the machine no longer works.

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