Contrordination, Italy wins a gold at the sailing Olympics. But for Croatia

“The budget I had to win Olympic gold in the 470? One hundred thirty-five thousand euros a year (135,000!) that came from the 45,000 from the sponsor D Marine (pool of Mediterranean marinas), 90,000 euros from the boys’ club and the Croatian Federation.”

GOLDEN COACH
He is Italian coach Andrea Mannini, the man who won Croatia a gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics in the 470 class (with Sime Fantela and Igor Marenic) who tells us how a federation that practically does not exist, “a small office with two people,” succeeded in the feat while the mighty Italian federation for the umpteenth time achieved the goal of “zero tituli.” For the record, Croatia also took another medal, the silver medal in the men’s Laser class (with Tonci Stipanovic).

WINNING METHOD
So we went to visit Mannini in his lair, at the Zaoli sailery in Marina degli Aregai, a few kilometers from San Remo, his hometown. Informal environment, today (Sept. 2) there are French and Roman guys who are there to get advice from Mannini and carry out tests on the new carbon masts of which (perhaps) the world federation (World Sailing headed by the current president of the Italian sailing federation Carlo Croce) will perhaps allow the use, until now, anachronistically, forbidden. Mannini’s method is successful. It is not only demonstrated by this victory: at the previous London 2012 Olympics he had also led the Argentines to win the bronze medal.

OUR INTERVIEW
So Andrea, tell us how you and your boys managed to bring home Olympic gold. Is there a secret?
“No secrets, lots of work, method, passion. Since 2013 we have been on the water for 200 days a year. Every sacrosanct day briefings, continuous tests of speed and reproduction of racing conditions. A trivial example. I used to teach the helmsman to stay turned toward the stern, because that’s how you sail in regattas, especially in Rio, where the sides are 0.4 miles. He would have to get used to this posture. Besides, we built a 10-nation team that worked together for three years.”

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Stop, have you worked for years sharing information with your opponents?
“Of course, the Zaoli sailmaker, whose sail designer I am, provided space, personnel, support at sea and ashore to the 470 guys from Brazil, Israel, Turkey, France, Germany, Spain, the U.S., Japan…we will have done, especially winter months 18 to 20 joint training stages of 10 days at a time. During those times we shared information, adjustments. We modified sails, changed trim in search of maximum speed. The big advantage was that almost everyone used all or part of the Zaoli sail set, 35 percent at the Olympics used our sails.”

But weren’t the Italians there?
“No, we only saw them once. They were training alone in Cagliari.”

But the Croatian 470 team consisted of how many elements?
“Yourself and Fantela’s dad, who had been their first coach. We shared a physiotherapist with the 49er people, and at the Olympics we had a Rule Advisor for the whole team intended for protests as well.”

Is that enough?
“I forgot the two boys, Sime Fantela and Igor Marenic.”

How many boats have you used?
“Two, the others at least 5. When we went to Brazil we used the spare boat of Brazilian friends. As an exchange of reciprocity, we would sleep at their parents’ house in Rio where we have been 12 times over the past 3 years. Our local handyman, to learn about Guanabara Bay which is very treacherous…we gleaned the information from the father of one of the Carioca boys.”

But what about the sails?
“We didn’t skimp, of course thanks to the Zaoli sailmaker. Eleven test spi and lots of mainsails and jibs, practically new at every regatta. Each time we went faster, sharing improvements with the other teams.”

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But at a certain time, each on his own way?
“Yes, since April 2016, we basically stopped sharing preparation.”

Any psychology experts?
“The boys had some sessions with a mental coach who came from the basketball world. He eventually gave me information about the boys’ character.”

We go out with Andrea from the sailmaker, the Roman and French guys are waiting for him to try the 470s with the carbon mast. They hang on his lips, he smiles and takes them to eat a plate of Ligurian pansoti. Then, you go out to sea, it will be serious. Speed and pressure on the boys. Bureaucracy and controversy are far behind. Even though we are in Italy.

Luca Oriani