Farewell Carlo Rolandi: great sailor, executive, gentleman

Sailing loses one of its biggest names: Carlo Rolandi, Honorary President of the Italian Sailing Federation since 1989, passed away peacefully on the night of Friday, Aug. 7, to Saturday, Aug. 8, at his home in Naples.

Born in 1926, Rolandi had turned 94 last July 1; for some time he had been suffering from heart failure that had progressively weakened him. He was lucid to the end, crowning a life that saw him always very active and passionate, always full of ideas, projects and drive, particularly toward “his” world of Sailing. Carlo Rolandi, who lost his beloved wife Laura several years ago, leaves behind his two children Adele and Giggi, six grandchildren and a large number of great-grandchildren, who adored an extraordinary great-grandfather.

Carlo Rolandi was the very story of nearly a century of Italian sport sailing. Having started very young in racing, his passion and skills made him a complete character who left a furrow in the affairs of the sport.

SPORTS CAREER…

From a sporting point of view, Rolandi boasts countless Italian and international titles, has raced with many metric classes and especially with the Star, not disdaining many sailing experiences even on the high seas.

Rolandi participated in as many as 9 Olympics, a record for the sailing world: in London 1948, Helsinki 1952, Melbourne 1956 he was reserve. In Rome 1960 (regattas in Naples) he was starter and bowman for Agostino Straulino on the Star (after winning the Italian and European titles in 1959), touching the podium and finishing 4th. Then two more editions of the Games from reserve: Tokyo (Enoshima) 1964 and Mexico 1968. Then at Los Angeles 1984, Seoul 1988 and Barcelona 1992, he was a member of the International Jury.

He was also a great teacher: he baptized a very young Francesco De Angelis in the 1970s, enlisting him in his crew aboard a fourth-class IOR, a 33-footer designed by Ron Holland.

…AND AS AN EXECUTIVE

Carlo Rolandi’s career as a sports executive is also impressive: he first joined the IVF Federal Council at a very young age in the four-year period 1965-1968 (President Beppe Croce), then the Athletes’ Commissions (1969-1972) and Altomare (1973-1976). He became FIV vice-president in 1977-1980, and then in 1981 became president of the Italian Sailing Federation (Beppe Croce Honorary President), a role he would hold for two four-year terms until 1988.

From 1989 he became FIV Honorary President (President Sergio Gaibisso, and later Carlo Croce and the current Francesco Ettorre), a position he effectively “honored” with an active and present role almost to the last.

From 1987 and until a few years ago, he held important positions in the IYRU (International Yacht Racing Union), then ISAF (International Sailing Federation) and now World Sailing, leaving by personal choice when age no longer allowed him to travel long distances.

Travels that, moreover, he has not missed recently either: in 2016 he flew to Rio de Janeiro, this time not for sailing, but to closely follow and support his nephew Matteo Castaldo, a bronze medal winner in rowing.

Successes and satisfactions were not lacking in his professional life as well: he was an esteemed accountant, and went on to be CEO of the Naples Metro, during the years when the new Secondigliano-Vanvitelli Line 1 was being built.

Surrounded by memories, affection and friendships, Carlo Rolandi lived his last months peacefully, carefully tending one of his most substantial legacies: an extraordinary archive of stories, notes, texts, diaries, documents, photographs and videos on more than 70 years of Italian and world sailing history. A precious legacy that recounts the events, customs, characters, evolutions and values of a sport that has always had tradition as its distinctive element, and of which Carlo Rolandi was a unique and unrepeatable interpreter.

FIV President Francesco Ettorre: “On behalf of the entire Federation, Offices, Employees, National and Peripheral Councillors, Athletes and Technical Staff, up to all the Tesserati, I pay tribute to Carlo Rolandi expressing to the family the condolences and gratitude of all for his life dedicated to Sailing.”

Carlo Rolandi’s funeral will be held in Naples on Sunday, August 9, at 10 a.m. at the basilica of Santa Lucia.

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