FLASHNEWS Marco Gradoni is the 2019 World Sailor of the Year!
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No Italian sailor had ever made it in the past decade (since Alessandra Sensini in 2008), and no one in the world had done it at such a young age. Marco Gradoni won the 2019 Rolex World Sailor of the Year award given by World Sailing, the International Sailing Federation, to the world’s best sailor of the past sports season. In defiance of such candidates as Francis Joyon, the old sea dog winner of the Route du Rhum and ocean record-holder on his IDEC trimarans, or Olympic champions like Matt Belcher and Will Ryan. Big party in Bermuda, where the 15-year-old from the Marche region (Roman by adoption) of Tognazzi Marine Village was crowned “king” for his achievements.
His name is already engraved in history: won the Optimist world title three consecutive times, the first sailor to do so. After a fourth-place finish in 2016 (at only 12 years old!), came victory in Thailand in 2017, Cyprus in 2018, and Antigua in 2019, where he had routed 250 participants from over 60 nations.
Here are his first hot lines that appeared on the Tognazzi Marine VIllage website, “I have no words, I first want to thank my mother. He is a special person to me. I want to thank IODA who gave me the opportunity to be here, my friends and the jury who voted for me“.
“It is a dream come true to be sitting here in Bermuda with the best sailors in the world. It is something really extraordinary for me. The list of previous winners are the most famous people in sailing and being with them is incredible, but I know I have to stay focused on my goals because this is important. I am speechless because this is a dream come true. Since 2017,” Marco added. I worked hard and tried to stay focused. Every day I would think about where I needed to improve, study and do things at my best level, and it worked. Now the season starts on the 29er, a doubles boat, and I hope it goes as well as possible.”.
We had interviewed him a short time ago and he confessed, “When I grow up, I want to win the Olympics.” But you, Marco, are already great! And the premises are all there….
OUR INTERVIEW WITH MARCO GRADONI
Here are who the other candidates were (among women, Anne-Marie Rindom won):
MALE CATEGORY
Antoine Albeau (FRA) – PWA World Tour Slalom Champion
Matt Belcher and Will Ryan (AUS) – World, European and Hempel World Cup Series 470 class champions.
Francis Joyon (FRA) – Winner of the Route du Rhum
FEMALE CATEGORY
Delphine Cousin Questel (FRA) – PWA World Tour Slalom Champion
Violeta del Reino (SPA) – Para World Sailing Champion Hansa 303
Anne-Marie Rindom (DAN) – World and European Laser Radial class champion, winner in the women’s field
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