Giancarlo Pedote honored as “Sailor of the Year” 2016

Today, Friday, May 6, at the TAG Heuer VELAFestival in Santa Margherita Ligure, the “Day of Champions” crowned with the awarding of the “TAG Heuer Sailor of the Year 2016″ was staged. It is the most prestigious award in Italian sailing and has been organized and awarded since 1991 by the historic specialized monthly magazine Il Giornale della Vela. Reserved for the person who emerges as the best Italian sailor (based on a popular poll involving tens of miglaia of voters, from a shortlist of as many as 100 candidates and, subsequently, of the selection of a quality jury from a final shortlist of 5 candidates voted by the public), has in the past been won by the likes of Giovanni Soldini, Francesco De Angelis and Alessandra Sensini. In the last edition to win the “TAG Heuer Sailor of the Year” were, tied, Roberto Tomasini Grinover and the couple Vittorio Bissaro and Silvia Sicouri.
For 2016 to receive the prestigious award was Giancarlo Pedote. The reason? Wherever he goes, he wins. And he is probably the strongest ocean sailor in Italy: suffice it to say that even the FFV (French Federvela) awarded him the prestigious 2015 Trophée des Champions. During the event, known to bethe Oscar of Italian sailing, other important awards were also presented: the “TAG Heuer Performance” was won by. Roberto Lacorte with his boat SuperNikka, triumphant in the Mini Maxi World Championship; the “TAG Heuer Innovation” saw the triumph of. Marcello Persico, head of the most hi-tech shipyard in world sailing; the “TAG Heuer Young” went to Edward Ferraro and Francis Orlando, Under-17 Class 420 world champions; the “TAG Heuer #Don’tCrackUnderPressure” saw the success of Ambrogio Beccaria Balduzzi, a very young and successful sailor; the “VELAFestival Grand Prize” was awarded to Mario Pedol and Massimo Gino of Studio Nauta.