Passion, sacrifice, sweat. This is the real sail

We do a lot of “wittering” about the America’s Cup, Volvo, Maxi racing… but then images like this are enough to remind us what Sailing is, the one with a capital “V”. It all starts here, in the Olympic and dinghy classes, where technique and physique mix with adrenaline. Where you can’t keep your eyes open for salt and where at the slightest mistake you are in the water and your race is as good as over.Where you prepare for an Olympics for four years by shedding tears and blood and if the wind blows just a few meters from the finish line in the medal race you see your medal fade away.

A WORLD OF SACRIFICE AND SWEAT
The photo above was taken by Jesus Renedo in Hyères, France, where the ISAF World Cup was held, and depicts the hapless crew of a 49er that made a spectacular scull in 30 knots of mistral. It was one of many “tumbles” within the first day of regattas. Let’ s hope that the upcoming Rio Olympics, where our athletes come with good hopes of doing well, will serve to focus attention on this world of passion, sacrifice and sweat, which is often forgotten by the media.

NO MONEY, NO VISIBILITY
Forgotten because athletes have no time or money to take care of their image: It happens not infrequently, for example, that an event reserved for a small number of maxi yachts, whose organization relies on an efficient press office, overshadows in terms of visibility an Olympic event, where the sporting value, let me tell you, is not sullied by other factors. The one who makes the fewest mistakes wins, not the one who has the boat optimized to the highest standard by rating gurus, or the one who can afford a crew of pricey superstars. What is the sail we want? Before responding, look carefully at the picture above. Yes, that’s exactly it. The heart-pounding one of the Olympic classes.

Eugene Ruocco

leggi anche

Grand Soleil Cup 2025 stops on the Adriatic: here’s how it went in Portopiccolo