SAILOR OF THE YEAR 2016 – We reveal the candidates… from B to C!

Here we go. The time has come again this year to launch the most prestigious award in Italian sailing, given since 1991. The Sailor of the Year is awarded to the one who, based on your preferences (which you can express in the poll on our website, starting January 29), turns out to be the sailor who has most excited you. It will be your votes that will decide who will be part of the shortlist for the final victory (you can also add your favorite to the list, if not found in the “big list”, by sending an email with the cv of who you want to nominate to speciali@panamaeditore.it January 29 to February 4), among which will be unveiled at the 2016 TAG Heuer VELAFestival (May 5 to 8 in Santa Margherita Ligure: info on www.velafestival.com), during the Day of Champions on Friday, May 6, the 2016 TAG Heuer Sailor of the Year.

THE “MAGNIFICENT 100” LIST
Rankings and articles in hand, in the editorial office we made a review of the past season by identifying 100 “nominations” among Italian sailors, distinguishing them into athletes (derivists and specialists in the Olympic classes), owners and sailors (i.e., ocean sailors or those who otherwise showed off their skills in “long sailing”) But not only that. Every owner knows that the boat has a soul. We created a unique category for both offshore and classic winning boats. The categories are indicative: the challenge is all against all! We will present to you, ten at a time for ten days all 100 candidates (in strict alphabetical order), whom you will be able to vote for on our website, let us remind you, starting January 29. Let’s find out the second 10, and at the bottom you will instead find the outline of how the 2016 TAG Heuer Sailor of the Year works.

SECOND ROUND – FROM BRUNI… A CHIEFFI

FRANCESCO BRUNI (Athlete)
Francesco Bruni, once his dream of competing in the 2017 America’s Cup with Luna Rossa faded, did not lose heart and was immediately able to relaunch himself by winning the Melges 32 World Championship with Stig’s team in August. Soon after, he joined the Swedish Artemis syndicate with which he will compete in the America’s Cup. Always at the top, the good Checco.

FEDERICO BUDRONI / CHIARA BEGHETTI (Athletes)
You never hear much about the Hobie Cat 16 class: too bad, because internationally it is one of the most popular and rich participants. Federico Budroni and Chiara Beghetti are excellent catamaran performers: at the U21 European Championships they won the bronze medal.

ALESSANDRO BURZI (Owner)
Alessandro Burzi (pictured, wearing the red jersey), owner of the Este 31 Globulo Rosso, scored a hat trick in 2015: Italian Offshore Class 4 Champion and Uvai Owner of the Year, also in Class 4. Not bad considering the boat is from 1996!

MATTIA CAMBONI (Athlete)
As of today, the Lazio athlete seems to be the closest candidate to punch his ticket to the Rio Olympics RS:X class. A beautiful story his, made of sacrifices and marked by the deep friendship with his direct rival Daniele Benedetti. Italy has not shined in the men’s board for a long time, but Mattia may indeed prove to be a surprise: in the last two years, he has hardly ever fallen out of the top 10 in the ISAF ranking. Who knows, maybe in Brazil he will make a “splash.”

CIRCOLO CANOTTIERI ROGGERO DI LAURIA (Athletes)
At the “zero” event of the newly formed Italian Sailing Champions League (at the RYCC Savoia in Naples: 45 tight races in three days aboard the Este 24s) the boys from Circolo Canottieri Roggero di Lauria took victory, placing them at the top of the national club rankings. In addition to Gabriele Bruni, the crew included Matteo Ivaldi at the helm, Filippo La Mantia, Giuseppe Angilella and Giuseppe Leonardi).

MATTEO CAPURRO / MATTEO PUPPO (Athletes)
An excellent result was achieved by the Yacht Club Italiano’s Capurro and Puppo: the “two Mattei” (as they are known in the environment) won the 2015 Junior European title in Bourgas, Bulgaria. There is plenty of time to mature and pick up Gabrio Zandoná’s legacy. The prerequisites are all there.

FEDERICA CATTAROZZI (Athlete)
What a banner season for Federica Cattarozzi! The woman from Trentino on the strength of Circolo Vela Torbole in 2015 won the European Under 16 and Under 18 Laser 4.7 Championships, and not content she also went on to win silver at the Under 16 World Championships.

ALESSANDRO CESARINI / DIANA ROGGE (Athletes)
Alessandro Cesarini and Diana Rogge also proved they have a way with catamarans: in Gargnano, on Lake Garda, the two Tarquinia-born men took silver at the European Under 21 Hobie Cat 26 Spi. There is an Italy that wins on multihulls. Chapeau.

STEFANO CHIAROTTI (Owner)
That the Jeanneau Sunfast 3600 is a competitive boat is now an established fact. Aboard Lunatika Stefano Chiarotti (pictured, left) was the undisputed star of the doubles racing season, winning the title of Italian Offshore X2 Champion after winning races such as the Giraglia x 2, the Roma x 2 and the Lunga Bolina. Not surprisingly, also third in the overall ranking!

TOMMASO CHIEFFI (Athlete).
Class is not water. And, year after year, Tommaso Chieffi proves it. Investing in a professional like him on board is never wrong: in 2015 the Russian hull Bronenosec, with the Tuscan sailor as tactician and a stellar crew, was confirmed as the undisputed winner, for the third consecutive year, of the Gazprom Swan 60 World Championship.

HERE IS THE LINK TO THE FIRST ROUND – FROM ALBERINI… TO BOLZAN


HOW THE 2016 SAILOR OF THE YEAR VOTING WORKS

On Friday, May 6, at 7 p.m., the Sailor of the Year award ceremony will take place at the VELAFestival in Santa Margherita Ligure (Genoa) during the Evening of Champions. But how does one come to award the most prestigious prize in Italian sailing? With a long and “hard” online selection process where your input is crucial. We explain it in detail, step by step.

– FIRST STAGE (WINNING VOTE) – FROM 100 to 52 CANDIDATES.
– 100 CANDIDATES to vote online on our website from Jan. 29 to Feb. 16
– 20 CANDIDATES INDICATED BY YOU (you can send us names and motivation from Jan. 29 to Feb. 4) voted online from Feb. 5 to Feb. 16
– The 50 most voted and the 2 most voted among those indicated by you pass the round
– SECOND STAGE (WINNING VOTE) – 52 to 25 CANDIDATES.
– 52 CANDIDATES to vote online from March 4 to 15
– The 25 highest vote-getters pass the round
– THIRD STAGE (CONSULTATIVE VOTE) – 25 to 5 CANDIDATES.
– 25 CANDIDATES to vote online from March 31 to April 15. The online public vote has advisory value: taking into account your preferences, a jury selects the 5 who pass the round
– FOURTH PHASE – CHOOSING THE SAILOR OF THE YEAR (AND OTHER AWARDS)
-THE 5 CANDIDATES make up the shortlist of “papabili” for Sailor of the Year. These will compete, based on the jury’s decisions, for the Sailor of the Year award and the others: TAG Heuer Sailor of the Year “Passion,” TAG Heuer Sailor of the Year “Innovation,” and TAG Heuer Sailor of the Year “Performance.”

FIND OUT WHAT IS SAILOR OF THE YEAR