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

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 third 10, and at the bottom you will instead find the outline of how the 2016 TAG Heuer Sailor of the Year works.

THIRD ROUND – FROM CHISTE’… A DI VINCENZO

LEONARDO CHISTE’ (Athlete)
The world of new dinghies is teeming with promising youngsters: one of them is Leonardo Chisté, a specialist in the 29er class (he won the tricolor title with partner Federico Zampiccoli): he demonstrated his versatility by winning bronze at the European O’pen Bic Championships.

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LAST MINUTE Last hours to report your Sailor of the Year!!!

CARLO CIABATTI (Athlete)
Carlo Ciabatti from Cagliari is a regular on these pages: he was also among the candidates last year by virtue of his placings on the Techno 293. He switched classes, but the results were not long in coming: he finished third at the European Youth Championships in Mondello (Palermo, Italy) and at the EUROSAF Youth in Brest (France), firmly placing himself among the world’s sailing elite.

DUCCIO COLOMBI (Athlete)
Every team needs a good team manager: those at Low Noise 2, Giuseppe Giuffré’s Italy 9.98, have found him in Duccio Colombi. Duccio led the crew to win two consecutive ORC World Championship titles. Not content, as tactician on the Cookson 50 Cippa Lippa won the 151 Miglia in ORC Overall.

ALESSANDRO COMUZZI (Designer)
Young and clear-minded designer. He was born in Udine in 1982 and graduated in architecture from the University Institute of Architecture in Venice with a thesis in Yacht Design (MYDA 2013 winner).Last year, with his Parigi 30, he believed in a “difficult” boat such as the daysailer, dictating a new design philosophy that is paying off.

GIULIA CONTI / FRANCESCA CLAPCICH (Athletes)
The two girls are coming off one of the greatest seasons in history as far as Italian Olympic classes are concerned. On the 49er FX, they made the “hat trick”: World, European and Italian titles. Who stops them anymore? By their own admission, they are going to Rio to win.

FRANCIS DE ANGELIS (Athlete)
The Neapolitan yachtsman turned in a fine performance at the Rolex Middle Sea Race, the “Fastnet of our seas”: aboard Michele Galli’s TP52 B2, he won in IRC after a duel to the death with fellow citizen Vincenzo Onorato on the Cookson 50 Mascalzone Latino.

VINCENZO DE BLASIO (Owner)
The UVAI Overall and Class 3 Owner of the Year titles went to Vincenzo De Blasio of Naples, aboard his faithful NM38 Scugnizza, which has won so much in recent years (in addition to having two Offshore World Championships in his bag, this is the fourth time De Blasio has won the title). De Blasio is certainly one of the most successful shipowners in Italy

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In your opinion, who should win the Sailor of the Year? Keep reporting your favorites to us!

BENEDETTA DI SALLE / ALESSANDRA DUBBINI (Athletes)
These two girls have all eyes on them after they won in Thessaloniki, Greece, the Women’s 470 World Youth title. Olympic hopes? For both of them, sailing is a family affair-Benedetta is a daughter of the family. His father Roberto won the world championships in the 420 class in 1979 in Setubal, Portugal, paired with Roberto Vassallo. Alessandra also comes from a family of very strong sailors, especially on the 470.

LUCA DI TOMASSI (Athlete)
Further confirming how sailboarding, after Alessandra Sensini’s entry into the federation, is experiencing a new golden age, is Luca Di Tomassi’s excellent third place at the Under 17 RS:X World Championship in Poland (a bronze laden with regrets since Luca also led the standings).

GIOVANNI DI VINCENZO (Owner)
Giovanni di Vincenzo, aboard his X-41 Lisa, became Italian Offshore Champion in Class 1 thanks to his many achievements throughout the season. Out of them all stands out the excellent performance at the 151 Miglia, where Lisa placed third overall winning the ORC 1 classification.

HERE IS THE LINK TO THE SECOND ROUND – FROM BRUNI… TO CHIEFFI


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