Straulino-Tabarly, let the challenge begin. Vote for the greatest sailor in history!

Here we go. It’s time to choose who, for you, is the greatest sailor in history. That left the two of them, immense. Agostino Straulino, the man who “felt” the wind, Italy’s greatest Olympic sailor and a great sailor, vs. Eric Tabarly, the “god of the waves”, the one who introduced sailing to the French, always one step ahead of others in terms of technology. These are the two holy monsters featured in the final of our poll on who is the myth among myths. You have chosen them, and now we ask you again to vote, to decree the greatest. Even in the newsroom (as you can read in the September issue on newsstands) we ended up with the same names in the finals. And with the same “belly ache” for necessarily having to vote for one instead of the other. Let’s see if you will agree with our choice (which we are not telling you, at least here, so as not to influence you), you have until noon on September 12.

LET’S GO THROUGH THE PROCESS
We started with 30 names (and already there, choosing them was a battle in the editorial office!) that we had you vote on. The best four took part in the “semifinals” (Straulino-Joyon, Tabarly-Moitessier) and now the winners of the latter meet in the challenge of challenges. Below you will find the rules and the super prize up for grabs for those who vote…

CUT THE CHATTER, IT’S YOUR TURN!

THE FINALISTS’ STORIES

1. AGOSTINO STRAULINO
The man who “felt the wind“
One Star Olympic gold and silver, four world titles, ten European. The palmares of Agostino Straulino (born in Mali Lošinj in 1914) are frightening.

The incredible string of European titles won consecutively (eight, from 1949 to 1956, paired with Nico Rode) the world championships and Olympic gold take on even greater value when one considers that Agostino had major vision problems following an accident during a port demining operation. But it was enough for him to “feel” the wind.

In 1961 he was commander of the Corsair II and participated in the Transpacifica, finishing fourth. Famous was his sailing out of Taranto harbor when he was commander of the Amerigo Vespucci in 1965. In 1973 he won the Giraglia and the One Ton Cup in Costa Smeralda at the helm of Ydra. He died in 2004.

Because: Straulino is universally considered the greatest Italian sailor, a man of incredible talent.

2. ERIC TABARLY
He who looked ahead (and left everyone behind)
Tabarly, who was born in Nantes, Brittany, in ’31 and disappeared in the ocean waves off the coast of Wales in 1998 while aboard the Pen Duick, his family boat, is considered by the French to be the greatest sailor ever. Listing his accomplishments is not easy; in 1964 aboard the Pen Duick II he won the Ostar.

Three years later he won, aboard the Pen Duick III (innovative aluminum schooner) all the regattas he entered, including Fastnet and Sydney-Hobart. In ’68 he launched on trimarans, but his adventure aboard the Pen Duick IV crashed into an off-course freighter. With the Pen Duick V he won the solo transpacific from San Francisco to Tokyo. In ’76 the Pen Duick VI won the Transat for the second time. In ’97 aboard an Open 60, Aquitaine Innovation, he won the Transat Jaques Vabre.

Because: Tabarly was the “Miles Davis” of sailing. Always ahead of others, both competitively and technologically. Myth.

DISCOVER ALL 30 SAILING LEGENDS

HOW VOTING WORKS AND WHAT YOU WIN
Let’s see in detail how the challenge is structured:
– ELIMINATORY STAGE (MULTIPLE VOTE – CONCLUDED) – 30 to 4 CANDIDATES.
– 30 CANDIDATES to vote online on our website from August 1 to 31. You will be able to assign your preference to several candidates.
– The 4 candidates with the most votes pass the round.
– SEMIFINALS (SINGLE VOTE – CONCLUDED) – 4 TO 2 CANDIDATES
– 4 CANDIDATES to vote online Sept. 1-5. These will be two tennis-style semifinals, where two candidates (the first and fourth, second and third highest vote-getters in the elimination phase) will be pitted against each other. You will only be able to assign your preference to one of the candidates in each of the two semifinals
– 2 candidates who won the semifinals move on to the round
– FINAL (SINGLE GRADE)
– The 2 FINALIST CANDIDATES to be voted for online from September 6 to 12. You will only be able to assign your preference to one candidate. The most voted will be the greatest sailor in history according to you!
– WIN THE LONGEST GDV SUBSCRIPTION IN HISTORY!
Among all those who, between Aug. 1 and Sept. 12, send an email toindirizzospeciali@panamaeditore.it with the reason why they voted for a candidate, a 30-year subscription to the Journal of Sailing will be drawn!