“Show up, I’m ready for a Figaro.” D’Alì’s response to anonymous letter from marketing expert

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Hundreds of comments on social media, particularly on the Velisti in Facebook group, the sharp opinion on the world of Italian ocean sailing (Read it HERE), by one very particular reader, made no small noise. So much so that it inconvenienced one of the sailors who was a protagonist of important, historical pages of Italian sailing. We are talking about Pietro D’Alì, the Fox of Tigullio, in our opinion one of the unquestionably most technical sailors on the local scene. The gist of the letter is unapologetic: many Italian ocean sailors who complain about the lack of sponsors are not good enough, and in general a part of our sailing movement is “sick” of some underlying vices.

Peter wrote us a long commentary, which we reproduce in full below, where he agrees with some of the points in the letter, although he disagrees with its anonymity, and recounts his experience. D’Alì, in addition to having participated in two America’s Cups by winning a Louis Vuitton Cup with Luna Rossa, is the only Italian to have won a leg of the Solitaire du Figaro, the iconic regatta reserved for the top of the course au large, but in his palmares there are several Italian titles between Olympic and offshore classes, and a European title with the legendary Star, as well as a participation in the Olympics always in the same class.

We admit that with Peter we are definitely biased but, in reference to the anonymous letter, to our boot if there is one skipper among those currently hunting for sponsors on the Italian scene who deserves support this is in our opinion D’Alì. Here is his response to the anonymous:

Don’t write anonymous letters, put your face on it otherwise your truth that I partly share is less credible. In my own skin, I had another experience. I always chose competitive classes with tough opponents to beat…. 470, Star, Figaro. When you get to the top step in these classes even once, the satisfaction is enormous and so is the effort….I tried to bring results, before asking, arrived most of the time with inferior means to my opponents…. I always wanted to get there on merit…. But it rarely works-or I should be an extraterrestrial who doesn’t miss a regatta, a gift very few have.
I came to Solitaire at age 42 in 2005 after a whitbread (former volvo ocean race), two America’s Cups with Luna Rossa and the Olympics.
Thanks to Mauro Piani who ran the figaro Nanni diesel I had the opportunity for two years to race in the circuit with a salary, boat, sails, shore team provided by Nanni diesel.
We showed up with humility and had a resounding success vicenda the second stage, leading the general classification until the last stage.
The sponsor got front-page place in newspapers in France for the victory.
In 2006 victory at Ag2r and second at Generali Solo.
I had all the sports and media results to aspire to the Open 60….. We did not find fertile ground.
I bought privately with a loan a figaro to continue…..sponsorsreal nothing… I spent most of my time racing other boats to support family and boat leasing, my business reduced to just Solitaire…
The living expenses of the regatta were borne by the YCI (Italian Yacht Club) and partly by sponsors referring to the club.
My disappointment after results obtained and learning from the regatta organization that I was among the most telecharge skippers in the fleet thanks to followers in Italy, I found out that it was all for naught, many sponsors were interested in overbilling or return of a portion, a practice that I think is gone, to which I never subjected myself. When I found the correct sponsor it was because of my closeness to the owner of the company and my supporter had also told me that the sponsorship was not related to the result and he was more concerned that I would not get hurt in the boat. Too bad it lasted only one season….
On meritocracy, Italy historically does not rank first. Surely things change and you anonymous sailor working for a multinational company’s communications and reviewing the requests of Italian solitaries, I still feel strong enough to jump on a Figaro and clash again with my emblazoned French peers who don’t quit and this year have returned to the circuit en masse…
It will be interesting to see the old foxes against the very strong young ones….
I’m rooting for Alberto I think a mid-range result is already an achievement as a first solitaire…. Show up…

Peter D’Alì

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