Stop voting! Online voting for the 32nd edition of the Sailing Newspaper’s Sailor of the Year has ended at www.velistadellanno.giornaledellavela.com . As always, reader participation is one of the cornerstones of our Award, and again this year you have confirmed your passion with an impressive 20,851 total votes to decide the finalists in each category.
Sailor of the Year 2023 – The First Verdicts
The word now goes to the Journal of Sailing’s Quality Jury, which will decide who will be the winners, and who the Sailor of the Year, among the three finalists in each category(find out below how and when the winners will be announced in Phase 2 of the Awards). Some verdicts, however, have already been issued. The first concerns the Epic Sailor of the Year, a Lifetime Achievement Award that the Giornale della Vela gives every year and which for this edition has been dedicated to Vincenzo Onorato, by virtue of his long sailing passion among monotypes, America’s Cup and offshore sailing, on boats of all kinds.
The other verdict concerns the preferences of the public who awarded the “Most Voted “: the Youtuber Emanuele Malloru who collected an impressive 3840 votes. With 272 thousand followers on his Instagram page, and 283 thousand subscribers to his Youtube channel, he is undoubtedly one of the “content creators” of the moment in the sailing world.
All Finalists
In the Sailor of the Year Category, the one that gives this year’s overall award, the top vote-getter was Alberto Bona with 586 votes, followed by Ambrogio Beccaria with 419 and Cecilia Zorzi with 328 .
Bona and Beccaria were honored by the public for their “crackling” season in Class 40, between Route du Rhum, RORC Caribbean 600 and Defi Atlantique they were always among the protagonists. Cecilia Zorzi on the other hand, currently engaged in The Ocean Race with Austrian Ocean Racing Team Genova, comes from winning the World and European Double-handed Mixed offshore Championships with the Figaro 3 and is a promising “Minista” aiming for the Mini Transat dream.
In the Passion category, where in addition to competitive achievements also counts the taste for enterprise and dreams to be realized, the most voted for was the aforementioned Emanuel Malloru, followed by the pair Deganutti Franco/Vlacich Manuel (2529 votes) who realized their dream of participating in the same year, with the Melges 24 The Italian Job, in the world’s most attended regattas: Bol d’Or, Round the Island, Barcolana. Third place for Alessio Campriani (2028 votes), another “madman” for sailing, who on a 5 m “drift”, modifying a Trident, crossed the Atlantic Ocean solo.
In the Young category, reserved for Under 25 sailors, the podium was an all “Laserists” affair. First Nicolò Cassita with 1650 votes, the ILCA 4 World Champion (formerly Laser 4.7), second Mattia Cesana (1455 votes), two-time ILCA 6 Youth World Champion (formerly Laser Radial). Third in votes, 1308, was Geneva Caracciolo, ILCA 4F World Champion (formerly Laser 4.7).
In the Owner category, reserved for owners who achieve sporting achievements or dream of adventures with their boats, the top vote-getter was Gianluca Grisoli (685 votes), fresh world champion in the monotype of the moment, the RS 21 with his Beyond the Freedom of which he is owner and helmsman, a class on the rise in numbers and fleet level. Second place went to Giovanni Battista Borea d’Olmo (495 votes), winner with his Vistona of Le vele d’Epoca di Imperia in the Aurici 1 category and the Vela Cup Sardegna. Third place for Corrado Annis (392), Winner of the World ORC Corinthian Class C (no professionals) with his Italia 998 LadyDay.
In the Innovation category, which is open to designers and managers who have created innovative projects, the top vote-getter was Grand Soleil project manager Franco Corazza (294 votes), one of the minds behind the new Grand Soleil 72. Second place for the Guelfi/D’angeli pair (261 votes), the designers of Ambrogio Beccaria’s Class 40 Allagrande Pirelli, which amazed everyone at the last Route du Rhum. Third place for Matteo Polli (106 votes), the wizard of ORC boats, where he continues to win in Italy and abroad, and not only that, since he is also the waterline designer of the new Grand Soleil 72.
Stage 2. June 15/16
- In two video installments on our Youtube channel, social media and our website we reveal who are the winners chosen by the Sailing Newspaper jury and interview them for you in an unmissable “vela-talk.”
- Episode 1:
Thursday, June 15, 9 p.m.
. Interview with Passion and Most Voted award winners. Announcement of the winners of the Owner, Young and Innovation awards
Episode 2:
Friday, June 16, 9 p.m.
. Interview with the winner of the Sailor of the Year and Vincenzo Onorato, Epic “lifetime achievement” award.
Support your candidate for Sailor of the Year and win!
We told you that this 32nd edition of the most prestigious award in Italian sailing given by the Giornale della Vela since 1991 is also special for you supporters. In fact, if you send us your “endorsement” (support for a nomination), even after the end of online voting, you can win some great prizes raffled off by Garmin Marine(HERE we explain the prizes and rules).
We remind you that you have two chances to send in your endorsement by June 14:
- By writing an email (signed) with reasons why you should win Sailor of the Year to speciali@panamaeditore.it
- Filming a selfie-style video in which you express endorsement and motivation, posting it on Instagram tagging @jornaledellavela and with the hashtags #velistadellanno or #velistadellanno2023
- The top 7 endorsements, chosen by the Journal of Sailing jury, will be rewarded with two Garmin quatix 7 sailing smartwatches and five state-of-the-art Garmin InReach two-way satellite receivers.
Please note: we will not necessarily choose the endorsements of the candidates who turn out to be winners, or even just the 60 candidates in the race. You can speak out for whomever you want: it will be the manner and transport with which you do so that will make the difference!
The Sailor of the Year 2023 is in collaboration with:
PIRELLI, FROM TIRES TO SAILING. The historic Milanese manufacturer of car, motorcycle and bicycle tires is a global brand recognized for innovation and technology. Also historical passion for various sports, including sailing. A bond that has lasted since the 1970s and continues today aboard “Luna Rossa” in the America’s Cup and “Alla Grande Pirelli” in the solo ocean challenge.
GARMIN MARINE ITALY, A PARADISE FOR YOUR BOAT. The Italian division of the global electronics giant provides you with all of Garmin’s marine products to equip your boat with the latest technology and to always navigate in total safety.
