Sailor of the Year: -2 days to first verdict, shower of endorsements from the public

In a few days we will find out who are the winners of the 2023 edition, 32, of the Sailing Newspaper’s Sailor of the Year: after the public, with 20,851 total votes, chose the three finalists for each category and decided the Most Voted (Youtuber Emmalloru), now the choice of winners passes to the Jury of the Journal of Sailing.

On June 15 at 9 p.m., with the first of two video talk show episodes that you will find on our web, social and YouTube channels, we will reveal the winners of the first categories, with the episode on the 16th we will announce who is the Sailor of the Year 2023.

So we are 2 days away from the first highlight, and in the meantime you can continue to send us your endorsements until June 14 and win prizes raffled off to the public(find out how below).

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.

Rain of endorsements

Here are some of your latest messages in support of the candidates:
Good evening,

I am writing from Australia and Emalloru, or rather Emanuele Malloru has to win as sailor of the year because it is because of him that people like me thought it might be easy and achievable to have a sail. It is also because of him that I sought experience in boating here in Australia. I conclude that no matter how much he pollutes that boat, he seeks and spurs eco-sustainability by recycling as much as possible, a theme that needs to be very much considered.

Greetings
Marco Franzolin

—

Hello, I cast my vote for Francesco Cappuzzo; Francesco I knew about fifteen years ago as his teacher in junior high school, even then it was incredible the perseverance with which he trained and lived sailing though so small, and I believe that the same unwavering will to surpass himself and the achievements he has made, combined with an unquestionable fair play, deserve the title of Sailor of the Year 2023, or at least to compete for said title.

Prof. Marco Pirrotta

—

Alessio Campriani : for genuine passion and demonstration of special determination and ‘indomitable courage if with few means and limited resources. The true spirit of these enterprises !!!

Sante Latorraca

–

Good evening,

My name is Alexander Giay Pron and I am a 13-year-old boy who is passionate about sailing. I live in a small town near Turin, and ever since I was little, the sea has been the center of my interests. I started sailing when I was 9 years old during the summer when I could go to the sea, but this passion has become ingrained in me more and more over the years, also thanks to the instructor I met.

I became interested in ocean sailing 2 years ago when I learned the story of Giancarlo Pedote, an Italian sailor living in France who completed the Vendee Globe in 2020. Solo sailing I think is the finest art in the world, and I say this from experience because I go in lasers.

I have seen a lot of videos about Giancarlo Pedote and other oceanic solo sailors in class 40 such as Ambrogio Beccaria and Alberto Bona. Their stories fascinated me so much. Therefore, for the election of the 2023 Sailor of the Year, I chose to cast my vote for Alberto Bona and Giancarlo Pedote.

Giancarlo Pedote managed to bring Italy back to the vendee globe and put the screws to many French sailors. I love Italy, I think it is a special country, and I was excited to think that people like Bona and Pedote are representing us abroad. Pedote with the flag of Italy on his Prysmian Group shows off his wonderful passion and respect for his beloved Italy.

Instead, I decided to vote for Bona because I have followed all his Class 40 races: the Route de Rhum, La Rorc Caribbean 600, the Defi Atlantique, and now I am following the Cic Normandy Race. Of Bona I love the way he expresses himself mainly through actions rather than words. He doesn’t talk much, but I think he has unique skills in the area of sailing. He proved this at the Rorc Caribbean 600 with his victory. The few words he uses are always precise, curated, and understandable, and I really appreciate that.

I am in the eighth grade and will have to take the exam this year. As the topic of my paper, I chose to talk about the Vendee Globe precisely because of the interest that these two sailors conveyed to me.

I apologize if I’ve gone on too long but unfortunately it’s a fault of mine is all the profs tell me 😅!

Best regards

Alexander Giay Pron

—

Dear editors of The Journal Of Sailing,

I come to you with great enthusiasm to support the candidacy of Emanuele Malloru, who will surely arouse interest and admiration among your readers.

Emanuele has attracted the attention of a wide audience through his engaging and passionate videos in which he shares his adventures at sea. The surprising thing about him is that he bought a boat without having any sailing experience. However, instead of being discouraged by this challenge, he decided to learn from nothing, experimenting, facing mistakes and correcting them on his way. This spirit of resourcefulness and determination are admirable qualities that should be recognized and rewarded.

He has shown remarkable learning and adaptability, overcoming the difficulties encountered along the way. Through his videos, he has shared his experiences, lessons and advice with his audience, becoming a source of inspiration for many aspiring boaters. His sincerity in showing both successes and failures is a sign of authenticity and transparency, qualities that are often lacking in sailing narratives.

In addition to being a successful youtuber, he has established a deep connection with the Italian sailing community. He shared his passion by involving people of different ages and backgrounds. His dedication to spreading the culture of sailing and encouraging others to follow their dreams is commendable.

Recognizing Emanuele as a winner in the field of sailing would be an opportunity for your newspaper to celebrate Italian talent and the courage to pursue a limitless passion. His fascinating story and his commitment to inspiring others make him a worthy candidate for consideration.

Thank you for your attention and interest in this remarkable individual. I am convinced that his story would have a positive impact on the Italian sailing community and would be an additional source of pride for your newspaper.

Sincerely,

Agnes Lanzoni

—

Good morning,

my vote, for the INNOVATION Category of the Sailor of the Year competition, goes to Matteo Polli!!! Matteo, in his still young but intense profession as a planner and designer, has already proven to be a great innovator in the field, ranging from small cabin cruisers to maxis, with functional and above all winning solutions: thus knowing how to find an answer to the classic and atavistic question of how owners would like their ideal boats to be. An attentive connoisseur of ORC trends and regulations, he has been able to optimize even dated and potentially obsolete hulls, bringing them back to prestigious results. In addition, his sensitivity to environmental issues and problems prompted him to participate in the design of the various “Eco” models of the startup Northern Light, a spearhead of national and even international technological and ecological innovation.

Franco Deganutti

–

Hello,

In my opinion the sailor of the year should be Alberto Bona!!! He started a new adventure with a whole new boat and brought home many successes!!! Great Alberto!!!

Greetings

Andrea Spinelli