Sailor of the Year: exceeded 7,000 votes! Here’s how the rankings are changing

A veritable boom in votes is taking place in the voting for the Sailing Newspaper’s Sailor of the Year . In the last update we had told you about the 4200 preferences that the 50 nominees had garnered in just a few days, but in the last 48 hours the votes have risen to 7200, confirming that public participation remains one of the keys to the success of the award that the Journal of Sailing has been giving out since 1991. Here is how it is doing in the various categories.

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Sailor of the Year, who’s leading the vote

In the Sailor of the Year category, the one that will award this edition’s overall prize, the balance in the standings has changed. The winner of the Mini Transat 2023, Luca Rosetti, overtook Trieste’s Francesca Clapcich, who is coming off an incredible season where she won the round-the-world crew race at The Ocean Race. A challenge that promises to be compelling in the coming days as well, foreshadowing both as the favorites to enter the finals.

In the Passion category, votes boomed for the Vlacich/Deganutti pair, who for the third year in a row will carry on their “The Grand Tour Sailing,” the original sailing project that sails to the most remote and critical places on Earth to sound an environmental alarm, aboard small Tiwal dinghies. They have passed the 1,000′ vote mark and now seem to be able to aspire to a place among the finalists in their category as well.

In the Young category resounding leap forward by Maddalena Spanu, who pulled ahead of Medea Falcioni. Wing foil is her discipline, and the young Sardinian seems to be perfectly comfortable on the flying board. In the water it is a judgment: in Brazil in 2023 he won his first World Cup.

Among the Owners, a head-to-head match is outlined between Vincenzo Addessi, the owner turns the world around with his Mylius Fra Diavolo, marked narrowly by Marco Trombetti (Owner of the Swan 65 Translated) and the Rusticali/Rossi pair, the specialists of long offshore in the Adriatic with their small 27-foot self-built.

In the Innovation category ahead in the number of votes is Fortunato Moratto, who has been able to create a perfect hub for refitting and upgrading Classic Boats, which are being given a new lease on life at the Marina di Sant’Andrea shipyard. Watch out also, however, for the wizard of fast cruising hulls, Matteo Polli, who seems to be able to aspire to a place among the finalists.

In the Most Voted category, dedicated to our readers’ submissions, Giuseppe Veirana is taking center stage, whose social media outreach efforts to make sailing usable and interesting to as many fans as possible.

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How the Sailor of the Year 2024 works.

There are 50 candidates vying for the most prestigious prize in Italian sailing, awarded by the Giornale della Vela since 1991. Added to these are the 14 nominees from the public in the special “Most Voted” category.

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The nominees, representing the top of Italian sailing, are divided into six categories: Sailor of the Year (those who excited us the most with their accomplishments and achievements in the season), Passion (those who have demonstrated passion to sell and pass on. Cruising, racing, as a coach), Young (young talents under 25), Owner (owners who have achieved the best results or accomplished extraordinary feats), Innovation (planners, designers, innovators of Italian sailing), Most Voted (chosen by the public). A winner already exists: he is Gianni Cariboni, winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award “Epic Sailor of the Year.”

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How to vote

You may cast, upon entering your email, one vote for each category (max 6 votes). The public’s vote is binding. You can vote until May 20 at 12 noon. The top 5 vote-getters in each category advance to the finals. From these, the GdV jury will determine the winners in each category. To find out who they will be, you must come to the Evening of Champions, open to all, scheduled for Saturday, May 25 at the Marina di Cala de’ Medici (where the Tuscan leg of the VELA Cup will also be held), starting at 5:30 p.m.

As for the Most Voted category, the Most Voted wins and will be awarded a beautiful oilskin raffled by our friends at Musto.

We have also gone on too long. It’s time to vote for your favorite! Here is the link to the 2024 Sailor of the Year rules and timeline. Let the challenge begin. Vote, vote, vote!

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