Captain | 10
QUALIFYING SERIES | MAY-JULY 2022 | Switzerland 
FINAL SERIES | NOV-DEC 2023 | Spain 
THE GLADIATORS
ON THE SEA LIKE IN THE ARENA
INVINCIBLE WHEN BATTLING UNDER THE SAME FLAG
A long tradition in monohull, fleet, team racing: the Italian team lacks no experience on board and will show it on the first SSL Gold Cup battlefield, in which they plan to race until the very last regatta, the final. From stern to bow the key roles are solid and so is the fellowship of the crew. Both the most experienced sailors and the young guns, who’ve just stepped in from the Olympic classes, have known and respected each other’s, all driven by one goal: to be the best sailing nation in the world. When Italians sail under the same flag success is around the corner.
It was there to see back in the days of the America’s Cup golden age with Il Moro di Venezia, Louis Vuitton Cup winner in 1992 in San Diego, moving to the other AC Challengers’ Series winner, the first Luna Rossa campaign, victorious in Auckland ; to the “new” Azzurra, the only team capable of defeating the almighty Team New Zealand at one of the Louis Vuitton trophies in 2009. The Azzurri will be joining forces once again at the SSL Gold Cup to strike a new win as a Nation.
Statistics
THE COUNTRY
- 2’000’000 nautical passionate
- 100’000 sailors
- 750 sailing clubs
- 450 sailing schools
- 10’000 km of sea coast
ACHIEVEMENTS
- 3 Olympic Gold Medal
- 3 Olympic Silver Medals
- 8 Olympic Bronze Medals
- 2 wins in Louis Vuitton Cup
SSL Ranking
- SSL best ranked woman: 142 Jana Germani
- SSL best ranked man: 2 Ruggero Tita
- SSL nations ranking: 7 (07/2020)
MAIN EVENTS
- Barcolana > 1980 participants
- Opti Riva > 4000 participants
25
No one in international sailing has won more World Championship titles in all kinds of different than the Italian Team Captain Vasco Vascotto.
The captain
VASCO VASCOTTO
The captain of SSL Team Italy has collected in his successful career nothing less than 30 Sailing World Champion Titles, he is unbeatable in big boat, fleet racing, and makes a difference in every team he steps in: a true leader! Vasco Vascotto was born in the sailing city of Trieste, and carries with him all of the energy of the Bora, the cold wind from the Balkans that struck the bay, and all of the fire you need in order to survive the long winters there.
THE LEADERS
FRANCESCO BRUNI
The eclectic, Checco Bruni with three Olympics in three different classes, one World title in the Laser and five America’s Cup campaigns under his belt, is one of Italy’s best helmsmen. A true master at making the boat go fast and at keeping the crew on its toes at all time, a real fiery Sicilian.
DIEGO NEGRI
He kept the leadership in the SSL Ranking for the longest time, over one year, thanks to his success in the once Olympic double handed keelboat. A four time Olympian, he’s now making his way into professional coaching, Diego Negri will share his strategic knowledge with the Italian team.
MATTEO AUGUADRO
Athletic, nimble and agile, Matteo is a natural born bowman. From the mast up he controls the sails and ropes, always quick in response to any tactical decision; his heart rate is well trained to the ups and downs of his role, and his feet know how to handle the slippery and shaky surface of the huge maxis, in which class he is a two time world champion.
THE YOUTH FACTOR
Italy claims one of the strongest Olympic junior team in the world. Something related to the four time Olympic medalist Alessandra Sensini who is supervising it. In order to be on the boat at the Gold Cup you must be 18, Italy’s three-time Optimist World Champion Marco Gradoni will be old enough to make the team, if he’s better than his challengers in the ranking.
Confirmed Athletes
Potential Team Position
|
1
BOW
Matteo Auguadro
|
2
FLOATER
Diego Negri
|
|
3
PIT
Michele Cannoni
|
4
GRINDER
Umberto Molineris
|
|
5
TRIMMER
Pierluigi De Felice
|
6
TRIMMER
Federico Colaninno
|
|
7
MAIN TRIMMER
Michele Ivaldi
|
8
HELM
Francesco Bruni
|
|
9
TACTICIAN
|
10
CAPTAIN
Vasco Vascotto
|
|
11
FLOATER
Enrico Voltolini
|
|
1
BOW
Matteo Auguadro
|
|
2
FLOATER
Diego Negri
|
|
3
PIT
Michele Cannoni
|
|
4
GRINDER
Umberto Molineris
|
|
5
TRIMMER
Pierluigi De Felice
|
|
6
TRIMMER
Federico Colaninno
|
|
7
MAIN TRIMMER
Michele Ivaldi
|
|
8
HELM
Francesco Bruni
|
|
9
TACTICIAN
|
|
10
CAPTAIN
Vasco Vascotto
|
|
11
FLOATER
Enrico Voltolini
|
SQUAD
| Vasco Vascotto | Michele Cannoni |
| Matteo Auguadro | Diego Negri |
| Vittorio Bissaro | Francesco Bruni |
| Michele Ivaldi | Pierluigi De Felice |
| Umberto Molineris | Federico Colaninno |
| Enrico Voltolini |