ROME (ITALPRESS) – The balance sheet of the four-year Olympic period for the Italian Sailing Federation, now in the archives after the Paris 2024 Games, is “extremely positive, not only for the absolute result of the Olympics and the two gold medals, with the only Italian title, that of Tita and Banti in the Nacra 17, repeated after Tokyo, but also for the outstanding performance of the entire Italian team. The trip to Marseille (where the Olympic races were held, ed.) for Italian sailing was incredible, with so many young people coming through and so many placings close to the podium that give us hope for the path to Los Angeles 2028.” Speaking, in an interview in the Rome office of the Italpress news agency, is FIV president Francesco Ettorre, fresh from a ‘hot’ summer that reaffirmed the strength of tricolor sailing. “So many young people are approaching our sport, emulation and personalities are important,” added the Abruzzese executive, a candidate for a third term as federal president at the FIV Election Assembly next Dec. 14. “The fact that we have athletes who win international medals is a spur, as is the Americàs Cup, which has helped us so much in spreading the message. Very extreme and spectacular sailing that has interested so many media and this has been good for our movement.” So many young people are approaching a sport that is not to be considered elitist or more expensive than others: “Thanks to the great support of the clubs, the approach phase of sailing has easier access. Today, a 7-8 day sailing course costs no more than that of another sport. It’s obvious that then there are means, boat, transfers, but this is common in other sports as well… The numbers prove us right, they are increasing even in the youth part and this means that the movement is healthy and in great growth in the last 7-8 years. This means hope for the future and awareness that the work done in recent years, both for the team and for the sailing school world, is working.” Ettorre then dwells on the increasingly close relationship between sailing and the Paralympic world: “Our flagship are the Para sailing Academy, a zero-cost project that has been going around Italy for three years, and the Foil Academy, in agreement with Luna Rossa. Sailing after Rio has exited the Paralympics but this has not held us back; on the contrary, it has given us an extra stimulus to create a project even while waiting to re-enter the Paralympic world. Now it is important to have so many young people coming up, to offer so many opportunities and a truly inclusive sailing.” Returning to a genuine media and sports phenomenon like the Americàs Cup, New Zealand has just won its third edition in a row and Luna Rossa has once again made the many Italian fans dream. Many dream that sooner or later this trophy will also land in Italy: “It is the hope of all fans, of those who love this sport and the oldest competition in the world. It’s very difficult to be able to win it, even the British saw it in the final (with Ineos, ed.), but hope is always there thanks to Patrizio Bertelli and the whole Luna Rossa team that for years has been offering so many young people an opportunity this year even more, because the Women and Youth titles were won. And this gives the dimension of what the Italian sailing movement is: on those boats there were all athletes who come from our teams, from the youth world or even from the Olympic classes, in a natural path that brings young people to what is the oldest competition. Everyone’s dream is to see it one day in Italy,” Ettorre concluded, “but we have to understand the difficulty of getting to win a trophy like that.”-Photo Italpress -(ITALPRESS).
