Sport took centre stage this Saturday at the 62nd Genoa International Boat Show

by Confindustria Nautica 25 Sep 2022 08:11 AEST

62nd Genoa International Boat Show © Confindustria Nautica

Olympic sailing was the star of the show today at the Genoa International Boat Show, thanks to the presence of the Italian national team champions at the Eberhard Theatre.

The day kicked off with a lively roundtable organised by Harken, which saw a large audience filling the theatre to see Ruggero Tita and Caterina Marianna Banti, Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medallists in the Nacra 17 class (as well as many other European and World titles). Also on stage were Italian 470 mixed sailors Marco Gradoni and Alessandra Dubbini, Emanuele Cecchini, Harken's Commercial Director, and Vela&Motore Director Alberto Mariotti, who was moderating of the event. The topics tackled were interesting and unconventional, providing unprecedented insight into the lives of sea champions, top athletes of a fast-rising movement.

This morning, at 11:00 am, the hundreds of boats registered for the Iren Millevele set sail from Genoa's marinas to head towards the starting line located in the stretch of water in front of the Lido d'Albaro, to prepare for the start. After 1h37m58s of racing, the first to cross the finish line in real time was Adelio Frixione's X35 Imxtinente, among the young sailors of the Yellow group. The first in real time in the other categories were respectively: for the Green group the proto ELO II of the Italian Yacht Club with Tommaso Chieffi at the helm, and Itacentodue with Adriano Calvini of the Italian Yacht Club.

Eberhard & Co. is time and time is deeply connected to sport, where the winner is whoever is fastest on the stopwatch. This is why the Italian watchmaker chose to bring two swimmers, Nicolò Martinenghi, world swimming champion, and Novella Calligaris, former swimmer and three-time Olympic medallist, this time as a journalist and presenter, to the world-class stage that is the Genoa International Boat Show, of which it is a sponsor, giving the name to the Teatro del Mare (Sea Theatre). Eberhard & Co., the official timekeeper of the 62nd Genoa International Boat Show, has always been close to the yachting world, with a number of products created over the last century linked to sailing and the sea; almost forty years ago it was the official timekeeper of Azzurra, the Italian challenger to the America's Cup in 1983. "Time is a constant part of my life," commented world champion swimmer Nicolò Martinenghi as a side note during conference. "Not only in the pool but also in the organisation of my day. And here I feel at home, in my environment, water and time! The yachting world has blown me away, it is so vast, so fascinating, there are so many things to discover and I really want to get closer to it. I feel more attracted to motors, I already struggle enough in my everyday life..."

The sea and the joy of reading, a successful combination that never disappoints. Three different books were presented in the afternoon at the Italian Sailing Federation stand, in an event moderated by Saily.it journalist Fabio Colivicchi. Heading the event were athletes Ruggero Tita with the book "Foil: formazione, successi e progetti del timoniere medaglia d'oro a Tokyo 2020" ("Foiling: training, victories and projects of the Tokyo 2020 gold medallist helmsman"), Giancarlo Pedote, involved in the Vendée Globe Challenge, the round-the-world non-stop solo sailing race, with the book "L'anima dell'oceano, i miei 80 giorni al Globe" ("The soul of the ocean, my 80 days round the Globe"), and Davide Tizzano, former Italian rower and Olympic champion and member of the Moro di Venezia crew, with the book "L'ottimismo della volontà" ("The optimism of willpower").

Staying with the Italian Sailing Federation, today also saw the final of the E-Sailing Championship, a virtual sailing tournament gaining more and more success, especially among younger generations. There was also a panel dedicated to the Federation Sailing Schools in 2022 with Antonietta De Falco, the Sailing School sector referent in the Federal Council, and an event dedicated to the Para Sailing Academy, with the presence of Filippo Maretti, the federal technician at the helm of the sector.

Tomorrow's events - Sunday 25th September

Blue Pavilion