Panathlon’s ‘Sailor of 2000′ Award Promotes Young Italian Sailors’ Development
The Panathlon International del Garda, during an evening organized at the Hotel Casa Mia in honor of Veronese sailors Claudio “Ciccio” Celon and Carlo Dino “Sella” Bonetti—who were part of the “Luna Rossa” crew in the latest edition of the America’s Cup—introduced an interesting initiative aimed at young sailors.
This is the project “The Sailor of 2000,” a prize reserved for boys competing in the Optimist class. The uniqueness of this initiative lies in the fact that it considers not only sporting results but also academic performance and the behavior of the young athletes, both on and off the racecourse, which should reflect the highest standards of fair play.
Details of the initiative
The Panathlon, in collaboration with Fraglia vela Peschiera, Centro nautico Bardolino, Lega navale italiana di Garda, Yachting club Torri, Circolo nautico Brenzone, Yacht club Acquafresca, Fraglia vela Malcesine, and Compagnia delle Derive will award, at the end of the season, to the top-ranked athletes in the categories Cadetti Female (1989-1992), Cadetti Male (1989-1992), Juniores Female (1985-1988), and Juniores Male (1985-1988), the recognition “The Sailor of 2000,” which consists of a diploma of merit and a 500,000 lire cash prize.
Furthermore, the winners throughout the 2001 season will have the logo of the Club Panathlon International del Garda displayed on their boat. The Panathlon initiative supporting the new generation of Veronese sailors was also enthusiastically welcomed by Auckland champions Celon and Bonetti, who were the main guests of the evening.
Opinions of the champions and future prospects
“In the final against the New Zealanders, we couldn’t have done more,” admitted Celon. “Beating all challengers in the Vuitton Cup, which we won deservedly, and reaching the final with the Kiwis was the maximum we could aspire to. In Italy, match racing (one-on-one races) still needs to develop further to compete with the best in the world. If we had raced with the Americans Black boat, we would still have lost, perhaps not 5-0 but 5-1. Their crew was clearly superior to ours.”
“Team Prada had significant financial resources,” explained Bonetti. “Unlike many of our opponents, we were able to train and prepare the boats full-time for three years.”
“In the next edition of the America’s Cup in 2001, Frasca will certainly be there,” Celon and Bonetti assured. “There are increasing rumors of a second Italian consortium led by the Benetton family, but nothing is certain at the moment.”
Meanwhile, competitive commitments continue: Claudio Celon is participating in the Olympic selection with the Soling, while Bonetti alternates between Torri and the Caribbean Sea to take part in important offshore races.