Italian Community Meets the Champions of Italian Sailing

After the epic endeavor of the yacht VOR 70 Maserati, the crew and its intrepid skipper Giovanni Soldini—who sailed two oceans to set the new world  record for sailing from New York to San Francisco around Cape Horn—the young Italian champions of Team Italy arrived in the City to compete at the week-long Red Bull Youth America’s Cup selection series.  The under-twenty-five-year-old competition is to be held for the first time in America’s Cup history, next summer in the San Francisco Bay.  

 

The two teams were both received at the Italian Consulate last Sunday, February 17th, where an official press conference was held by Maserati and General Consul Mauro Battocchi to celebrate the international crew that, for 47 days on their record-breating voyage, attracted the attention of Italian-American media and fans.

 

Captain Giovanni Soldini and the three other Italian sailors—Corrado Rossignoli, Guido Broggi and Michele Sighel—enthusiastically enjoyed a well-deserved Italian buffet (with home-made ravioli and long-desired mortadella by Soldini), generously provided by Chef Maurizio Florese, owner of Colosseo Restaurant and Mona Lisa in North Beach.

 

The nine young members of Team Italy, together with coach Lorenzo Mazza  and team manager Enrico Zennaro, were presented to fans who had the opportunity to personally meet and interview these champions of  Italian sport.

 

The convivial and friendly atmosphere at the Consulate established the connection between sailings professionals and the Italian community. Following the event at the Consulate, sailing VIPs, family members, and media were invited to enjoy a complementary dinner at Mona Lisa Restaurant, courtesy of restaurant owner Maurizio Florese.  More than thirty Italian guests were offered a three-course dinner, with fresh and imported specialties from the Calabria region.