Mauro Pelaschier, Italian sailing legend

Our meeting with the great Italian sailor, honorary member of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda

Mauro Pelaschier has made the history of Italian sailing. As an honorary member of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, he has been collaborating with this prestigious club for decades: who could forget Azzurra in 1983, the first Italian boat to take part in the America’s Cup with an all-Italian crew, captained by Cino Ricci, with Pelaschier at the helm, backed by the Aga Khan and Gianni Agnelli. This historic endeavour was launched by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, which today supports emerging talents through the Young Azzurra project, achieving exceptional results with sailors like Federico Alan Pilloni and Cesare Barabino, who are in the running for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The legendary skipper from Monfalcone shares this mission, and this year, teaming up with the Yacht Club Italiano, he secured third place at the Loro Piana Giraglia, navigating three-meter waves with a young crew (the oldest was just 25) and himself at the helm of the Elo II. Always committed to nurturing young talent, Pelaschier is an ambassador for One Ocean Foundation, an Italian non-profit organisation committed to protecting the ocean, advocating for environmental education in schools to improve the health of our seas.

How did your unforgettable adventure with Azzurra come about?

Cino Ricci contacted me in 1981 while he was in Boston. I had already won several Italian titles and participated in two Olympics with the Finn. He wanted me on the project, and I was enthusiastic. A week later, I was in America sailing with the Enterprise. We spent the winter in Porto Cervo, more focused on team building than training... I remember that we went to collect wood scraps from villas under construction to burn them in the fireplace. What steaks!

The historic endeavour of Azzurra started from the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (ph. Marka/UIG/Mondadori Portfolio)

Azzurra’s success was a turning point: from that moment on, sailing became a mainstream sport in Italy...

There is no doubt that our efforts were pivotal, but it was also the first major sailing adventure covered by all media. At a time when television did not yet extensively cover sporting events and thirty years before social media, Gianni Agnelli ensured that we had the best journalists in the world following us.

The consortium brought together by Agnelli, and the Aga Khan was key to the success of the venture: what was your relationship with them?

The Aga Khan was crucial to the credibility and authority of the crew and the project. Gianni Agnelli was a driving force, curious and passionate. He would arrive in Porto Cervo by helicopter from Rome at lunchtime (he was a Senator at the time), dive into the water, and we would pick him up on board.

Mauro Pelaschier

What about your commitment to One Ocean Foundation?

Caring for the health of the sea and the planet is a tough game; everything costs, everything requires effort. But we have to start doing something, even in small ways, anywhere. For example, by limiting our excessive use of plastic containers. I talk about this when I visit schools. Children understand it better than adults.