Gianluigi Prizzon

1980: I was appointed editor-in-chief of Giornale della Vela. I continued racing with an Avventura 703, a 7-meter boat from the “mini tonner” class.

1981: I won the Italian sailing title for journalists aboard a Show 34 (10.5 meters). I kept racing with mini tonners and participated in the Italian circuit for this class.

1985-1995: I started sailing in the Olympic Star class and continued with it until 1995. Among other results, I qualified twice in the top ten at the Italian Championship and placed fourth and third in international regattas. During the same period, I also raced in big boat events, winning the “West Liguria” winter championship.

1995-2005: I stepped away from competitive sailing but still sailed around three months a year as a captain of cruising boats, either with friends or as a charter captain. In 1997, I obtained my Italian Yacht Master license for boats up to 24 meters, with no geographical limits. I sailed throughout the Mediterranean: Croatia, Greece, Turkey, France, Spain, and Italy. I had the helm of a Halberg Rassy 42, an Outremer 55 Light (a high-performance catamaran), and a Grand Soleil 52, which I navigated from Athens (Greece) to Trapani (Sicily) via the Corinth Canal.

2006: I returned to racing with a Laser SB3, a state-of-the-art boat, and participated in the Italian Volvo circuit for two years, winning regattas in Alassio and on Lake Como.

2007: I opened an antique nautical store in Milan called “Magazzini Navali.” Through this activity, I organized, in collaboration with “Marina Aeroporto di Genova,” the first Mediterranean event for the rental and sale of classic and antique boats, the Classic Boat Show.

2007-2010: I worked for the Overseas agency as a yacht captain and sailing instructor. With a crew of students in their first year, we placed third in the Rosignano Solvay Winter Championship.

2011-2017: I moved to Colombia and participated in many Cartagena regattas, including a full season with the Pogo 10.50 "Ola Bamba," with which we won a race and finished second overall. I also sailed in small boat events with the Snipe class and served as a sparring partner to Dany Delgado during his training for the Pan American Games.

2017: Since August 2017, I have worked for the Colombian Navy as an instructor and coach for cadets, while also overseeing the maintenance of the Navy’s fleet of sailboats. I obtained the OMI instructor certification.

2018: I was hired by Navega Colombia as the chief of maintenance for seven boats and as the coordinator of captains and sailors. I continued teaching at the Naval Academy and advising on maintenance at the Nautical Club. My team at the ARC Commodore finished second in the second series of the Club de Pesca Saturday Regattas, winning two races.

2019: The Naval Academy renewed my contract as a sailing instructor. I started a business with a partner to maintain, tune, and repair sailboats. I also enrolled in a course with the Colombian Sailing Federation and graduated as a regional judge with a score of 77/100 (with 80/100 needed to become a national judge, the highest level in the federation).

2020: The Naval Academy renewed my contract, but due to the pandemic, I mostly taught virtually. I was called to advise on the maintenance of Cartagena’s most important boats, including replacing the rigging on Magic Bus and Kole Seré, overseeing the reconstruction of Nepente, and installing a new mast on Navarrete. In October, the Sailing Federation appointed me to the provisional board of the Liga de Vela Bolívar.

2022: I was responsible for the care of a 64-foot catamaran while its owners were in Italy. I continued as a sailing instructor at the Naval Academy and focused on maintenance, particularly rigging.

2023: After two masts on academy boats (Beneteau 3 de Julio and Enap 1) broke, I oversaw the replacement of both masts and the rigging on the remaining three boats. For the Enap, only the mast tube was ordered, and all work on mounting, rigging, and fittings was done at the academy. I continued teaching sailing.

2024: I am in charge of the reconstruction of the hull of a 55-foot Fountaine Pajot catamaran using epoxy materials. I continue my teaching activities at the academy.