Francesca awarded special honor by FIV
It was a huge surprise and honor to be awarded a special prize at the FIV Italian Sailor of the Year Award last night, Monday, May 27, 2024. The jury of the 30th edition of the award presented me with a special prize for my career achievements to date: for the 2023 racing season and being the first Italian to win The Ocean Race.
The award ceremony was held during an incredible evening in the magnificent hall of the Palazzo Ducale in Genoa. It was a very special evening for me because I was able to catch up with so many long-time friends and teammates from over 15 years of sailing. We were also all there to send off in style so many incredible sailors who will represent Italy in a few weeks at the Paris 2024 Olympics, being held in Marseille. Having competed in two Olympic cycles, I know just how they are feeling - a mix of excitement, trepidation, and nerves!
I am so honored to have received this special award for my sailing achievements last year. Becoming the first Italian to win The Ocean Race was something unique, and to be back in Genoa once again, in my home country, where I lifted the trophy last year made it all the more special. I was incredibly proud.
Being the first is an honor, but what is more important to me is ensuring I am not the last.
There were so many female sailors in the audience at the ceremony last night, many of them very young, and I am really happy to be able to represent something for them, to show them that whatever they dream of is possible to achieve. I want to leave that a long-lasting legacy in our sport.
I won the Italian Sailor of the Year Award a few years ago together with Giulia Conti, and I think this time it was really hard for the jury to choose between us because we all had incredible results and in such different disciplines. It's hard to compare a win in an offshore race and a world championship in an Olympic class.
In my opinion, we all deserved to win and there could have been five awards ... we all did positive things for sailing, for our country, and in such different ways. What an amazing evening, standing alongside incredibly strong and talented athletes. It was a night I will remember for a long time.