Yacht Club Italiano
17 November 2004 - 10:46
The Yacht Club Italiano is the oldest sailing club in the Mediterranean.
It was founded in Genoa in 1879 by a group of sailing enthusiasts and, with the support of HRH King Umberto I, the club gained the patronage of the Royal Family and was allowed to fly the insignia of the Italian Royal Navy.
Its main objectives have always been to promote yachting, to organize national and international sailing regattas and cruises. In pursuit of these aims and with the support of extremely dynamic commodores (starting from Vittorio Augusto Vecchi, one of the founders), the Club set off becoming a reference institution for sailing and seamanship.
The association and link to other clubs (Naples, Palermo, Trieste and Venice) started in the thirties and led to the creation of F.I.V. (Federazione Italiana Vela - The Italian Sailing Federation) after World War II.
The centennial sports history of this Club, opened with a great regatta on the 8th of August 1880 (177 boats took part in the Gulf of La Spezia), has much to be proud of the victory of the Coupe de France with the 10 tons Artica, belonging to the Duke of the Abruzzi, marking the entry of the Club in the world of international competition; the gold medal won by the 8 m.S.I. Italia at the XI Olympics in Kiel in 1936; and, more recently, the Silver Medal in Sydney 2000 with Luca Devoti; then challenging for the Americas Cup in Freemantle in 1987 with the 12 m.S.I. Italia.
Over the years the Yacht Club Italiano has acquired international recognition.
Beppe Croce was Chairman of the Club for over thirty years, from the late fifties to 1986 and was the first non-English chairman of IYRU (now known as ISAF) for 17 years.
The Yacht Club Italiano has links with the Royal Thames Yacht Club, the Real Club Nautico de Barcelona, the Yacht Club de France, the Yacht Club de Monaco, the Socit Nautique de Genve and the Yacht Club of Greece.
Today yachting is attracting even more young people as a program of social education and the Yacht Club Italiano has created specific projects in this field.
In 1996 the Sail Training Association of Italy (STA-I) was set up together with the Italian Navy. STA-I is an associate of the International Sail Training Association (ISTA) today Sail Training International (STI) which was founded in England in 1958 with the scope of attracting young people to the sea, giving them the opportunity to become crew members and training on board military and civil vessels.
Today the Yacht Club Italiano has 1200 members, including the Italian Navy and the Navy Academy. 295 yachts fly the Clubs pennant.
copyright Yacht Club Italiano
Yacht Club Italiano
Porticciolo Duca degli Abruzzi, 16126 Genova
Secretariat Mon - Fri: 9:00 - 18:00 Sat: 9:00 - 13:00
tel. +39.010.2461206
fax +39.010.2461193
E-mail info@yci.it
Nautical Center
tel +39.010.2461213
Bar -Restaurant ( closed Mondays )
tel +39.010.2541375
