MATTEO CELON, ENRICO VOLTOLINI AND ANDREA TESEI CONFIRMED CREW MEMBERS

Matteo Celon, age 22, is a Laser-class sailor from Lake Garda who has also competed in the Extreme40, M32 and Melges circuits. “These sessions have given us a unique opportunity to sail closely with top sailors and to gain experience that we could not have achieved on our own. I believe that this project truly reflects the start of a new generation in Italian sailing.”

Enrico Voltolini, age 31, is a naval engineer. His sailing career starts in the Star class with a European and two Italian championship titles. From 2013 to 2016 he raced with excellent results in the Finn circuit representing the Fiamme Gialle military team.  “The New Generation project has allowed us to approach a world that is apparently distant from the Olympic classes but that actually shares several aspects. It is an exceptional opportunity for us to learn and grow.” 

Andrea Tesei, age 26 from Trieste, has sailed in the Olympic 49er class for the past five years, placing top10 in the world ranking and runner-up for the world title in 2015. He won a bronze medal in the 2017 European championships and obtained several titles and medals in national championships. Andrea has also raced in the main professional circuits such as in the Extreme Sailing Series, World Match Racing Tour and Melges World League. “These weeks of training have given us a real feel of what it means to work in an America’s Cup team. It has been an incredible learning experience also thanks to the humility, enthusiasm and will to share of the sailors working with us.  It’s hard to describe how I feel at being be part of team Luna Rossa. I can’t wait to go out there and prove my gratitude by giving my absolute best to the team!”

The New Generation project has proved to be an excellent instrument to select a pool of young quality athletes and will continue throughout 2018.