Sail Talk con Tiziano Nava
- SAIL TALK - Sail Talk - The Nations Trophy
Sail Talk con Tiziano Nava

Tiziano Nava, you were Azzurra's tactician and you have never stopped racing. Today we are in Porto Cervo for the Nations Trophy with the Swan One Design, but you arrived early because 18th June was the 40th anniversary of Azzurra. 

Even before Azzurra you used to race here in Costa Smeralda, at the various Sardinia Cups and Settimane delle Bocche events, what has changed over time? 

Tiziano: First of all what hasn't changed: the wind, which is never lacking here in Costa Smeralda, so beautiful conditions for racing. What has changed is that now you find yourself alongside 25-30 year olds who are maybe better than you too, so it's difficult to keep up and be at the front of the pack. You struggle a bit but the passion for racing is still there. 

Have your emotions changed from then to now? 

Tiziano: No, because you're always as tense as a coiled spring. You're always there watching the weather forecast and your competitors to figure out what to do to gain that extra hundredth of a knot. It's always quite stressful because in the role of tactician you're the one who decides where the boat should go, so it only takes  a moment to make a mistake.The stress is always high though, and that's what keeps you going. 

How much does your experience as a tactician count in view of today's electronics and navigational support technology? 

Tiziano: It's changed a lot, now you have so much information, because you have tools that give you a very, very precise set of information, and that helps in my role as a tactician, whereas it didn't used to be that way.
 

A recollection from this 40th anniversary of Azzurra ... 

Tiziano: A wonderful memory, I can only thank the YCCS for organising this party. It's nice to see some of the friends from back then again, with someone like Mauro (Pelaschier) we often see each other on regatta courses, but others I haven't seen for a long time, they don't race any more and it's very pleasant to reminisce over shared memories. 

After the commemorative dinner and the screening of the short film 'Forty Years of Azzurra' at the YCCS, we moved on for a reunion in a historic neighbouring venue which we have been frequenting since the early 1980s, and which has a sign outside saying 'we have the best clients in the world since 1981'.

The founder's daughter welcomed us, telling customers that 'it all began with us' and we all went back to the old days together, when we still had no idea of the success Azzurra would achieve. Finally, a special thanks to Niki Mosca, who at the end of it all loaded us into his Land Rover and drove us safely back to the hotel.