Italy’s Vudu steps into the 52 SUPER SERIES for the first time

The Rolex TP52 World Championship in Porto Cervo represents the perfect opportunity for Mauro Destri’s Italian team on Vudu to step up and challenge themselves at the highest level of class racing. They are a relatively new team, having just joined up for the first time last year, but they are already successful having recently finished second at the ORC World Championships in Sorrento. Destri is something of a newcomer to grand prix racing after just really starting to race a couple of years ago, but he is very ambitious and considers this is the perfect time to measure his team against the best, and where better than Porto Cervo.

Giovanni Sanfelice is downwind trimmer and project manager, “This year we’ve done some training in Scarlino our home port. Then we were at the ORC World Championship in Sorrento. That was a very good event. We finished second. But this Rolex TP52 World Championship is our first real step into the TP52 class as such and then we go to Palma for the Copa del Rey then go to Saint-Tropez.  I would like to be in Valencia but let’s see how we go in Porto Cervo. This is a chance for the owner to see the 52 SUPER SERIES, maybe with the idea of proposing to go to Valencia if he enjoys it and it goes in the right direction. But the truth is that the owner is kind of new to racing. This is just our second season. And his second season racing ever. He had not ever raced before last season and so at the same time I think we are doing a good job. And step-by-step he has first of all understood what a TP52 really means.”

The boat 2015 Azzurra was returned from Australia where it was Patrice and before that Hooligan.

Step by step, growing together.
Sanfelice explains, “So we have been sailing at various events like in Palma last year. Away from SUPER SERIES the 52 fleet has also grown because of the Admiral’s Cup and the Sardinia Cup. So he has he gotten the opportunity to play and fight and enjoy with other TP52s. So step by step we proposed to introduce him to the possibility of pure class racing. But, again, he was not a racer. So here is the reality of a project with a very good boat. So we have helped him to understand what the boat is, what the races are. And what the importance of materials are. So it really is step by step.  We are doing our best now to grow together in a sensible way.”

Their objectives are many, Gio expands, “I think, first of all, the biggest success would be to have a fun week with Mauro the owner, finishing up enthusiastic about the game and at the end of the week being more aware of what the SUPER SERIES means, how much fun you can have in playing such a high-profile box rule. I think he’s the kind of a man who likes challenges. But obviously it will be difficult for us. And the team knows that. Because the boats, the experience that you expect to see in the class, these are all super experienced sailors as are the owners and the teams. But at the same time, I think that our team is very good. And we like to work all together. So let’s say our objective is also to do our best on the teamwork. There are no expectations on the results, obviously. But we have to measure ourselves.”

Good time to join the class
Sanfelice who is with North Sails Rome explains, “Our owner is in the owner-driver category. But at the same time now I’m happy to see it from inside, I think that this is a good moment for the class. Because there is a bit of a change, bigger numbers, more new owners and some team changes. So it is good to see new things, new boats and new teams. I feel that we are all on the same page. This is a good moment, certainly better than coming in and joining up three years ago. And so here we are with a stable, super top team with experience of development. To have high expectations may be dangerous in general.  I think we would like to learn and to end the week saying we have done our best and to be strong enough to look at our mistakes that we’ve made and move forward. “