«I'm a sail and foil trimmer, so I mostly liaise with people who design and build the foils and sails, but I personally like to understand all of the inner workings of the boat. If you're open-minded, curious and willing to learn, there are incredible opportunities to be found in this world». "This world" is the America's Cup and he is Umberto Molineris, a Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli trimmer. Born in Ravenna from a French mother, Umberto (perfectly bilingual) as a child bonded quickly with the Plazzi family: Matteo (currently Rules Advisor of the team), who introduced him to the world of competitive sailing and Match Racing, and Jacopo (now coach in Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli), his long-time partner in a successful sailing journey in the Olympic Classes.
After a brief transition on Optimists and a period in 420 and 470 classes, Umberto achieved his main successes on 49ers (in team with Jacopo Plazzi), conquering - between 2010 and 2016 - several top 10 world rankings. During qualifications for the Rio Games, Umberto and Jacopo met Andrea Tesei and Ruggero Tita, with whom they are now united in team Luna Rossa, in the roles of trimmer and helmsman respectively. After the Olympic experience, which coincided with his university period (successfully completed with a degree in economics), in 2018 Umberto took part in Luna Rossa's "New Generation" program and joined the team in time to participate in the 2021 edition of the America's Cup.
His significant sailing experience and muscular physique make him perfect for the dual role of trimmer/grinder (in the last edition there were 11 sailors on board versus the 8 allowed now); today, however, he is exclusively focused on trimming foils and sails. «Once I finished that Cup campaign, I was ready to get right back into the game and start another one», he says. «The ambition to achieve a still unconquered goal is a great boost and motivates me even more in my commitment to win».
In addition to the piano, which he plays very well (he studied for several years at the conservatory), Umberto loves reading biographies and all books that can teach him something and feed his curiosity: «You can be at the base 24 hours a day and always have something to learn and something to do. Clearly everyone has very specific tasks and you can't choose what you do because we must carry out the work we've been assigned. But when I finish, for example, I like to stick around the engineers or the sailmakers and learn new things. The opportunity to improve and expand your skills is one of the aspects I love most about a Cup campaign. I don't have the expertise to design sails or foils, but as a sailor, one of my tasks is to give feedback to the designers and point out what I think is good or needs to be improved».
Umberto loves all sea and water-related sports, but one of his great passions remains skiing, which he doesn’t practice often nowadays for lack of time (and to avoid accidents). He is also passionate about soccer and is an Inter supporter, but not as much as he used to be: «Years ago I was a real fan; today, I can only watch two matches in a season!».
The secret to staying focused working in a team of over 100 people? «Try to keep emotions in check; it’s clear that when we practice a sport the emotional part of us comes out, but I learned that the more you can stay calm and consistent, the better it is for yourself and the team».