Olympic gold medalist Ruggero Tita and his approach to competitive sailing

«We have to try to be better than the generations before us; only then can we go on and win more and more». Ruggero Tita, onboard Luna Rossa with number 26, is one of the helmsmen on the Italian boat challenging for the 37th America’s Cup, and one of the most talented Italian sailors of all times.

Olympic gold medalist in the Nacra 17 in Tokyo 2020 (paired with Caterina Banti), Ruggero has been awarded the “Collare d'Oro” for sporting merits (2018 - 2021 - 2022), won the Rolex World Sailor of the Year 2022, and is a multiple Optimist and 49er champion. He entered the world of sailing as a young boy and understood immediately that this was his path, that he would then follow with determination and perfectionism.

«My passion for sailing started on a small lake in Trentino, in the middle of the mountains», he says. «After winning my first Italian championship I realized that I wanted sports to be my profession. By luck or willpower, I always managed to achieve my goals: the first was to become an Olympic athlete, the second to win a gold medal, and I accomplished both».

At the 2018 Trento Sports Festival, Max Sirena, Skipper and Team Director of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, surprised him with an announcement as exciting as it was unexpected: he would be part of Luna Rossa's sailing team.

«It is not easy to dedicate the necessary time to two such totalizing commitments, but I think it is possible. In the end, sailing is still sailing and, in some ways, my training on the Nacra helps Luna Rossa and vice versa».

With a degree in Information Engineering and Business Management, Ruggero is aware of the risks of a hyper-perfectionist approach and steers clear of them, although precision remains a fundamental aspect, something inherent in his character: «It's part of me», he says. «Before a race or a training session I have to check everything to make sure my boat is 100 percent».

To keep up with increasingly extreme boats, Ruggero pushes himself to go beyond his "confort zone" as it is what prepares him to make the right decisions at the right time. «I like to race and strive to compete: when I can measure myself against others I bring out my best».