Vittorio Bissaro's double soul and his dreams since high school

«The first time I went out sailing on Luna Rossa was amazing: there was mistral, flat sea, and all you could hear was the wind, the noise... Everything was very fast, but steady, although during maneuvers you really felt the grip on the water, like slalom skiing in fresh snow. Unforgettable».

Although Vittorio Bissaro is accustomed to challenges and adrenaline sailing, he still thrives on the excitement as if it were the first time.  Before joining Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli as a trimmer the Veronese athlete, winner of the CONI award "Collare d'Oro al Merito Sportivo", had already notched up a consistent experience and several important results, starting from those achieved on multihulls that paved his way to the Nacra 17 Olympic Class. Here he won three podiums, between World and European Championships, a fifth place in the 2016 Rio Olympics and a World Championship in 2019.

He seemed destined to follow an Olympic career, but had another dream: «When I was in high school I attended a University open day with a huge display of educational programs», he says, «and I was struck by the course of studies offered by the Politecnico di Milano for its faculty of aerospace engineering, presented with a slide of an America's Cup boat. I chose that one, dreaming that one day I might be part of Luna Rossa's design team». 

That day is today «even though I stepped into the team as sailing crew and not a designer». In fact, in his first America's Cup challenge, Vittorio is one of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli's trimmers in charge of adjusting sails and foils, a position that fulfills both his passion for sailing and for engineering.

«One thing I've had to work on over the years is to manage my engineer nature: when you sail a boat you have to be instinctive, you can't stop to think or reason about reactions: you have to experience the boat, you have to feel her inside».

Fully confident that Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli has what it takes to seriously contend for the Cup, Vittorio lives this experience as a privilege: «I am aware of the fortune and beauty of a context like this, where I learn something new every day and can contribute doing what I love best».