Cesare Gabbia at his first America's Cup in the saddle for Luna Rossa
«My coach used to say that racing trains racing: I hope this saying is true for regattas as well». Cesare Gabbia, now a cyclor in Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli with number 25, began rowing with the Società Canottieri Sampierdarenesi after achieving his high school diploma in a Scientific Technological School, and following a bad fall from his motorcycle. «I was immobilized for a long time and needed to gain muscle mass and weight, so I was advised to take up rowing», he explains. «It started almost for fun, but then I really got into the sport and eventually it became my job».
Throughout his professional career (2013 - 2022) he has achieved important international results, such as winning the World Championships in the Under 23 “Coxless Four”, followed by a bronze in the European Absolute Championships in Belgrade in 2014. He then won a bronze in the men's “Eight” at the European Championships in Munich and a bronze in the “Eight” at the World Absolute Championships in Sarasota (2017).
In 2022, having closed his rowing career, he entered the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli selections, urged on by his previous teammates and especially by Emanuele Liuzzi, also a cyclor on the AC75, who would later become his mentor on the team. «When they told me about the possibility of joining Luna Rossa's Power Team I was excited, and although I have never sailed in a regatta, I am not afraid to take on this new challenge. Just having experienced champions like Jimmy Spithill or Francesco Bruni alongside me reassures me, they are my experience».
Fatigue is certainly nothing new for him: «I come from a sport where there is a lot of fatigue involved and it doesn't affect me; more than anything I feel the responsibility of the role, because everyone expects the maximum from us, in terms of performance and power. So far we’ve been training, but when the real races start against other boats, which will require a lot of maneuvering, the effort for us cyclors will clearly be higher. But I am ready and looking forward to the start».
Even within the Power Team, the tension is increasing: «We are nine cyclors at the disposal of the crew, and have become a bonded and close-knit group», Gabbia concludes. «Of course, even among us there is competition, which is normal in team sports, everyone wants to beat their mate but, in the end, it is a great motivation for everyone; in fact, we have grown and improved incredibly».
