(Porto Cervo, Italy)-
Kara Hugglestone from SAIL Couture had a chance to catch up with
Claudia prior to her competing in this year’s AUDI J/70 Worlds in Porto
Cervo, Sardinia. Here is Kara’s story:The one to watch is PETITE TERRIBLE helmed by the brilliant young Claudia Rossi who, at just 24, is a two-time J/70 European Champion, as well as the youngest skipper ever and first female to hold the title. And, she just started sailing in college—four years ago!
I had the pleasure of meeting Claudia at last year’s J/70 World’s in San Francisco. I was as taken by the Italian sailor’s beauty, sparkling eyes, and infectious laugh as I was by her impressive sailing skills. She was relentless on the racecourse, although in the end, it was not to be her regatta. She is out to right that wrong on the water in Sardinia.
“I
still have a bit bitter taste in my mouth from the San Francisco World
Championship last year, but I won’t let that get in the way. It will be
difficult this year because there are 175 boats and the best sailors in
the world. Petite will do as much as ever. We never give up,” Claudia
told Sail Couture.One could say her fighting spirit is a family trait; her father is the skipper of the famous Farr 40 Enfant Terrible. Claudia enjoys navigating for her father, but true competitors they are, they also compete against one another in the J/70 and Farr 40 classes. Indeed, last July, she became the Farr 40 Worlds Corinthian Champion (fourth overall) at the helm of Pierluigi Bresciani’s Pazza Idea; her father was second in the overall standings.
Claudia says she chose the J/70 class because of its size and the skill level. Indeed, at 1,300 strong, the J/70 fleet is the fastest growing fleet worldwide and has attracted many of the world’s top professional and Corinthian sailors. Sailing photo credits- Paul Wyeth and Rick Tomlinson Follow Claudia’s PETITE TERRIBLE J/70 team on Facebook here Full SAILCOUTURE.com article from Kara Hugglestone here Add to Flipboard Magazine.
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