Skipper Sailboat

Ready to take your crew on a sailing boat?
Get to know the skippers and get ready to sail!

Who drives the sailing boat? Who’s at the helm? The skipper of the sailboat, obviously! In all the events that we organize we provide for highly selected and talented captains, who are used to face competitions and who are, overall, deeply expert in the most beautiful and charming locations of the whole Italian coast.
Lampedusa, the Egadi islands, Tuscany, the Amalfi Coast, even Trieste and the Garda Lake have no secrets for them.

Our skippers are chosen for their noted careers and trustworthiness.

Aside from speaking many languages, among which English, Spanish, French and German, they have participated in many training courses, even neurolinguistic programming, so they can optimally conduct all guests and create the right atmosphere for team building in the sailboat cockpit.


Get on board of a sailboat, meet your skipper and you will find yourself immerse in a sailing regatta, a competition which will get you in a closer contact with nature, with yourself and with all your crew. It will be a relaxing and exciting experience! Before joining your crew, we’d like to present our skippers, the people who will study with you the strategy to win the regattas. Are you ready to sail? Fair wind to you all!

Sailing Challenge

Andrea Stella

Calm, patience and reliability, these are the three characteristics that distinguish me, all coming from my many adventures across the sea. Sailing for me is excitement and relaxation, peace and pleasure in feeling the wind and currents, becoming part of Nature. I was at the helm for the first time at the age of 15 and in my life I can count numerous experiences in international and national competitions.
I like cooking, photography and painting, I read a lot (I have three favorites titles: “Baltasar and Blimunda", "Night train to Lisbon" and “Too loud a solitude") and I like to share the emotions that some movies can convey. I am an attentive father of two daughters, I like the idea of teaching them the beauty of living in the moment, respecting everyone.

Federico Fiorillo

I was born in 1962, I spent almost 46 years at the helm of a sailboat. People describe me as an authentic sailor, I’m in love with the sea, I’m always ready to wake up early to engage new adventures (and also to go to sleep early!)
I like to joke and to make some sharp jokes, just like a true “Livornese”. I am a lover of the seafood first courses (spaghetti with bottarga is my favourite), I’m a great reader (especially of the Jorge Luis Borges’ books) and a water sportsman!
I have participated in many international sailing competitions, for me living fully means to go sailing. From the sea I learned, above all, the determination in facing any obstacle and taking advantage of the experience.

Carlo Ciccia

I was only 5 when I went sailing for the first time. After more than 40 years I still feel, every time, the same sensation of being at one with the sailboat, truly free. I have participated in many competitions, comparing myself with more or less technical crews, facing every regatta or crossing experience always with a smile. I like the atmosphere of harmony, simplicity and empathy, that you can experience only on board.
I am a sportsman, I also teach physical education and I like to practice many disciplines, from skiing to pilates.
I have three children and sometimes, while looking at them, I think about the future: if humanity does not change its lifestyle, the whole ecosystem will be in serious risk. I always try to do my part, as an ecologist and above all as a man, with discipline, of course, and with the joy of living together.

Andrea Crocellà

Love. In my opinion is the only word that can express the sensations a skipper can feel in middle of the sea. Full freedom from pressures, limited only by awareness and responsibility for the control of the helm. The ability to analyze is a specific teaching that distinguishes life on a sailing boat, together with the spirit of adaptation and ability to react to the unexpected events.
The boat teaches you the art of the essential: you cannot waste water, for example, but neither you need the superfluous. You also learn to be a crew, an idea that I carry in everyday life with my children, together we sail peacefully and face storms.
I was born in 1979, “Down by law” is my favorite cult film, I also practice skiing occasionally, I play the guitar and if I have guest at lunch I certainly cook Pasta alla Norma. Are you ready to experience a unique adventure with the right start?

Federico Cattaneo

I am the youngest skipper in Sailing Challenge, I was born in 1993, but I have 20 years of experience in sailing. I like competition and I always face the sea with energy. Being a sailor to me it means being always satisfied with what is available and to be able to cope with the unexpected events.
When I'm away from the helm I like to travel, or turn off the lights and watch a movie, I'm a real movie fanatic ("The Godfather" and "Back to the Future" are two titles I love, along with the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy).
I listen to music, especially rock and when I have the time to cook, I like to prepare the "Pasta and potatoes". I like watches, probably because I am always attentive, punctual, reliable, but also sunny and cheerful.

Filippo Fani

I am a dynamic person, but also very reliable, thanks to all my past experiences and hobbies, from karate to swimming, from tennis to cycling, from bungee jumping to rafting, also including Argentine tango.
I like reading very much (if I should choose a book, I would recommend "The Count of Monte Cristo"), I love cinema and I like to cook, even following the inspiration and intuitions of the moment.
I was born in 1968 and I fell in love with sailing by chance at the age of 37. It was an experience that led me to discover the most authentic freedom and lightheartedness, combined with a strong sense of responsibility towards the crew and guests. I love my relationship with the sea, the spirit of adaptation and humility that the sea can teach you and the unique atmosphere that you can live when you are alone, among the waves, under the sky.

Paolo Lena

Born in 1968, I went sailing for the first time at the age of 10. Being at the helm is always different and can be full of adrenaline as well as completely relaxing, but you can always feel a sense of freedom and joy. I have participated in numerous regattas, since the age of 14, and each experience has given me a strong ability to adapt and solve unexpected problems, together with a spirit of altruism. An attitude that also helps me a lot at work, to better develop my managerial skills.
I listen to classical music and I like the 80s, I have a real passion for Ennio Morricone, I also often practice surfing, skiing and snowboarding. I am a father of two children and I love to cook fish. I cultivate a deep respect for nature, animals and plants.

Attilio Cozzani

I started sailing at 17 and I never stopped, also participating in several sailing competitions and winning several national championships and an Orc European championship! Today I am a FIV federal judge (Italian Sailing Federation)
I look to the sea as a constant challenge, in which trying to overcome my limits, always enjoying the wind to live and sail at maximum speed. I look at the sea with great respect, as a friend and as a symbolic “opponent”. I believe that everyone should treat the sea with care, because if the sea is over (due to pollution), we will also lose the chances to live a happy life.
I have a daughter and I’m very proud of her. I’ve also got a Labrador dog, with whom I have often carried out rescue activities at sea. It is no coincidence that my favorite movie is “Marley and me”!

Carlo Andrea Cattaneo

Call me Carlo. Born in 1988, I've been sailing since the age of 8. It is difficult to describe in words what I feel at the helm: it is a sensation of unique completeness, an almost primordial emotion, a harmonious combination of adrenaline, freedom and serenity.
I have participated in numerous International competitions, I won, as a non-professional, the Italian Minialtura championship in 2014. In recent years I had the great pleasure of participating and winning some regattas for vintage sailing boats, on board of Namib, a beautiful boat made by Sangermani shipyard in 1967.
I am an aerospace engineer, I work in the defense and military field and I have a strong passion for history. I always keep fit by training in all weather conditions, I have a son and I try every day to live according to my values. It is no coincidence, my favorite book is “Jonathan Livingstone Seagull”.

Alberto Falcini

On a boat since the age of 10, on a sailboat from 18, I have always cultivated a strong passion for the sea because it gives freedom, relaxation, deep concentration, sense of mystery and in a word: life. I was born in 1978 and I have participated (and actually participate) in many sailing competitions, indispensable experiences to be always up to date and trained. I like to be able to evaluate the context, in order to plan effective strategies, but also eventual plans B and C.
I listen to rock music, I like reading and I practice diving, swimming, boxing. I also like cars and motorbikes, I have an excellent relationship with animals, especially cats. I am a good cook with a great passion for eggs.
“The Gladiator” is my cult film and I believe that Nature is calling everyone of us to build a better tomorrow.

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