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Just a few days after winning a brilliant Nacra 17 World Championship title, achieving one of the season’s most important goals with remarkable composure and maturity, we found them jumping from one foil to another, from their Olympic catamaran to the foiling world of the Preliminary Regatta in Cagliari with the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team. Two different worlds, connected by the same pursuit of performance, control and precision.
Yet what truly stands out is not only their speed on the water. It is their simplicity, their ability to remain grounded, approachable and curious. Qualities that are increasingly rare in elite sport, yet often define those who reach the very top, not only as athletes, but as people.
For SLAM, it is a privilege to work alongside athletes like Gigi and Maria, who bring their experience from the water into every stage of product design and development. Real-world feedback, practical needs and the fine details that make all the difference when sailing at the limit, between sudden bursts of acceleration, balance on the foils and movements measured to the millimetre.
It is a team effort, as always. An ongoing exchange that brings energy and enthusiasm on one side, while on the other strengthens our ability to develop increasingly advanced products for people who truly live the sea.
In this interview, Gigi and Maria share what it means to fly a Nacra 17, the emotions that come with foiling, the differences between the Olympic world and the America's Cup, and why every seemingly effortless manoeuvre is actually the result of thousands of hours of unseen work.
Our journey with the Nacra 17 started very naturally. Coming from the youth classes, our coach Matteo Nicolucci recognised our potential as a crew in an Olympic class campaign. From that moment, our path began in the Nacra 17.
Definitely the feeling of always being in close contact with the elements of nature, feeling the wind on your face and skimming the water as we sail. Also, unlike Luna Rossa, on the Nacra 17 you can really feel the boat in your hands.
That's exactly the point, it's difficult to describe! I'd say it's pure adrenaline.
There is constant work behind it, made up of fine adjustments and precise movements, often down to the millimetre. It all comes from long hours of training, with the sole aim of achieving the perfect movement.
In Olympic sailing, it is just you and your crew mate, in the case of the Nacra 17, and you are responsible for everything. In the America's Cup, you share that journey with a large number of people, and it is amazing to realise that everyone is working towards the exact same goal.
Having the chance to compete for the World Championship title every year. It is what drives us to keep improving and striving to reach higher and higher.
The continuous maintenance work the boat requires, and the risk of injury when racing in the toughest conditions.
Very functional.
The comfort when wearing it.
It has to be comfortable and durable.
Essential! We are happy to be able to contribute, even in a small way, to the development of high-performance technical apparel.
Adrenaline. Speed. Control.
It was definitely a tough week, on a racecourse that was anything but easy or predictable. We are very happy with the way we managed the regatta throughout the event. Now our focus shifts towards the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
