Audi Q8

Launching Audi Q8 in true italian style!

Including a small party for the crew and some friends.

AUDI TP52 Sailing Team powered by Q8

Team manager and helmsman Riccardo Simoneschi for 2008 wanted the best sailors into the AUDI TP52 Sailing Team, starting from the coach: pluri olympic champion and world champion in 470 class, the frenchman Thierry Peponnet.
Another frenchman, and a very wellknown sailor, specially for his participations in the America’s Cup (last one as second helmsman in Luna Rossa Team) and his successes in Finn class, Philippe Presti as mainsail tailer.
Also from the Luna Rossa Team, the expert bowman Paolo Bassani, Manuel Modena as tailer, Michele Cannoni as pitman and Massimo Gherarducci as maingrinder.
Tactician is Tommaso Chieffi, adeptest italian sailor in the America’s Cup (4 participations: ’87 as “Italia” helmsman, ’92 as “Moro di Venezia” tactician, ’03 as “Oracle” strategist and ’07 as “Shosholloza” tactician), 470 class world champion in 1995 and winner of last Volvo Ocean Race as tactician on board of ABN AMRO One for the inshore races.
The crew is completed by mastman Giuseppe Leonardi, pit assistant Lucia Giorgetti, grinders Iztoc Knafelc and Michele Gnutti, tailer Sandro Benigni, tailer assistant Marco Cornacchia, navigator Andrea Visintini and backstay regulator Sandro Paoli. Last one is boat captain also.

The boat named - “Silver Surfer” -  is  a Rolf Vrolijk design and built in 2008 in Wellington, New Zealand, by  Hakes Marine.
The mast is Southern Spars, sails are North Sails and deck hardware is Harken.

Sail number:  ITA 693
Yacht Club Yacht Club Costa Smeralda

Giuseppe Mancini
Media & Communication Manager
e-mail: giuseppe.mancini@b-plan.it
mobile ITA: +39.338.5054554

ITA 572
Member:    Riccardo Simoneschi
Designer:  Judel Vrolijk    
Builder:      Hakes Marine
Website:     www.sailingteam.tv
Contact:      simon@simass.it