An Antiguan sailor is proudly flying the nation’s flag in Spain after emerging victorious in the highly prestigious Youth America’s Cup.
Rocco Falcone captained the Luna Rossa youth team which went head to head in the semi-finals with the top three America’s Cup youth teams and the top three invited youth teams—Sweden, Spain, and Australia— ultimately coming out on top. After the final match race on Thursday, they clinched the first place trophy against the American Magic youth team.
Conditions were full on with 12-16 knots and formidable seas but the team’s exceptional boat handling and ability to stay calm under pressure allowed them to come out on top, a release said.
Their sailboat reached an incredible top speed of 52mph.
Rocco will celebrate the feat in Barcelona.
“A lot of hard work went into it. We spent the last three years going at it really hard so it feels really good,” he told freelance reporter Edwin Gifford, covering the event for Observer.
“I am thrilled to take home the trophy after spending the past few years dreaming about this possibility. Super proud of the boys and am looking forward to the future,” he added.
Rocco thanked his supporters back home and added that he plans to return to Antigua in early November.
Rocco comes from a family of sailors, as son of Olympians Carlo Falcone and Paola Vittoria, and brother of decorated sailor Shannon Falcone.
Meanwhile, Shannon and the Luna Rossa senior team also saw victory on Thursday, winning race one of the America’s Cup. Shannon has competed in multiple America’s Cups during his illustrious career.
Sponsored by UniCredit, the Youth America’s Cup brings together the best young sailors from around the globe to compete in a knock-out series to crown the champion.
