Beppe Bruzzone

Name: Giuseppe Bruzzone
Born: Varazze 27 August 1927
Address: Corso C.Colombo 68/5 - 17019 Varazze, Italy
Phone/Fax: +39 019 97600

URL http://st.itim.unige.it/beppy.html

Summary - Curriculum Vitae

National Positions

• National Secretary of Italian Optimist Class - AICO
• National President of Italian Optimist Class Optimist - AICO
• Vice President Varazze Club Nautico
• National Regatta Jury President
• IODA Representative in Italy for Sponsors Management

International Positions

• Executive President of Mediterranean Optimist Championship - MODA - Mediterranean Optimist Dinghy Association
• Executive President of European Optimist Championship - EODA European Optimist Dinghy Association
• Honorary President of European Optimist Championship - EODA European Optimist Dinghy Association

The curriculum of Beppy is full of events and activities that provide to him opportunities to travel the seven seas; everywhere, every time, he was proud to represent Italy that was always present in his heart; he was always leading the Italian Optmist Boys in worldwide seas bringing the Italian Flag all over the world: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Greece, Japan, Ireland, Spain, France, Portugal, Finland, Turkey, etc.

In effect he was not only the organiser, but also the inventor of major classical international events such; for instance he brought to Italy the World Championship for the first time early in 1982 and he established the European Championship (first edition held in El Masnau 1983) and then the Mediterranean Championship (first edition in Bari 1987). He has been nominated Honour member of IODA (International Optimist Dinghy Association) where he served as World Vice President; for his activities Varazze City awarded him as Benemeritus in 1994, while AICO nomininated him Honorary President of Optmist Class in 1996; "A.I.C.O. Cup Beppy Bruzzone", a regatta established by Optimist Class and "Beppy Bruzzone Cup", organized by Varazze Club Nautico, are entitled to him.

In 1938 he learn to love the sea, sailing on "Lupa" ed "Argus" small yachts typical from Varazze.

In 1945 he is intensively active in sailboats; he participates regattas, therefore he prefers the "sailing" than "racing".

From 1954, due to business duties (he is a director in a bank firm) he reduced his sailing just to free time.

In 1974 his son (Agostino) is falling in love for sail; Bruzzone brings in Varazze the first "420" and first "Optmist" of the Club and participate to regattas in Liguria acting as crew of his son on the 420; same year he starts be involved in Regatta Jury.

Due to the son's age limits for sailing in 420, Bruzzone starts to bring him to Optimist regattas, travelling all over the Italy and the Western Europe; this activity becomes very intensive and Bruzzone gets an opportunity to come back directly to regattas on large yachts.

In this period he starts to co-operate with Optimist Class, operating with the Secretary Claudio Ascoli and Treasurer Salvatore Spata; he is active in associating and major regattas supervision.

In 1978 he is elected National Secretary of AICO dell'AICO (Associazione Italiana Classe Optimist - Italian Optimist Class Association); from the beginning he starts to be active in consolidating and developing Optimist Class; he becomes representative and administrator of the Optmist Class for the whole Italy (in Italy the major position in the organization is the National Secretary, while no president or director are present in the AICO bylaws); from 1980 since 1994 he attended, with just 1993 exception, to each single Annual General Meeting (AGM )of the IODA Class as Italian Country Representative in occasion of World Championship.

In 1980 he participates to Optimist World Championship, held in Cascais Portugal, during the AGM of IODA (International Optimist Dinghy Association) he proposes with success Italy as candidates for 1982 edition of World Championship.

In the same year he is nominated by FIV (Italian Sail Federation) National Regatta President.

In 1981 the Optimist World Championship is held in Howth Ireland; the AGM confirm by acclamation his proposal for Italy as new championship site, so Bruzzone designed Follonica as event location.

In 1982 the Optimist World Championship is held for first time in Italy; the event is a great success both as organisation and technical aspects; 160 yachts participate to the event coming from 24 different nations from over the world; during this event Bruzzone proposes the establishment of the New European Championship, the proposal is accepted and he is nominated President of this event.

In 1982 he promotes institution of two international regattas in Italy for supporting the growth of Optimist in Italy and improve international exchanges; the first trophy is located in San Remo, during Christmas Holidays, while the second is organised in Reggio Calabria during the autumn; until1995 these two major events was growing up in participation terms, becoming classing references for international Optimist calendar.

He participates to the World Championship in 1983 Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); during this event he is appointed by IODA as Mediterranean Area Co-ordiantor; in Rio, AGM decide to change the rules for participating World Championship, reducing the attending team from 2 for each nation to 1 per countyr; in effect until 1983 each country was enabled to bring two teams, while just the first was able to participating to the Official World Championship, the second team (open team) was able to race in joint trophies.

Bruzzone attends to the first European Championship in Spain (El Masnau) where he proposes and obtain to organise 1984 European Championship in Genoa, Italy.

In 1983 Bruzzone, as Optimist Class Representative, creates in co-operation with local organisations three major events: "Spring Cup" in Cervia, "Trofeo Accademia" (organised in co-operation with Italian Navy and Naval Academy) in Livorno and "Meeting del Garda" on the Garda Lake; these regattas evolved for over 15 years and the Meeting del Garda, in particular, entered in Guinness Book for the largest attendance of same type sailboats to a single race; in effect for many years the starting line of Meeting del Garda was characterised by a single line of over 500 Optimist yachts (just 40% Italians) beginning all together the race at the shot.

Due to the institution and promotion of these the technical level of Italian Sailors raised during the years, however these regattas provided an unique opportunity for all over the world boys to visit Italy and meet together.

The new regatta formula based on team race appeared during Rio World Championship; this innovation pushed Bruzzone to establish a National Championship for team race to be joined with the individual championship; this event is designed Coppa AICO, while first edition is held in Reggio Calabria in join with the Classical International Meeting on-going there.

The creation of this race allowed Italian sailors to become confident with this new race formula: during next years Italy will obtain 5 World Medals; in addition to that Optmist sailors get the opportunity to join a team working to the single sailor experience.

In 1984 Bruzzone attends to the World Championship in Canada (Kingston) and he organises the second European Championship in Genoa; this one is a good success consolidating his technical progress.

in 1984 Bruzzone creates, in co-operation with Lega Navale Napoli, an international race to be held in Naples during Christmas, competing cooperating with SanRemo international meeting; this race will get great success in the following years, after four years it will move to Anzio and after 5 five move years it will come back to Naples where it will be on-going for another several years by Yacht Club Canottieri Napoli.

In 1985 Bruzzone participates to World Championship in Helsinki where he is elected World Vice President of IODA, after he moves to European Championship in Brest, France.

In memory of Dr.Filippo Pisoni (Professional Engineer), Italian Measurer, major technical contributor to Italian Optimist Class development and old time gentleman, he organised a special trophy to be held concurrently with AICO Cup as Individual Perpetual Challenge.

In the same year, in cooperation with Follonica Lega Navale, he created the World Championship Revival, an international trophy in memory of first Italian world championship; this event will change name over the years becoming Trofeo Presidenza Nazionale Lega Navale (National Presidential Trophy of Lega Navale) ongoing for over 10 years.

In 1986 he attends to World Championship in Rosas, Spain and in European Championship organised on Neuseedelsee lake, Austria.

In 1987 he is presented during World Championship in Andjik (NL) while an Italian Sailor (Sabrina Landi) wins the Individual Absolute Gold Medal: it is the first time a female sailor wins this title as well as the first Italian winner; Bruzzone attends also to European Championship in Balaton Lake, Hungary; in this occasion he is nominated Honour President of EODA (European Optimist Dinghy Association) as tribute for inventing this event and for promoting it until the world success; the European Championship bylaws, designed by Bruzzone, is based on "open" formula and guarantees the event to grow up to world event with much larger impact than just Europe: in effect the European Championship is characterised by a continue a significant attendance from Americas and Asia in addition to Europe, with best world-wide team representatives.

In 1987 Bruzzone creates first Mediterranean Championship in Bari (Italy): the new Optmist Meeting is just born, however over 60 yachts are on the sea.

In 1987 Bruzzone starts contacts with Cino Ricci, as provider of Trofeo Topolino Mondadori trademark, in order to organise back this event; in effect Topolino Italian Trophy, once active in Arona, Maggiore Lake, was stopped from a while; the regatta is successfully established (3 years in Ravenna, 2 on Garda Lake and then back in Ravenna); during the Garda Lake period the Topolino Italian Trophy is organised in Desenzano, where the yachts are loaded on two ferry boats that delivery directly them in best race location all over the lake: almost an unique solution for Optmist races.

In 1988 in World Championship, held in La Rochelle (France), Bruzzone resigned as World Vice President as protest against IODA policy for promiscuous accommodation solution used for Optimist sailors during the event; then he attends to the European Championship in Greece and to the second edition of Mediterranean Championship in Yugoslavia.

In 1989 he is present and active during World Championship, held in Yokohama (Japan), in Sweden for Euroepan and in Turkey for Mediterranean Championship.

In 1990 he participates to World Championship in Cascais (Portugal), European in Germany (Flensburg); in Cesme while he is President of Nation Meeting for Mediterranean Championship, France is nominated next year host of the event.

The Adriatic Fleet Command of Italian Navy, following the successful example of Trofeo Accademi Navale, decide to promote a co-operation with Optmist Class; Bruzzone creates a new regatta in Ancona, designed "Trofeo Marina Militare", that it is characterised by Croatia Slovenia large attendance.

In 1991 Bruzzone attends to the World Championship in Port Carras (Greece); during this event Yugoslavia resigned from hosting the next edition of the European Championship due to the war situation; Bruzzone in order to save the event creates a contingency plan and decides to move Championship in Italy; during the World Championship he sets up all the details for this projects and in effect the European Championship is successfully held in Anzio as joined event with "International Meeting of Rome"; this synergy brings to European Championship over 400 yachts: the event is not only saved, but gets its most spectacular success. In 1991 European Championship due to the American and Asia Team attendance surpassed the World Championship both in technical sense and as sport reference event.

In the same year France, due to financial problems, decides to resign from Mediterranean Championship organisation; Bruzzone attempts to operates as for the European Championship moving the event to Italy, therefore the time is too slow and so this edition of the Mediterranean Championship is cancelled, while the attendance is moved to the European Championship organised in Anzio for Christmas; in any case for raising this event Bruzzone decides to organise in Italy the 1992 edition of Mediterranean Championship.

In1992 he attends to the Optmist World Championship in Mar del Plata (Argentina), where he obtains the 1994 edition of World Championship for Italy; he participates to European Championship in Denmark and he organises with success the Mediterranean Championship in Ostia; this event is going very well fully recovering from the stop year due to France problems.

In 1993, during the World Championship in Kusadasi (Turkey) he is victim of an accident; for this reason he is unable to attend the European and World Championship; however, also in his absence, the AGM confirm to Italy the 1994 organization of the World Championship proposing Beppy Bruzzone as Honour Member of International Optmist Class.

In 1994 he organises the World Championship in Italy (Porto Rotondo); the event is characterised by over 180 yachts from over 36 countries: this is the largest World Championship never held until this time.

During the World Championship the AGM nominates, officially by acclamation, Beppy Bruzzone Honour Member of IODA, life term.

He moves to European Championship in Silivri (Turkey) and Mediterranean Opatija (Croatia).

IODA appoints Bruzzone as National and International representative for sponsor management; first contacts are with Nestle Multinational Group: Bruzzone nominates Sergio Gaibisso (FIV President) as coordinator IODA/AICO and FIV.

Summarising from the beginning of Bruzzone's role as AICO National Secretariat until 1994, Italian Team won the Team World Championship, (Team-Race World Championship, Mar del Plata Argentina) and obtained other five medals (2 argents and three bronzes); in Individual World Championship, the absolute title was two time won by Italian sailors (two years in a row in Andijk and La Rochelle), while Female Individual World Championship was won two times too.

During this period, Italy won two European Individual Absolute, one European Female Indivudual and five Mediterranean Championship (3 absolute individuals, 2 female individuals)

From the beginning of Bruzzone's activity as National Secretary of AICO, Optmist Class reached the number of about 600 active sailors in Italy (over twice the number of 1978); the Italian Sail Numbers, correspondent to active race yachts, moved from 1100 to 4700; the major events that was originally characterised by 60/80 sailboats (with maximum peaks of 120) are now usually passing 180 while, in correspondence of special events (Meeting del Garda, Trofeo Accademia), participants overpass 500 yachts: a number that, as already mentioned, it is a world-wide record for all the sailboat Classes and Nations.

In 1995 the Optimist Class calendar adds two new international events; the first is team race in Lecco, "Trofeo Centenario", bringing back on Como Lake a major Optmist regatta after over 15 years; the second it is a individual race established on Caldaro Lake.

In 1996, Bruzzone is forced by his health status to resign as National Secretary, AICO changes his bylaws and nominates him AICO President.

From 1996 to 2001 Bruzzone, fighting against his affection and thanks to the support from friends and from his wife (Annamaria), was being present at least in some of the Classic International Optimist Regattas he established and he was still receiving invitations for developing Optimist all over the world (i.e. Tunisia, Morocco).

August 13 2001 his heart stopped and now his body, wrapped in a flag of his beloved Optmist Class, lies on a hill dominating Varazze Gulf and Port Entrance watching the boys in the "nut shells" facing the Sea.

We wish he will outlive his life in friend memories and tales, while his soul will continue to Sail forever in our hearts

Agostino & Annamaria Bruzzone

International Medals and Titles 1978 - 1995 (Beppy Bruzzone AICO National Secretary)

Team World Championship: 1 Gold Medal, 2 Argent Medals, 3 Bronzes Models

Individual Absolute World Championship: 2 Gold Medals

Individual Female World Championship: 1 Titolo

Individual Absolute European Championship: 2 Titoli

Individual Female European Championship: 2 Titoli

Individual Absolute Mediterranean Championship: 3 Titoli

Individual Female Mediterranean Championship: 2 Titoli