SOURCE: https://www.giornaledellavela.com/ – We are at Antigua Sailing Week, the great Caribbean sailing festival where our Ida Castiglioni is on the hunt for stories(here the first episode and the second episode). After meeting Irina, who escaped the war in Ukraine “thanks” to sailing, telling us the story of Carlo Falcone, former Honorary Consul of Italy in Antigua, collecting for us the interview with Dean Barker, America’s Cup “veteran” on the future – not at all clear – of the oldest sports trophy in the world, now it is the turn of the interview with Rocco Falcone, Carlo’s son and especially fresh winner of the Youth America’s Cup (the America’s Cup for young people) with the AC40 Luna Rossa.
Rocco Falcone – Growing up in a sailing paradise
In Antigua everyone knows who Rocco Falcone is, born here and a citizen of this island, especially for his achievements in world sailing: many cheered for him and the crew last September during the Barcelona regattas when, with Luna Rossa Team’s AC40, he won the Youth America’s Cup. So much so that Rocco eventually took the trophy he won away to the island, where everyone could admire it.
VIDEO – Interview with Rocco Falcone
Rocco was born in Antigua in December 2020 and is the son of Carlo and Carla Vittoria Falcone (crew of the Star that, under the flag of Antigua, participated in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics), and the imprinting he received from two parents with such passion could only lead him to racing.
Rocco, like his brothers, started sailing right in Antigua on the Caccia alla Volpe, the cruising Vallicelli that participated in this Antigua Sailing Week. When he was 6 years old, he started learning how to do it by sailing on a Laser with his parents.
Antigua has a Yacth Club that provides boats and coaches to promote sailing, plus the National Sailing Academy of Antigua and Bermuda supports local youth who want to take up the sport.
Rocco began racing on the Optimist, a class on which in past decades most of the champions who went on to win gold at the Olympics began their sporting careers. At 11 years old, having competed in many regattas in the Caribbean, Rocco is competitive. Also because in front of him he has the example of his older brother Shannon who has competed and won in world competitions such as the Volvo and the America’s Cup. Shannon is an idol for him and his parents support and back him in all transfers that allow him to participate in competitions abroad. In addition, Karl James, president of the Antigua and Barbuda Sailing Association (ABSA), always pushes him to strive and improve.
As early as 15 years old, Rocco placed among the top in the 2015 North American Championship. Training in Antigua is a great gym for him because the winds here are constant and often strong, but also variable. But to those who ask him what his favorite place to sail is, he replies with a smile: Garda Lake, Italy.
Since then he has been collecting successes in all the regattas around the world and, in the 2022/2023 season, Rocco and Junella King are participating as Team Antigua and Barbuda in the 69 F Sailing Series and in American Magic’s training program, ahead of the Youth & Women AC.
In 2024, he joined the Luna Rossa team and began his training on the AC40s toward the America’s Cup reserved for youngsters, which would see them win: a perfect crew, which lined up Marco Gradoni and Gianluigi Ugolini as helmsmen, Rocco Falcone and Federico Colaninno, as trimmers.
Ida Castiglioni
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Way of correction-Articles said he was born in 2020, the said in 2015 he was 15 years old. So it reason to me he was born in the year 2000. Anyhow congratulations!
Well done Rocco!!! Antigua & Barbuda has many greats young sailors,in a near future we will see who really their be in the sailing competitions.
God bless Antigua & Barbuda!!!!!