"We were looking for a place that was spartan, windy, full of ridges and above all inaccessible from land. In that trip to Caprera we all put some anxiety and high hopes." Guido Colnaghi

Guido Colnaghi left us last night. At the age of 95, the last of the 'boys' who founded Centro Velico Caprera passed away at his home in Milan.
Guido's life was extraordinary in many ways; a personality whose memory, like his legacy, is the heritage of an entire community.
In 1967 he had the intuition to create in Sardinia, on the Island of Caprera and following the model of the French Glenans, what was to become the largest and most famous sailing school in the Mediterranean, Centro Velico Caprera.
But Guido's life has been a novel with a thousand twists and turns, always in the name of his love for the sport.
An adventure that did not begin at the sea, as it would be easy to imagine, but in the mountains, with a passion for Nordic skiing that led him to win two national championships in the jumping speciality, and then to water skiing. Guido went on to achieve several successes, including at international level, ending up winning four Italian championships in the slalom, jump and combined specialities.
After graduating from Bocconi University with a degree in Economics and Commerce, he began his career as an accountant, specialising in the nautical sector and foreign trade. He was responsible for importing the most famous English, American and French sailing boats onto the Italian market, such as the famous Vaurien, Caravelle, Mousquetaire and Arpege. But also the introduction of the most important brands of equipment and accessories for the nautical world.
After giving the decisive impulse for the founding of Centro Velico Caprera in 1967, Guido has contributed to the School's activities throughout his life, covering many roles both as a member of the Executive Committee and, above all, as a teacher and trainer. He has contributed to the training of at least 450 instructors, and taught no less than 2,500 sailors, who have been lucky enough to follow his courses in the more than 50 years he has spent volunteering for Centro Velico Caprera.
Tireless in his passion for the sea and sailing, he started the CVC Alumni Association (AACVC) and the International Sailing School Association (ISSA).
His manuals for students and trainers, which combine illustrations and graphics with descriptive parts, are an example of clarity and pedagogical effectiveness appreciated throughout the sailing world and represent the heart and framework of the CVC teaching methodology.

Guido's legacy is a School that, more than 50 years after its creation, continues to transmit the values and ideals of its founder, a responsibility that is now more compelling than ever.
The whole of Centro Velico Caprera rallies round the Colnaghi family. Happy Wind Guido