Compagnia della Vela is a

yacht A yacht () is a sail- or marine propulsion, motor-propelled watercraft made for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a ...

club in

Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

, in northern

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. The club was the "Challenger of Record" for the 1992 America's Cup, where they were represented by their team Il Moro di Venezia, and won the 1992 Louis Vuitton Cup.

History

Founded on March 15, 1911, as a ''Yacht Club Veneziano'' (Venetian Yacht Club), among its members it included Gabriele d'Annunzio who, in a message dated 1919 (the original is kept in the company

headquarter Headquarters (often referred to as HQ) notes the location where most or all of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. The term is used in a wide variety of situations, including private sector corporations, non-profits, mil ...

s), inspired the new name ''Compagnia della Vela'' (Company of Sailing) and the Latin motto ''Custodi, Domine, vigilantes'' (Protect, oh Lord, the Watchful), after the club initials "CDV." With the patent of December 1933, the

King of Italy King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a constitutional monarch if his power is restrained by ...

Vittorio Emanuele III Victor Emmanuel III (; 11 November 1869 – 28 December 1947) was King of Italy from 29 July 1900 until his abdication on 9 May 1946. A member of the House of Savoy, he also reigned as Emperor of Ethiopia from 1936 to 1941 and King of the Albania ...

, granted the company the privilege to display the ''Stemma Reale'' (Royal Coat of Arms) on the ''guidone sociale'' (club burgee), in addition to the honor of bearing the National War Flag that had already been previously accorded to the Venetian Yacht Club and the club was accordingly renamed the ''Reale Compagnia della Vela'' (Royal Company of Sailing). Returning to previous name of ''Compagnia della Vela'' at the advent of the

Republic of Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

in 1948, to date the burgee consists of a white cross on a red field, with a green canton filling the upper quarter at the hoist. In 1990 the Compagnia della Vela received from the

Italian National Olympic Committee The Italian National Olympic Committee (, CONI), founded in 1914 and a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), is responsible for the development and management of sports activity in ItalyWithin Italy, CONI recognizes 48 national ...

(CONI) the Silver Star for sporting merit. In 1995, the CONI awarded the Compagnia della Vela their Gold Star for sporting merit. In 2012 the Compagnia della Vela received the Golden Collar for sporting merit.

Il Moro di Venezia

'' Il Moro di Venezia V'' won the 1992 Louis Vuitton Cup, the competition among all potential challengers—in 1992, eight competing teams from seven nations—to become the sole challenger for the America's Cup. However, despite being favourites, they were unable to win the 1992 America's Cup.

Notable members

* Gabriele d'Annunzio * Giuseppe Volpi *

Vittorio Marzotto Vittorio Marzotto (13 June 1922, Valdagno – 4 February 1999) was an Italian racing driver. Born in Valdagno, near Vicenza, Vittorio was the son of Gaetano Marzotto, the founder of the Marzotto textile manufacturer company. He was the oldes ...

Raul Gardini Raul Gardini (7 June 1933 – 23 July 1993) was an Italian agri-business and chemicals tycoon. In 1980, he took the helm of his father-in-law Serafino Ferruzzi's family business, starting an aggressive campaign that led to the acquisition of th ...

References

External links

* {{Authority control Yacht clubs in Italy Sport in Venice

History

Il Moro di Venezia

Notable members

See also

References

External links