Stefano Chiarotti, Italian Skipper of the SUN FAST 3600, "Lunatika NTT DATA Italia"
Portrait of Stefano Chiarotti
Skipper of the Sun Fast 3600 “Lunatika NTT DATA Italia,” winner of the 2015 and 2016 Italian Offshore Championship and first in the provisional ranking this year, Stefano Chiarotti is a determined and passionate sailboat racer.
Stefano has little experience, but what he lacks in experience, he makes up in sheer determination. By virtue of his tenacity, he has succeeded in attaining his own sailing objectives in very little time.
The Interview
This interview with Stefano Chiarotti was conducted by the magazine, Solovelanet:
SVN – How did Stefano Chiarotti become a racer aboard a Sun Fast 3600?
S.C. – I began sailing about 10 years ago, more or less, on a Mini 6.50, and then I went on to do regattas dedicated to D-Ones. I dreamed of the high seas, and when I saw the performance of the Sun Fast 3600, I fell in love. In October of 2013, I finalised my purchase in La Rochelle.
SVN – In spite of your lack of experience, you were able to rank well in double or single-handed racing, and you collected a fine selection of first prizes. What is your secret?
S.C. – Certainly lots of passion, study and application. For the rest, I’ll admit, all the credit goes to the Sun Fast 3600, a very competitive boat and one that is ideal for ORC and IRC racing.
SVN – A question of rating, then?
S.C. Yes, but not only that. The Sun Fast 3600 sails well and in all conditions. It is easy to handle and well adapted to short-handed sailing, with perfect rig dimensions.
SVN – Even while sailing upwind?
S.C. – Yes, and that is the real surprise! Even if its lines are more suited to reaching, it sails just as well close-hauled, as with other narrower boats. It suffers sometimes in choppy seas, but one can’t have everything.
SVN – And offshore?
S.C. – You fly. During the “Regata dei Tre Golfi,” with winds of 25 knots, we held an average of 15 and we surfed up to 20 knots.
SVN – Have you made some improvements to your Sun Fast 3600?
S.C. – I just revisited the profiles of the keel and rudder, and optimized the sails with Cruciani, but without making any substantial or structural modifications. On the contrary, I just added several kilos of accessories to the boat for cruising – from time to time.
SVN – How do you find cruising on a boat designed for racing?
S.C. – It is good, even if, obviously, you must be able to adapt a bit.
SVN – What are your future plans?
S.C. – Continue to race double and single-handed, and win the Italian Offshore Championship this year. We already won it in 2015 and 2016 in the Double-Handed category, but this year, for the moment, we are clearly in first place, ahead of the crewed boats.
