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The foundation of STA – Italia is due to the Italian Military Navy and Yacht Club Italiano. The relative agreement was signed on 16th July 1996 on board of Amerigo Vespucci by Admiral Angelo Mariani and Giovanni Novi, at the time President of Yacht Club Italiano. It was Beppe Croce, unforgettable protagonist of the sailing world, who wanted the introduction of Yacht Club Italiano within ISTA and Novi was designated like the Italian representative in the Association.
Novi became President of Yacht Club Italiano after the death of Beppe Croce and he has been promoting and organizing the stay of Tall Ships in Genoa in 1992, before the departure for the “Great Columbus Race 1992”.
STA-I is open to all those Institutions, Bodies, Associations and people that wish to become Promoting Members, contributing this way to increase its diffusion with their engagement and their experience.
STA-I statute foresees two kinds of members: the “Founders” and “The Promoting Members”. A third figure is that of the “Friends” for the persons who, sharing the purposes of Association, contribute to accomplish them. In this last category, in particular, we find the Ship-owners that put their boats at disposal for the training aims; or people that cooperate financially or put their capacity ad experience at disposal for the development of the Association.
The “trainees” are youngsters of both sexes, age between 16 and 25 years. All the activity of the Association goes to them.
The Promoting Members are public or private Bodies, Societies, Institutions or people that support and promote STA-I. They have the right to vote in the Annual Ordinary Meeting and can elect the Steering Committee; they have the priority in choosing the trainees for the carrying out of the operative activities.
Nautical Means
Since its constitution, STA-I has been cherishing the ambitious project of building at least one square sailed vessel just to give a chance to young people to learn and then love sea and sailing. For this aim, the famous naval architect Colin Mudie has already planned a project of a big hermaphrodite brig of 150 tons and 30 metres long for about twenty trainees. To realize this project, it is necessary to find one or more adequate sponsors or a big subscription, as there have been in other Countries.
Awaiting to see this “dream” realized, STA-I has however been able to do a lot of effective activity, benefiting by the Italian Military Navy’s availability in embarking STAI-I trainees on Amerigo Vespucci and Palinuro and minor vessels and on vessels of other Countries.
Operative Activity
During these years, the Association has defined a standard operative activity, that consists of:
- One or two Training Meetings every year
- A variable number of weekends STA-I (WS)
- Summer embarkations on sail training vessels of other Countries
- Local programs of short exits for “sea approaching” in favour of high class students
- Recent experimental courses of seamanship pre – training, 15 hours long, to give youngsters the knowledge of the necessary basis to participate to the above mentioned activities with a larger profit.
The Training Meetings are events that interest youngsters coming from all parts of Italy. During these STA-I offers hospitality also to foreign trainees coming from Countries of other Associations linked to STI, with which there is a continuous cultural interchange, defined by the respective Ministries of Foreign Affairs. In these meetings usually from 50 to 120 youngsters on 15/20 vessels are involved. The initiatives are programmed, followed and supervised by the head office in Genoa. Usually they last from five to ten days and they take place in April and September.
The Weekends are local events interesting youngsters of one or more nearby regions, involving from 30 to 50 youngsters on up to ten vessels. They are organized by individual Promoter sailing Clubs with the support and collaboration of the head office.
The summer embarkations abroad are part of the interchange between Italy and the other Countries connected with the STI and involve about 15 trainees for 10/15 days, generally taking part to “Tall Ships’ Races”, normally in the North Sea. Even these activities are free of charge; the trainees have only to pay travel expenses to reach the port of embarkation.
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