Francesco De Vita is the Technical Consultant at Ullman Sails RSA. He was born in Naples, Italy where he honed his skills as a sailor from a very young age. When it comes to sailing and sail making, you will struggle to find someone that shares more passion for the sport and the oceans than Francesco. All his years of sailing have gifted him with many skills and he feels you can only succeed if you challenge yourself every time you weigh anchor.

Sailing Achievements

Francesco is a premium racer who has competed in numerous races across the globe. In the America’s Cup he was part of the Mascalzone Latino team for over a decade. He has also won many World and European Championships including the infamous Rolex Fastnet Race, the Giraglia Rolex Cup, and the Rolex Middle Sea Race. In the summer months in Europe he competes in the Rolex and ORC circuits aboard Swans, Mylius 60s and other similar yachts.

Ullman Sails GP Race Series – Red Line Spinnaker aboard the Mylius 60 ‘Fra Diavolo’ during the Volcano Race which Francesco competed in.

Performance Manager for TP52

Due to these accomplishments, ambition and pure passion he is now involved with the brand new Macchia Mediterranea TP52 as a Performance Manager. The TP52 is a pure racer, entirely built with pre-preg carbon fiber according to the most advanced construction techniques using FiberPath Sails. Francesco has been chosen to be part of the crew.

Francesco working on the TP52 sails

An Interview with Francesco De Vita

Who introduced you to the world of sailing and how old were you?

I was 5 years old when I started sailing. One could say it was a ‘family disease’ where the passion for sailing was passed onto me!

What made you ‘fall in love’ with sailing/ being on the ocean?

I fell in love with the freedom, but mostly loved the competition – I don’t like to lose! I find the ocean fun and it lifts my spirits. It’s in my bones. I am like the ocean – I see it as evolving – it never stops moving and changing, like me. Sailing is full of challenges and that’s what I like about it. Every moment you are put in a challenging position, and I like it. You learn to manage your fear. I would prefer to die at sea because I would feel more comfortable!

Do you have any personal challenges on the ocean?

For long journeys, like an 11 day sail I did, I got very nauseous and couldn’t eat, so I ended up with headaches. I had to force down a piece of bread so I could take medicine for the headaches. I lost 4kg! But you have to carry on, you can’t give up and you have to make it back to land. We work in rotation with a crew of 12. There are 4 of us on the deck at a time and you have to just keep going.

What was your first boat and what did you name it?

My first boat was an Optimist and I named it after the three little ducks from Disney. I think it was Huey, Dewey and Louie.

What year did you move from Italy to South Africa and why?

In 2007 I went to visit a friend who worked for another yachting company and I was impressed with Cape Town. Everything felt new and it was like a wild space. The owner of the company asked me to work for them and after some hesitation, I finally consented. I became a designer and used most of my experience I had from sailing to design sails.

What do you feel are the skills that you have brought to Ullman Sails?

Sailing honed my skills – you don’t need qualifications to be a sailor, you need passion; to learn how to use new materials, take risks and push the boundaries.

You are a fine competitor. What awards have you won around the world?

I have won 5 world championships, 3 European championships and numerous championships in Italy.

Please can you tell us a bit about your upcoming sailing competitions?

My next race will be the Nation Cup in Scarlino (Italy), then St Tropez (France), Capri (Italy), then the Trieste (Italy), Palma de Malorca (Spain) and Malta (Europe).

Ullman Sails is proud to have such a talented and vibrant employee and we wish him all the very best for his future racing conquests.