Another Italian Driver has passed away
 

Sad new today January 10 th 2009, the editor-driver Giorgio Mondadori has gone. It was 91 years old.
Son of Arnoldo Mondadori the most important Italian publisher had had the passion for the motorboating and to the beginnings of the seventies become a driver and he had gotten involved in the project of the development of the catamarans in offshore racing with the team organized by Attilio Petroni and Francesco Cosentino.
Nicopao a tin catamaran was then its first boat for the class 1 in 1971. In1972 he bought the whole team of the American Tom Gentry that he was racing in Europe with the red Cigarette 36' Innerspace simply re-naming it Nick.
Successes arrived later the year, 1973, with the same boat now renamed Nicopao. He won the Bellaria-Opatija and the Southern Speed Trophy of Hamble. It also got a prestigious second place at the Miami-Nassau after a fierce duel with Bonomi that won.
That year Mondadori had also raced another American race, the Hennessy Gran Prix but lending from Satullo the 36' Copper Kettle and still arriving second and always after a dog-fight duel this time with the American ace and Kiekhaefer's top driver, Bob Magoon.
After this promising season Mondadori decided to retire from the competitions totally disappearing from the environment.
He leaves his wife Nara(the Lady Nara of the boats of Ronny Bonelli stepson of Mondadori) and his sons Claudia, Niccolò (the Nick of the boat of the 1972) and Paolo (what with his brother they formed the name Nicopao for the cat and the 36' in 1973).

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May he Rest in peace..

We all hope he will...

If the '73 Hennesy had been only a mile longer, he would have won, Davey Wilson at the throttles.

A terrific competitor and a true Gentleman: May he rest in Peace.

Gene