Last night the Offshore ace Vincenzo Balestrieri two-time World Champion the sport has passed away at the age of 86 in Rome.

With a sporting history of boxing, football, basketball, japanese wrestling and car racing, Gold Medal in athletics in 1940 at the age of 14, Vincenzo Balestrieri began his sporting career in offshore racing in 1962 at the first edition of the Viareggio-Bastia -Viareggio with the "Cohete" a Picchiotti motoryacht. Since that time, for 13 years Balestrieri was one of the main protagonists of the sport by winning 28 international competitions, such as 4 editions of the Viareggio-Bastia-Viareggio, in 1964,68,70 and 1972, the Sam Griffith Memorial 1968 with Don Pruett, a controversial edition of the Miami-Nassau in 1970 with Jack Stuteville, two Wills International Trophy in England in 1969 and 1970 and then in the Punta Del Este Uruguaian race in 1971 and two Rio de La Plata in 1971 and 1973, two Naples Trophy in 1968 and 1970, two Rosa D'Oro in Yugoslavia in 1968 and 1969, a Gettingloppet in Sweden in 1968, two Dauphin D'Or in France in 1968 and 1971, and more. He won two World Titles UIM-Sam Griffith Trophy in 1968 and in 1970 finished second in 1971 and third in 1966,1969 and 1972.Ha also received two National Titles in South America in 1971 and 1973 and an Italian title in 1974.

He was the first non-American driver to win a US competition, the Sam Griffith Memorial in Miami in 1968.

He raced on hulls of Levi and Bertram but mostly with those of Aronow. Legendary boats like the Tornado a 28'Magnum in 1968, two Black Tornadoes 32' Cary in 1970-1972, two Black Tornadoes 36' Cigarette from 1971 to 1975.

Vincenzo Balestrieri was undoubtedly one of the main protagonists of the Offshore sport, along with the legendary Sam Griffith, Dick Bertram, Jim Wynne, Don Aronow, Bob Magoon, Carlo Bonomi, Betty Cook.



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The first race - Viareggio 1962



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The last race - Viareggio 1975




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Sad loss, and will be remembered as one of Offshore`s greatest.

He had a wicked sense of humour,as one day while visiting Don Shead`s design office (for a meeting re a new design),he arrived before Don,and being a small man he hid behind my drawing board,pencil in hand,only to surprise Don by apologising in broken English that it was taking so long to finish the new design.
Talk about a show stopper.

RIP..a true true offshore legend

Godspeed Vincenzo....

A juicy anecdote,Flying,he had a typically Italian peculiarity. Joke at a time but also irritable to another.

Rest in Peace

I remember his jokes well, I was lucky to have known him , during my days at cigarette. he was a tuff competitor and a good man. I salute him. sonny miller

I concur, this is a very sad loss of a true legend to the sport.

Perhaps it would be fitting do dedicate a race to the great man, maybe a VBV or this years CTC???

Thank you for bringing this to everyones attention Marco.

Sincerely........

So sorry to hear, Vincenzo was one of the fiercest competitors I have ever had the pleasure to race against, for a small man he was a giant in the sport, and you always knew he would run you harder than anyone else on the circuit. He was a bitter rival of Bonomi, but was always great with me, always bantering with me, joking and we became good friends, even though I raced with Bonomi, he always knew if he beat us it was a deserved victory. Vincenzo was also one of the first Italians to give the american throttlemen the oportunities to race and throttle for the UIM world championship chases, he hired the best at the time, Don Pruitt, Jack Stuteville, Bobby Moore. He was one of the first to have multiple boats racing around the world. His equip. was always the best money could buy. He will be missed and condolences to his family RIP another member of the greatest team up stairs.

So sorry to hear Marco. He is joining some greats of the sport.