Eight Bells: Giovanni De Carolis

by Alberto Perdisa

Our dear friend Giovanni De Carolis has joined his beloved brother Mattia in heaven. For years, he bravely battled an illness, fighting with strength until the very end. Until last summer, he hosted us at his country home in the Rimini hills, a cherished tradition after the Snipe regattas at the “circolino” he loved so much.

For a while now, Giovanni had made his boat, “Matti,” available to the young sailors of the Centro Velico Riccione. This allowed them to discover the Snipe (Beccaccino) and become leading figures in the class today. With his skilled hands and artistic flair, he created the trophy named after his brother Mattia, who was lost at sea when the Parsifal sank. It’s a beautiful trophy, highly sought after by all of us sailors in the Romagna sea.

We have lost a great man, one of the best I’ve ever known. We will miss his intelligence, his wit, his noble and kind demeanor, and his humanity.

Goodbye, dear Giovanni.