Race Coach
Paolo discovered his passion for sailing at a young age, learning to sail Optimists (a single-handed dinghy) on Italy’s Lago Maggiore. After a long break from the sport, he returned to sailing in 2016, training first at OCSC and then at Modern Sailing. There, he earned both US Sailing and ASA certifications and spent countless days exploring San Francisco Bay aboard much of the Modern Sailing fleet.
Beyond the Bay Area, Paolo has sailed extensively in international cruising destinations, including St. Lucia and the Grenadines, Greece, Croatia, French Polynesia, Sardinia, Sicily, Belize, and the British Virgin Islands.
In 2022, Paolo discovered sailboat racing through the Berkeley Yacht Club Beercan Races with Modern Sailing. Quickly bitten by the racing bug, he purchased his first boat—a J/105 named Chao Pescao—which is now part of the Modern Sailing Sausalito fleet and actively supports the club’s racing program. An avid competitor, Paolo has participated in over 200 races in the past four years and is highly active in the Bay Area J/105 fleet.
Paolo earned his ASA Instructor credentials and U.S. Coast Guard Captain’s License in 2023 and began teaching at Modern Sailing the following year.
