Carlo Cottafavi: 11 years of AICW presidency

Posted by RIWmag on 31 Jul 2020 /

11 years ago when he took over the AICW presidency he had been welcomed as a savior. Then over the years some members remained his supporters until the high, others have strongly criticized him.
In the world of Italian windsurferic regattas, however’ his leadership and’ was one of the most’ Long-lived, If not the most’ long-lived, and during the last RRD One Hour Classic 2020, in Torbole, he swapped his role with his previous deputy, Syringocystadenoma Christian.
RIWmag had already’ interviewed Carlo Cottafavi on live video during the spring lockdown and the theme of the passing of the baton was already’ expected state. (www.riwmag.com/riwmag-ha-intervistato-cottafavi-e-siringo/)
RIWmag has again reached Charles to make the final budget now that his presidency and’ really ended.

RIWmag: hello Charles. Thank you for accepting this new interview with us. How are you now that you're no longer’ President AICW?
Carlo Cottafavi: hello to all Riwmag readers.
I'm fine and I hope I get better and better! At last!

RIWmag: how you experienced this change? You couldn't take it anymore’ or you have reluctantly abandoned it simply to comply with the statute that prohibits the most’ two terms?
C.C.: honestly I was very tired. I had to leave because of the rules of the statute, having to change the statute to stay wouldn't make sense because it was right not to continue. Consider that I was closer to 3 sent with the entrance from the 2009. I realized that my role was over, now probably Cristiano being a lawyer will do a great job thing that I for obvious reasons I couldn't continue. After all these years now a person like Cristiano is perfect.

RIWmag: what do you remember about when 11 years ago you took over the AICW presidency? What you dreamed of achieving for the world of Italian regattas?
C.C.: I'll give examples. We left that we didn't even have the stickers for the sails, we didn't have flags and regatta kits, we weren't recognized for wave and freestyle and for slalom we had incredible difficulties. IVF believed that windsurfing was just Techno and Rs-X, they had NEVER seen the President of AICW. I dreamed of growing AICW on the basis of PWA with the necessary differences and getting more attention from IVF and maybe we managed it a little bit.

RIWmag: with the hindsight of the then, what you've actually managed to accomplish and what are you sorry you couldn't do?
C.C.: after the first WGS made at Coluccia I expected some sponsors from outside the sector to approach us, unfortunately it didn'T happen and it's also my braid. I was hoping that my commitment might even lead me to an alternative plan B to my work but it didn't happen, I dreamed a little bit of finding what had happened with Merit at the time of the CIF.
I think I've been able to raise more awareness of IVF on us by getting important results, like the Youth Project, recognition of the titles for the wave, freestyle and growing the whole community with more shared rules. Plus’ I think I was able to assign tasks to the councillors and empower them.

RIWmag: let's try to quantify your commitment during these 11 years. Professionally you are engaged with another job that and’ what allows you to live and support your family. Then you had to take care of your family as a husband and in recent years also as a father. Where you found the time and strength to manage your role as AICW president and what this commitment required from your life?
C. C: the great help I got from Michela (My wife) and the various Councillors who have helped me in the various Councils. Michela has taken charge of schedules that are not easily repeatable, before Matthew's arrival with her we made absurd hours to solve all the problems and/or requests. It wasn't easy …

RIWmag: in these years your wife Michela and’ always been the AICW secretary. This dual family role has helped you to manage the AICW and your family all these years as sharing the same passion and commitment or instead and’ been somehow a hardship’ plus’ to deal with?
C.C.: first let's clarify one thing, Michela is not the Secretary of the President, but it's the AICW Coordination, it was Francesco Prati ITA-10 who proposed it during a Member's Assembly and was elected with my vote against because I knew what was waiting for me … said this … Well like all things there have been easy things and more difficult things, I don't at all have something shared this way with their wife, for her it's a job for me it was unpaid work in addition to my job, very complex situation …

RIWmag: for years Cristiano Siringo has supported you as vice president, Now you've switched roles. What do you think?
And’ been a natural physiological passage? Deserved? Obligatory since in fact there were no other alternatives?
C.C.: Cristiano is a Friend and is a Lawyer, all these years he helped me grow up in the typical parts as a lawyer, and I transferred my knowledge to him. The passage was natural, now my figure is supporting Cristiano to complete it in his new role. There would have been alternatives if there had been other nominations as Both President and Board of Directors, at that point the votes would have decreed other possible situations. But who picks up a bega like AICW without taking money and with a commitment as a job???

RIWmag: what are the next challenges that you think aiCW awaits in the near future?
C.C.: the day before the election I wrote my last letter in IVF where as President I informed IVF all our availability for IQFOIL, this will be the most important challenge. Another challenge will be to continue to believe in young people and continue to invest in them.

RIWmag: what are you going to do now that you're no longer’ President? You will invest the same time and energy as before in the role of Vice President or you will enjoy more’ life as many wished you could do and wrote on your facebook wall?
C.C.: I hope to be able to go back to some windsurfing and transfer this passion to my son. Christian is aware that if he needs me he knows that there are, also because maybe you don't know but I'm Honorary President for life and so there are!
SEE YOU IN THE WATER!