Old salt lucky for Prada

By SUZANNE McFADDEN

He's 73 and about to sail in the race of his life.

Renzo Guidi, from a tiny seaside village in Italy, finds himself at the heart of one of the world's greatest sporting events - because his superstitious countrymen need him as their lucky charm.

When the Italian challenger Prada lines up against AmericaOne in the opening race of the Louis Vuitton Cup finals today, Guidi will be at the back of the silver boat Luna Rossa as 17th man, or observer.

It is probably the most unpleasant seat in the house, being flung from side to side in the action.

But Guidi, who thought he quit sailing 30 years ago, has brought so much good fortune to Luna Rossa in the past few weeks that he now has a national duty to perform.

He has taken over the role of observer from an old skipper from all those years ago, Patrizio Bertelli, head of both the Prada challenge and fashion house.

Bertelli rode as 17th man in almost every race on the Hauraki Gulf until early in the semifinals, when Prada's mast broke.

"After that Mr Bertelli was not very happy - he thought he brought bad luck."

So he turned to his old sailing friend, here in Auckland from the beginning as an ardent Prada supporter.

"He thought it may be better if I was 17th man," Guidi said.

When Guidi jumped on board, Prada won six of their next seven races - their only loss a contentious one to their opponents today, AmericaOne.

Now around the Prada camp the very name Guidi has come to mean good luck.

"For me it is such a great experience to be part of the crew - something I believed would never happen in my lifetime.

"So it is the crew who give me luck," he said.

Guidi first sailed - albeit reluctantly - for Bertelli almost 30 years ago, and they have been firm friends ever since. "I was 45 and I didn't want to race any more. I had never met Mr Bertelli, but he built a boat and asked me to sail it for him," Guidi said.

"I said 'no, I have finished,' but Mr Bertelli insisted.

"Now he is thanking me for my friendship. He says to me, 'A man who has loved the sea all his life deserves to do this'."

Guidi lives and runs a hotel in the village of Castiglione della Pescaia, near Prada's summer base in Punta Ala.

"As a kid I would sail my little boat off the beach and I was happy with that. I never dreamed of sailing on an America's Cup boat, especially when I was this old.

"So this is a very important moment in my life."