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Obituary by Alfredo Ricci

Professor Luciano Giacomi is without any doubt the most talent and famous judge and umpire we have in Italy.

Luciano was from Trieste and he was a professor at school of physical education. Strong character but outspoken.

He was also a very good basketball referee but so flexible that a minute later was able to jump on a rib a be a sailing judge with his whistler.

I still don't know how many languages he was able to speak, English, French, Spanish, Slovenian, Croatian and many others.

He took part at Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games and he was also member of the America's Cup Umpire team in Auckland 2003.

All Italian Judges and Umpires, in the last thirty years, have been discovered, selected and trained by him.

He was a pure talent, a natural communicator and in few words he could easily explain a rule situation or a case that would take a week to any other judge.

His ideas and proposal as member of ISAF Racing Rules Committee have been apprecciated from all over the world.

When in Italy you say match racing, team racing or rule 42 the first name that pops up is Luciano.

It was his idea, when Match Racing was still cover by Appendix D, to push for delay penalties.

All the sailors from junior to senior were just enchanted when he was running one of his lessons.

If you had a doubt of a rule interpretation or you had a tough case in a hearing sailor or judge the first number to call was his number.

He was my mentor, my master,

Bye Luciano.