Horacio Carabelli


Horacio Carabelli is a Brazilian, Uruguay-born sailor and engineer.

Early life

Horacio Carabelli was born in Montevideo, Uruguay in a family of sailors. Son of an Argentinian boat builder, Anibal Horacio Carabelli, and grandson of a naval captain, Carlos Mari, Horacio grew sailing at the Yacht Club Uruguayo. As a child his hobby was to build very detailed ship and plane models. At the age of eight he started participating in national and international competitions in the Optimist sailing class. During his adolescence he sailed in Snipe class with Luis Chiaparro first and Christopher Shewe afterwards, competing in Snipe World Championships where he obtained the Vieri Lasinio Di Castelvero Trophy in two consecutive World Junior Championships.
Horacio and Luis Chiaparro also obtained the third place in the Open World Championship in La Rochelle, France 1987.
Horacio represented Uruguay in the Seoul 1988 Summer Olympics together with Luis Chiaparro and Heber Ansorena, sailing in the Soling Class.
After finishing his high school studies Horacio moved to Florianopolis, Brazil, where his father sailed and built boats. Once in Brazil, Horacio became a full member of the Iate Clube Santa Catarina, and continued sailing and working on his father's shipyard while studying naval design and engineering at the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Horacio has continued his sailing career participating in many international championships in different sailing classes while designing and constructing boats.

Sailing career

International Snipe class Sailing Championships

Horacio Carabelli obtained several awards in International Snipe World Championships:
In 1990 Horacio Carabelli and Luis Chiaparro won the Snipe South American Championship held in Buenos Aires, Argentina and obtained two second places: in the Snipe South American Championships held in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil in 1988; and in Porto Alegre, Río Grande do Sul, Brazil in 1992.
Horacio also participated in the Pan American Games that were held in 1987 in Indianapolis, United States of America and in the Northamerican Championship.

1988 Summer Olympic Games

Horacio Carabelli participated in the 1988 Summer Olympic Games held in Seoul, South Korea, and obtained the 16th place together with crew members Luis Chiaparro and Heber Ansorena.

Volvo Ocean Race

Horacio Carabelli has participated in three Volvo Ocean Race editions. At the 2008–09 Volvo Ocean Race Horacio obtained the first place with the Ericsson 4 team commanded by Torben Grael together with Jules Salter, Guy Salter, Brad Jackson, Stu Bannatyne, Dave Endean, Joao Signorini, Ryan Godfre, Phil Jameson and Tony Mutter. After hard work, great enthusiasm and commitment throughout the race, the team established a new world record on the Volvo Ocean 70 class. They broke the world record for a monohull 24‑hour distance achieving 596.6 nautical miles.
Sailing reporter Felipe Caruso stated in Brazilian sailing magazine 'Náutica' :
''"Carabelli is always focused on Ericsson' 4 sails: no one knows the boat commanded by Torben Grael around the world better than him Torben Grael's first time companion, the brazilian-uruguayan Horacio Carabelli is, also, the spirit of the leadering boat of the Volvo Ocean Race."
During the 2005–06 Volvo Ocean Race Horacio Carabelli obtained the third place on board of the Brasil 1 vessel commanded by the skipper Torben Grael together with Alan Adler, André Fonseca, Andy Meiklejohn, Joca Signorini, Kiko Pellicano, Knud Frostad, Marcel Van Triest, Marcelo Ferreira, Roberto Bermúdez and Stuart Wilson. Horacio was Trimmer and Technical Director in the 'Brasil 1' team. He enjoyed sailing around the world and crossing Cape Horn for the first time with the "Brasil 1" team and, as skipper Torben Grael stated in the interview done by Murillo Novais: Horacio Carabelli's role in the team was essential.
In the Volvo Ocean Race 2011–12 edition Horacio was the Technical Director of Team Telefónica with Skipper Iker Martínez and the following crew: Andrew Cape, Xabi Fernández, Neal McDonald, Pepe Ribes, Jordi Calafat, Joao Signorini, Pablo Arrarte, Antonio Cuervas-Mons, Zane Gills and Diego Fructuoso. Team Telefónica obtained the fourth general place after very tight regatta results.

America's Cup

Horacio Carabelli has participated in the America's Cup international regatta since 2006. During the 2007 edition held in Valencia, Spain, he was the Mast Department Manager and Special Projects developer of the Swedish team Victory Challenge managed by Hugo Stenbeck. In the 2013 edition which was held in San Francisco, California, United States of America, he was the Wing Project Manager for the Swedish team Artemis.
At present, he is the Construction Coordinator of Team Luna Rossa, Italy which will be challenging the Oracle Team from United States on the next America's Cup edition in San Francisco, California, United States of America.

Brazilian Championships

Horacio has participaten in several Brazilian Championships in different sailing classes: Optimist, Snipe, Laser, Star, Multimar 32, ILC25, among others. In 1999 his team – with Horacio as a skipper – obtained the first place at the IMS Brazilian Championship held in Ilhabela, São Paulo, Brazil in the Vmax4, ILC25.

Boat design and building

As an engineer, Horacio Carabelli does not only integrate his engineering skills while sailing, he has also carried out projects, constructions and designs regarding different types of vessels: yachts, motor yachts, schooners, monohull ships and multihull yachts.
In yachting, Carabelli is well known for his Multimar 32' yacht project as the sailboats he designed have obtained important prizes in national and international IMS class competitions. Some of the Multimar 32 sailboats are: Gosto D'Água, Scirocco, Resgate, Mano a Mano, ESPN Brasil and Vmax. At the moment a Carabelli 30' sailing class is being made from his design by a Brazilian shipyard.
Between 2001 and 2004 Horacio Carabelli was in charge of the construction of a 156-foot motoryacht constructed by Abeking & Rasmussen Luxury Motor Yacht in Germany.
In 1997 he also designed and built his own ILC25 and many of the sailboats made won national and international championships.
All in all, Horacio Carabelli has designed and built sailboats of the following classes: