Beppe Croce

Beppe Croce was an Italian sailor and yachtsman. He was raised by his grandfather Beppe Croce, after whom he was named, after his father Luigi had died in 1918 of a disease contracted while serving as an Army Officer in Trieste during World War I. Beppe’s grandfather was the founder of the Italian Tennis Federation, leading that group from 1913-29. He also presided over the Tennis Club Genova from 1913-29.

In 1939 Croce won the Italian University Star Class championship and later served as an officer during World War II. After the September 1943 armistice he remained faithful to King Vittorio Emanuele III and fought the Nazis as a liberal partisan and after the war, from 1946-80, Beppe became President of Lloyd Adriatico, the insurance company founded by his grandfather.

In 1948 Croce competed at the Olympic Games in the 6 metres Class, placing eighth, and in 1952, together with his French friend Renè Levainville, he founded the famous Giraglia Cup, a regatta between St. Tropez and Genova organized by the Yacht Club Italiano in collaboration with the Yacht Club de France, which nowadays involves hundreds of sailors and maxi-yachts. Croce also played an important role in the organization of the 1982 Azzurra America’s Cup Challenge, the first Italian attempt to win the Cup, financed by his friend and FIAT president Gianni Agnelli, with the help of the Olympian Karim, Prince Aga Khan.

From 1969 to his death in 1986 Beppe Croce was the first non-British President of the International Sailing Federation (ISAF), was President of the Italian Federation from 1957-81, and Vice-President of the Italian Olympic Committee 1973-78. His son, Carlo Croce, (twice an Olympian) followed in his father’s footsteps as President of World Sailing (former ISAF) from 2013-16 and the Italian Federation from 2013-16.

Beppe Croce passed away at 72-years-old. A memorial celebration was held at London’s Westminster Cathedral attended by, among others, an emissary of HRH Prince Philip (Sir Owen Aisher), King Olaf V of Norway, and Prince Aga Khan IV. In memory of him, since 1989 World Sailing has presented the annual Beppe Croce Trophy. The roll of honor includes multiple Olympic medalists and all have dedicated an outstanding amount of time to the sport of sailing.

During his life Croce assembled an important collection of Yacht Portrait Paintings from 1800 and they were in his house of Portofino, a small town near Genova. Some years ago his family gifted about 100 paintings to the Galata Museo del Mare now on show permanently at the Beppe Croce Gallery.