The First Founding Members:

The Steering Committee: Guidance, Vision, and Passion in service of vintage boating

Composed of members with proven experience and a deep passion for traditional seamanship, the Steering Committee is the operational heart of ASDEC.

It is the body responsible for coordinating activities, outlining strategic guidelines, and ensuring the continuity of the founding ideals. The Committee constantly promotes cultural, technical, and educational initiatives aimed at both industry experts and the general public.

President

I like to define myself as both a sailor and a seafaring owner. A lawyer specializing in Corporate Law, I have been a member of the Bar Association since 1971 and registered as a National Statutory Auditor since 1993.
Passionate about maritime traditions and nautical history, I hold several positions in associations dedicated to vintage yachting. I have been a member of ASDEC since 1990 and currently serve as its President. Additionally, I am the Vice President of FIBAS (Italian Federation of Historic Boats), a Board Member of the Foundation managing the Museo Barca Lariana, and a member of the Board of Auditors for the Milan branch of the Lega Navale.

Vice President

Passionate about the sea and all related sports since my youth, I got into boating as a child during summer holidays by attending sailing courses with the Optimist dinghies and later “tinkering” with Laser dinghies.
The passion for powerboating, however, started thanks to the teachings of my father Michele (an former powerboat racer who competed in the 1960s in the “Racer” category, or in jargon, “three points” – 1,300cc class).
At the age of 15 (in the 90s), I obtained my FIM National Racing License at the “Gabbiane” Nautical Club in Chignolo Po’, and with their racing team, I participated in various Italian championships with outboard mono-hull boats in the T400 and T550 circuit formula categories.
In 1998, following the restoration of the family vessel built in 1963 by the “San Marco” shipyard (California model with an Interceptor 215HP inboard engine), I came to know ASDEC.
Our fellowship has continued every year since, organizing highly enjoyable gatherings united by the same passion for vintage vessels.
In 2015, I joined the Steering Committee, and I currently serve as Vice President and ASDEC Certifier, having been a member since 2008.

Secretary-General

Lover of mechanics and art.
In the nautical field, I took my first “steps” on a Roar 35 in Croatia in the early 1970s.
Hailing from a family of sea and lake lovers, I inherited and enjoyed the passions of home
I obtained my first boating license at the age of 16 in Senj, Croatia; the rest came in the following years.
Lake Maggiore, my mother’s spring holiday spot, saw the primary use of a Runabout Super Falco built by the Vidoli shipyard.
Lake Como, the summer holiday spot that preceded the vacation in the Mediterranean seas, was characterized by the use of an Arcangeli motorboat, owned by my grandfather, and a Dingone.
The Dingone was built by the Taroni shipyard, using craftsmen including Luigi and Ernesto Riva, and was utilized both for fishing and for occasional regattas throughout the year.
My summers, from the mid-seventies for about a decade, were characterized by wonderful cruises departing from Mestre or Ancona, heading towards Yugoslavia, aboard a 21-meter Sloop built by the Costaguta shipyard in Genoa.
A good portion of my holidays took place at the house in Croatia, where a Cruiser Super Corvetta from the Chiavari shipyards was always present.
It was equipped with two very noisy Perkins diesel engines, and it was brought specifically from Italy for short trips between the various islands of the Kornati archipelago.
My autumns were characterized by boat trips off the coast of Portofino, with my brother, first using a Flying Junior, and then a 4.70.
Currently, I predominantly use a 1957 Chris Craft Runabout on Lake Como, and a 1960 Alpa dinghy.
I fell in love with ASDEC in 1993.
I have been an ASDEC Auditor since 2023. I am part of the Technical-Scientific Committee at the Museo Barca Lariana.

Board Member

I was born in Milan in 1948.
Around the age of 15, I became passionate about sailing, a passion that has never left me since.
I started with dinghies, the Flying Junior and the 470, with an intense racing activity—crowned by little success—before steering my interests towards cruising.
In 1990, I decided to turn my love for boats into a profession and founded a nautical design company aimed particularly at the world of amateur boat builders, designing various boats ranging from 2.20 to 12 meters in length and organizing courses on boat building and design. I have written three manuals on these subjects, published by Hoepli.
I am also the author of nautical guides published by Zanichelli and have collaborated with the main magazines in the sector, writing technical articles and articles on maritime culture.
Through my company, I have published some books, including one on the masters of yacht design and one on boats in mythology.
Starting in 2008, I launched social initiatives in the nautical field in Bolivia and Senegal, where I founded a sailing school that is still active today.
I am the proud owner of a small English cutter, the BAT from 1889—the second oldest sailing boat in Italy—aboard which I completed the circumnavigation of Italy in 2019.

Board Member

I began my career in the early 1970s at the Nautor shipyards and subsequently moved to the alpa shipyards.
In the 80s, I became a partner at Italyachting and later joined Fraser Yachts as a partner. The firm operated out of key locations including Monaco, Ft. Lauderdale, Seattle, San Francisco, Newport Beach, Milan, London, and Athens.In 2004, following the sale of Fraser Yacht to the Azimut Benetti group, I was among the founders of SOS Yachting, a service dedicated to the fiscal representation of commercial charter yachts in the main European countries, of which I became the Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
For more than thirty years, I have been the owner of several motor yachts by both Picchiotti and Baglietto, making me a deep connoisseur of these vessels.
Therefore, my great passion for classic and vintage yachts led me to become a Certifier as a member of the Yacht Club de Monaco during the Monaco Classic Week, as well as an ASDEC Certifier—an association of which I have been a member since 1989 and a Director.
Member of the Scientific Committee of the Museo Barca Lariana.
I was a member of the Yacht Club Porto Rotondo and, since 2014, I have been a member of AVEV (Associazione Vele d’epoca Verbano). As of 2025, I am also a member of AIVE.
In 2010, I was the curator and exhibition designer for the Museo Orlando / Benetti in Livorno, and since 2021, I have been the conservator of the Baglietto historical archive.

Board Member

Born to a Genoese father, I embraced sailing from childhood.
My passion for boating has guided my free time, leading me from offshore regattas to long voyages across the Mediterranean, the Atlantic, and the Pacific, aboard vessels ranging from small cabin cruisers to maxi yachts.
I cultivate a deep passion for wood, maritime traditions, and nautical culture. This passion was revitalized in 2007 with my return to racing aboard classic 5.5m I.R. (International Rule) yachts—true thoroughbreds with flawless lines. With Posillipo III, a 1959 cedar-built Copponex Olympic class, I continue to compete successfully in Class regattas and vintage boat events (having previously served as the Secretary of the Italian Class).
I am equally fond of motor boating: my journey has been shared with a meticulously restored 1959 Abbate Villa d’Este—my companion during my first ASDEC rallies—and, more recently, a 1986 Bertram 33 Fly that still sails with pride.
A long-standing member of ASDEC since 1991, I serve as a Board Member and Certified Surveyor. Furthermore, I am a member of the Scientific Committee of the Museo Barca Lariana.

Board Member

Since childhood, I spent my summers with my family in Menaggio. I began my journey on an Optimist, which I built from a kit together with my father. Later, I continued sailing and racing on family boats, including Lasers, Dinghies, and IOR Class V yachts. At the age of 18, I obtained my sailing and powerboat license. As a long-time resident of Lake Como, I have always been involved in the growth and development of the Museo Barca Lariana in Pianello del Lario.
Today, I serve on the Museum’s Scientific Committee and am a Board Member of the Foundation. I became an ASDEC Member in 2007, after purchasing and restoring a 1969 Colombo Super Indios motorboat, subsequently joining the association’s Board.

Board Member

Born on Lake Lugano on September 3, 1971 (Switzerland). This location has influenced my lifelong passion and love for the Water and for boats.
From childhood, my father introduced me to the world of lake and sea boating, allowing me, upon reaching adulthood, to personally enjoy the beauty and essence of navigation.
As soon as the opportunity arose, I purchased a 1967 Boesch 580 Cabrio that was based on Lake Lugano. I took her to numerous rallies organized by ASDEC, which allowed me to enjoy my beautiful motorboat while cruising across the lakes, lagoons, and rivers of Northern Italy.
At the same time, as a passionate enthusiast and regular sailor of vintage seafaring vessels (both sail and power), I happened to fall in love with an 18-meter Spadiera Napoletana from 1955, discovered by chance during a cruise through the Pontine Islands.
Having purchased her, I slowly sailed up Italy to Liguria. After a general restoration that maintained the characteristics and materials of a bygone era, I enjoyed sailing Atria (this was her original name) along the splendid shores around Portofino where the boat was moored.
She was monitored and managed by Giorgio Mussini, a historic master shipwright originally from Portofino.
Today, I am part of ASDEC to enable and contribute to maintaining the memory of the old ladies of the Sea and the Lakes, so that the next generation can also remember and carry forward what was accomplished in the world of navigation in the last century.

Board Member

Nautical passion runs in my blood… I spent my entire life alongside my father in motorboat shipyards, and I have owned vessels from various American brands, including Sea Ray and Bertram. I have been a member of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and the Yacht Club Porto Rotondo, and since 2005, a member of ASDEC (Associazione Scafi d’Epoca e Classici), where I am now a long-standing member.
Driven by a passion for increasingly eco-friendly propulsion technologies, in 2009 I designed and developed one of the first hybrid-electric power systems for the leisure boating sector.
Today, I curate and manage the collection of inventions by my grandfather, Pietro Vassena, pursuing the family goal of recovering the first bathyscaphe to reach a depth of -412 meters in 1948. I also collaborate with my brother at the Lepanto Marine shipyard in Peschiera del Garda, which, in addition to boat sales, specializes in the refitting of both classic and modern composite material boats.

Board Member

Since I was young, I have had a passion for boating, and I have been an ASDEC Member, Director, and Certifier since 1988.
I have always cruised on personal sail and motorboats on Lake Como and the sea, many of which have been the subject of careful restorations, including:
Riva Bertram 20 Bahia Mar, a wooden launch by Cantiere Leoni, a small cabin cruiser (pilotina) by Cantiere Tripesce, a STAR Class sailboat by Cantiere Lillia, a historic English launch (lancia inglesina) by Cantiere Taroni, a 5.50m SI Class sailboat by Cantiere Piras, M/Y Pursuit 3000 Express, a Venetian Taxi by Cantiere De Pellegrini, a Comitti Portofino runabout, M/Y Bertram 31 Sport Fisherman, M/Y Riva Caribe 42.
I have promoted events and participated for years in regattas on Lake Como (Star Class, various cabin cruisers, Trofeo Serbelloni, 5.50m SI Class).
I hold a boating license for operating sail and motor vessels up to 24 meters without coastal limits, and I have skippered (served as captain for) cabin cruisers between 12 and 16 meters on several cruises in Greece and Turkey.
I was a Member and Director of ACY (American Classic Yachts).
I am the Vice President and a member of the Scientific Committee of the Museo Barca Lariana.
I am a member of the Yacht Club Italiano (Genoa).
Professionally, I have also developed projects for electric and hybrid boats using Lithium batteries.

Board Member

Ever since I was a child, I spent my holidays with my family on Lake Como, near Menaggio. I began my sailing journey on an Optimist, given to me by my father for my 10th birthday, and later moved on to a Sunfish. Windsurfing excursions were also frequent.
At the age of 18, I obtained my sail and motor boating license even before my driving license, and finally I was able to steer my father’s motorboats.
I have participated in several motorboat rallies and some regattas.
In 1982, my father, along with some friends, founded the Museo Barca Lariana in Pianello del Lario.
I have always collaborated in the museum’s development, assisting with the cataloging of boats, engines, and documents that have gradually enriched its collection. Over the years, the museum has become a European reference point for traditional inland water navigation.
Since 2017, I have been personally and directly managing the Museo Barca Lariana Foundation, which currently holds a collection of over 400 vessels, including two launches and a hydrofoil for passenger transport, the two oldest Venetian gondolas existing in the world (built on Lake Como), the Star Merope, with which Admiral Straulino won the Olympic gold medal in 1952, over 300 outboard motors, 100 inboard motors, a library with over 3,000 nautical volumes, and thousands of photographs and documents.
Since 1994, I have been a member of ASDEC (Associazione Scafi d’Epoca e Classici), an association founded by my father, where I currently serve as a Director.
I have been a member of the YCI (Yacht Club Italiano) since 2022 and a member of AIVE (Associazione Italiana Vele d’Epoca) since 2021 with Rabicano, a 1967 5.5m S.I. (we share the same birth year). It is an Ohlson design, built by Velscaf in Rapallo, with which I enjoy racing on Lake Como and in the Tyrrhenian Sea.