Santiago Falasca

santi1Santiago Falasca is one of two Argentinan sailors training at the Dinghy Academy in Valencia and has been sailing the Finn since early 2014. He is already a recipient of funding through the FIDeS programme as one of the fur athletes helped each year to train at the Dinghy Academy.

PROFILE

Name: Santiago Falasca
Country: Argentina
Date of Birth: 6/7/1995
Hometown: Buenos Aires
ISAF ID: ARGSF1

Dinghy Academy

“I am sailing the Finn at the Dinghy Academy in Valencia. It’s one year since I started training in the Finn here with the coaching of Luca Devoti and with all the great Finn guys that are sailing all year here in this incredible place that is Valencia, where we always have some nice wind.”

Santiago-Falasca-Valencia-2015-pic3-1000-Robert Deaves“Before the Finn I sailed Optimist and then turned to the Laser when I was 14. I did most National regattas and the South Americans and the Laser Under 21 Worlds in Argentina, where I  finished eighth and first under 18. In 2013 I put myself on a diet and did the ISAF Youth Worlds in the Radial and I finished 23rd. Most of all it was really good for me to get the experience in International regattas. I didn’t have to much experience in this, and I am getting much more of that here in Valencia with Luca and the guys who go all over Europe to sail in big regattas and big events..”

Motivation

“First of all I think one of my biggest motivations is that since I was a kid my mother always wanted us to go sailing and enjoy the water. My sister is for sure one of my biggest supporters. She is sailing the radial, two years older and me, and is also doing her campaign trying to qualify for Rio. Her motivation is something that I really like and I always want to follow her example, to sail and to do it, because I really see how she loves it too. “

National pride

“Also of course like when you are sailing in Europe I have my Argentinean flag. You don’t often get many chances to be representing your country in foreign countries and to be here in Europe with the support of the Finn Class and the federation is like a big deal for me. Because many times there are many athletes or many guys from sport who can’t have this opportunity to come here and train, but now through the support of different sporting organisations I am able to be here.”

Crowdfunding

“I think crowdfunding has begun to very important for athletes in the last years. I think it’s the best way so everybody gets a chance of doing their best in their sports. I think you can level the field for everyone and you give everyone the chance of success.”

“Many times, someone from some country can’t get to the Olympics, maybe because they don’t have the support they should and they can’t achieve their dreams or their goals. Crowdfunding is the best way by far of eliminating these obstacles for the guys to allow them to achieve their dream.”

“I think the crowdfunding in my particular case, and for Argentina, it’s so really important because here we have the chance to qualify our country for the next Olympics in Rio. We have the qualifier in Takapuna and the continental qualifier in Miami. I think for Miami and Takapuna we have to be 100 per cent prepared if we want to qualify for the Olympics. That’s what we want and that’s what we hope.”

Santiago-Falasca-Valencia-2015-pic1000-Robert Deaves“To be 100 per cent ready for these regattas you have to not only have all your training and physical preparation but also need really good materials because this sport is also about materials. Also to have the possibility to be at the regatta venue earlier to train, get good sails and a good mast. So the crowdfunding is not everything, you also ave to be committed to what you want, but the crowdfunding is also really, really important to achieve what you want to get the competition you need to have the possibility to finally qualify your country for the next Olympics. There is a phrase in Argentina that says, ‘Money is not all but it helps a lot,’ so that’s what I think of this idea of crowdfunding.”

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