Fabio Buzzi, and two crewmembers died Tuesday night, September 17th, after their boat hit a breakwater. Crewmember Luca Nicolini and a Dutchmen who is yet to be identified, also died. A fourth, Mario Invernizzi, was thrown from the craft, survived, and is being treated a local hospital, according to the BBC.
The four were attempting to break the Monaco to Venice record and had been running for more than 18 hours when their boat hit the manmade dam known as, Mose, off Venice, Italy. Buzzi, 76 when he died, had formerly held this record, along with dozens of other endurance and boat speed records, including the Diesel Power Boat World Record 277 kph (172.439 mph) he set just last year and the Bermuda Challenge, (which was conceived and is administered by Boating) record he set in 2012.
I knew Buzzi, a little, from work and events and, of course, by his immense presence on the powerboating ecosystem. It’s hard to define the role Buzzi played; he can’t be called one thing. The man designed and built innovative boats using new and better processes, new and better materials and new and better propulsion systems. He combined these elements in unique ways, found the means to finance them as CEO of FB Design, and, in his 70’s, was still donning a helmet and running boats where the primary throttle position is buried in the corner.
I reached Bermuda Challenge founder and former Boating editor, David Seidman, by phone during a holiday abroad, to give him the news of Buzzi's death.
“I started the Bermuda Challenge to prove that the boats we have today, combined with good seamanship, can do amazing things.” Seidman began, continuing:” For years average guys in average boats stepped up. Then came Fabio, a pro, a master, who set the bar even higher. I thank you for that, and wish you calm seas and faster boats wherever you are.”
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