If success is all about pride and passion then it's no real surprise that the Italian Azzurra team came out as winners of the 2009 Louis Vuitton Trophy in Nice this weekend. Having seen off the British Team Origin syndicate in a prolonged and heated semi final scrap, Francesco Bruni's Azzurra crew took out Dean Barker's outright favourites Emirates Team New Zealand two nil in the final.

 

From the off the Italians were bursting with national pride to have brought the legendary Azzurra name back on to yachting's world stage. Even at the opening press conference Bruni had been full of emotion about how the original Azzurra campaign had been his inspiration as a youngster to dedicate his life to the sport of racing sailboats. Now having lifted the inaugural Louis Vuitton Trophy in Nice there can surely be no prouder pro sailor on the planet right now?