Mark Del Giudice grew up in Rhode Island, just up the bay from Newport, and he discovered a love for sailing when he was a young boy. Eventually, his passion for blue water and beautiful boats would take him out of the state and around the world on some of the finest yachts ever built to compete in the most prestigious international races. Then, almost serendipitously, the experiences he gathered in his international racing career would smooth the route back home to Newport, where he recently returned to roost, this time with young children of his own, as well as a new career in marina management at Forty 1° North.

Del Giudice got his big break in the world of serious sailing back in the early 1980s, when a friend introduced him to the late Mark Soverel, the prolific designer who is arguably most famous for his production sloops, the Soverel 26, 30 and 33. Soverel was a world-class sailor as well (he was in the money in every one of his major campaigns) and he called on Del Giudice to help him build and eventually race aboard a custom boat he had designed, the 55-foot Shadow.

After the boat was finished in Palm Beach, it was trucked to Long Beach, California, in the summer of 1983 for the Big Boat Series before sailing to Acapulco and through the Panama Canal back to Palm Beach. In 1984, Shadow placed first in the Southern Ocean Racing Conference (SORC) before heading off to Antigua for race week, where it took another first. In 1984, Del Giudice was mate when Shadow placed first in the Pan Am Clipper Cup Series. With a string of high profile wins in his wake, the young man from Rhode Island had officially achieved “golden boy” status.

Although he would go on to race with many other talented and talked-about sailors, Del Giudice said Soverel was one of the people who impressed him most. Why? “His talent, his demeanor, his drive to win and his drive for excellence were exceptional,” said Del Giudice.

The next yacht on Del Giudice’s resume was Brook Ann, the Nelson-Marek-designed 50-footer that would later be dubbed Crazy Horse. From 1984 through 1986, Del Giudice, as mate, competed in all the major California regattas, the Mexican Ocean Racing Circuit (MEXORC), and the Big Boat Series in San Francisco. During this time, he would sail with international sailing celebs Bruce Nelson and Paul Cayard, the seven-time world champion, five-time America’s Cup veteran and two-time Olympian. When it came to building an impressive Rolodex of contacts, Del Giudice was ahead of the pack.

After Brook Ann, Del Giudice honed his highly polished skills aboard Scotch Mist, a 110-footer aboard which he was first mate. In 1986, he was in the Cayman Islands and then sailed Panama, Tahiti, Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu and Cairns before tying up in Fremantle, Australia.

While in Fremantle, Del Giudice received a call from Soverel, who asked him to fly back to Palm Beach to help him finish a new build, the 50-foot Grand Prix sailboat Locura. In 1987, he raced that boat in the SORC, and then went onto the San Francisco Big Boat Series, where he raced with champions Chris Dickson and Peter Isler. Then, in 1989, he joined the crew of a 125-foot sloop, which he sailed until 1991, when he joined the crew of Congere, the 82-foot David Pedrick design built in Australia by Alan Bond as Drumbeat. Del Giudice was on that boat as it traveled from Florida to Newport to competing in the New England Maxiboat series before doing the Newport Bermuda race in 1992. On this boat, he also participated in the 50th Anniversary of the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, placing sixth out of 200 boats.

By this time, he had met and married his wife, Helen, a native of London who also had a long and serious background in yachting. Although the couple traveled extensively, they established a home in Newport, where they would visit regularly. But when the couple had their two children, they raised them in St. Barths, where Mark had joined the crew of the 70-foot custom cruiser/racer Mischievous. He joined that crew in 1995, and the family spent the next 14 years in St. Barths. They raised their family while Mark competed in most of the Caribbean regattas. He left the island in the summers with his family by his side to race in New England.

It was in St. Barths that Del Giudice established what has become one of the area’s most popular sailing events, the New Year’s Eve Regatta. While movie moguls, models and hip-hop stars partied in style on the island, Del Giudice, in collaboration with the St. Barth Yacht Club and Port of Gustavia, organized an event for the island’s sailors, who gathered here to bid farewell to the old year while out on the sea. Del Giudice continues to coordinate the regatta, which stands as the nautical kick-off event for the area’s holiday festivities.

So, where is Mark Del Giudice now? When the Mischievous program came to an end in 2008, he and his wife made the decision to move their family to Newport to live full-time. After their children finished school in St. Barths in 2009, the Del Giudices headed north to start a different life (the children will now enroll in US schools) and a new career for Del Giudice. He is now the marina manager at Forty 1° North, one of the area’s newest destinations for owners of luxury yachts, a boutique-style and state-of-the-art facility with slips for boats up to 250 feet. (The marina recently hosted the 240-foot Delta Marine-built Laurel.)

“I consulted on the final build of the property, and I worked directly with the owners in the months leading up to the opening,” said Del Giudice. “Today, we’re a well-established marina that attracts yachts from around the world with top-quality service and exceptional staff. Many captains I’ve met in the past are now running the yachts that berth here, so I see many familiar faces.”

It didn’t take long for Forty 1° North to established a loyal fan base. “We receive calls in January and February from owners who want to book their stays for the summer and fall,” said Del Giudice. “My goal is to maintain the high level of integrity and service these boat owners expect to receive. I run the marina staff like a yacht crew. All of our clients get the same level of service, whether they’re on a picnic boat of a 200-footer.”

Forty 1° North is located in the heart of Newport, at 351 Thames Street. In addition to the marina, there are two restaurants, a private event space, specialty retail shops and luxury rental units. Although Newport is a town famed for its waterfront facilities, this marina is seeking to raise the bar. With a consummate professional like Del Giudice on staff, chances are excellent that goal will be achieved, if not exceeded.

Jeanne Craig is an award-winning marine journalist and editor based in Rowayton, Connecticut.

Tags: Forty 1° North, Mark Del Giudice, Newport