The 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow marked the history of the 470 class regattas for Brazil forever. That was the year that the duo Eduardo Penido and Marcos Soares won Brazil’s second gold medal in sailing, and the fifth Olympic gold medal in history!
Known as the Boys from Rio, Eduardo Penido was just 20 and Marcos Soares 19 when they won the 470 class.
At a time when winning athletes received no prize other than a medal, the sailors worked a “miracle” by crossing the finish line without having the same experience and financial investment as their competitors. The average age of the winning sailors was between 30 and 40, so Brazil’s medal was an unexpected achievement, as it wasn’t for young people like them.
Preparing for the competition
The medal came in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, which was part of the Soviet Union. The pair were already familiar with the winds and conditions in the region, as they had competed in the Pre-Olympic Games there in 1978. Eduardo Penido and Marcos Soares were prepared for the possibility of light winds.
The pair won first place in the first two races of the competition, a second place and a sixth place. Then the possibility of a podium started to become real for Eduardo Penido and Marcos Soares. They went on to finish fifth and then tenth.
At this point, the race became fiercer with the Germans Jorn Borowsky and Egbert Swensson. For the Germans to win, they had to win the race and the Brazilians couldn’t finish in the top six. What happened was that a Finnish duo made a risky maneuver on the last stage of the race, which put them ahead and helped the Brazilians, as the Germans were second at the finish and the Brazilian duo seventh.
Despite their preparation, looking back, they consider that they were amateurs: they had no coach or financial support and, even after winning gold in Moscow, they took part in a South American Championship with their own resources and help from friends and family. They traveled from Rio de Janeiro to Buenos Aires by car, towing two boats, and had to stay in Argentine customs for three days until everything was cleared.
Family heirloom
After winning gold in Moscow, Eduardo Penido devoted himself to ocean sailing, a passion he inherited from his father, José Penido, and became an entrepreneur in the sailing sector. Today, he is a board member of Magma Yachts.
And the passion for sailing seems to run in the family! His son, Gabriel Penido, has followed in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps and, as well as being a sailor, is a Director in the Production process of all our sailboats.
We are proud to be part of the history of these illustrious sailors and to be chosen as the company that represents this family passion.
Since then, the sport has evolved a lot, as have the incentives and the boats themselves!
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