The press conference to present the Barcolana Presented by Generali in Austria took place this morning in the hall of ceremonies in Palais Metternich, the headquarters of the Italian Embassy in Vienna. It was the last of the three events dedicated to the German-speaking world aiming to attract more boat owners, sailors and public from Central Europe. H.E. Ambassador Stefano Beltrame participated in the event, which was co-hosted by SIOT-TAL (the Italian Society for the Transalpine Pipeline) and focused on tourism and sports in the regatta's 54th edition. T.A.L. Group's Global PR Manager Paola Pasin, Generali Austria's Chief Executive Officer Gregor Pilgram, Illycaffè's General Manager Austria & Germany Otmar Frauenholz, and PromoTurismo FVG's head of the sea section Caterina Gasparini presented the event to the media.
"There are only 23 days left to the event," said SVBG's vice president Alessandro Mulas, "which will be marked by a spirit of joy and sharing. Our aim is to make Trieste the city of the great sailing and sea celebration once again and to welcome our fellow sailors from Central and Northern Europe after two difficult years."
As is customary, the Barcolana's presentation in Austria was supported by the T.A.L Group: "SIOT-TAL's presence during the international presentations in Munich and Vienna," said T.A.L. Group's Global PR Manager Paola Pasin, "is our way to support the Barcolana and to underscore its bridging role between Italy, Austria and Bavaria. On top of its extraordinary sports tradition, the Barcolana54 is strongly committed to promoting the territory and sustainability, which are some of the values we promote in all three countries too".
During the press conference, the Barcolana presented the program to the Austrian media and promoted the activities held in Trieste between 30 September and 9 October, with many regattas, events and places to explore in the whole area. Further events being presented included the Trofeo ADAC (ADAC Trophy), awarded to the best-ranking German sailor; "Women in Sailing", a project on Diversity&Inclusion launched by the Barcolana and the Generali Group; the Barcolana Sea Summit and the other regattas.
Generali CEO Germany, Austria and Switzerland Giovanni Liverani said: "The Generali Group has been supporting the Barcolana for over forty years and has now decided to deepen its long-standing partnership as presenting sponsor. We are extremely glad to be able to further enhance our cooperation with the Barcolana and to highlight our shared values in sports. We are working together focusing on internationalisation and on initiatives dedicated to sustainability, diversity and inclusion, health and prevention".
Generali Austria's Country Manager, Gregor Pilgram said: "Promoting diversity and inclusion is key for Generali, which will award the Woman in Sailing Generali Cup to the best team headed by a woman again this year. The winner will be able to join an individual leadership program at the Generali Academy."
"It is with great joy that we renew once again our partnership with the Barcolana, a unique event with which illycaffè shares deep roots: our people and our territory," said illycaffè's CEO Cristina Scocchia. "For this 54th edition, we decided to entrust the poster's design to Matteo Thun, who decided to celebrate the regatta's spirit through the metaphor of a fingerprint: as parallel lines flow through it, they sometimes cross one another or break off, creating a design that recalls marine currents and conveys positive emotions while celebrating the importance of interconnectedness. This image highlights how the Barcolana, the world's largest sailing regatta, is able to convey to the world shared values, the harmony between man and nature, inclusiveness, empathy, respect, and the joy for life."
"The Barcolana made the Gulf of Trieste world-famous and it is an extraordinary showcase for our Region," said Friuli Venezia Giulia's assessor for Production activities and Tourism Sergio Emidio Bini. "Therefore, we will participate with the new brand 'Io sono Friuli Venezia Giulia' ('I am Friuli Venezia Giulia'), whose aim is enhancing our territory. We are preparing to welcome many foreign sailors, to which we will give a one-of-a-kind experience with wind, sea, activities and dedicated events on the city's Waterfront."