Barcolana55 presented by Generali is at the starting line. The world's largest regatta, kicking off on 29th September, was presented today, as per tradition, by the President of the Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano (SVBG, the Sailing Club of Barcola and Grignano), Mitja Gialuz, and by the President of Generali, Andrea Sironi.

"We're ready for an extraordinary edition," commented SVBG President Mitja Gialuz, "which has been organised in synergy with local institutions, our presenting partner Generali, and the yacht clubs that contributed to designing this great event which allows us to promote the whole Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. Together we have built the Barcolana Crew, the largest crew in the world, which is about to arrive in Trieste. Many of the faces that make up the Barcolana Crew have already been the protagonists of our graphics and promotion of the event, and they bring to completion the sailors' portraits project that was started last year by famous photographer Carlo Borlenghi."

People are the heart of this edition of the Barcolana, the most inclusive in the regatta's history. With the Women in Sailing programme, developed with Generali, and the Para Sailing project, organised with the Federazione Italiana Vela (Italian Sailing Federation)'s Parasailing Academy, the event takes on a more significant social role. "The participation of World Sailing, the world governing body for the sport of sailing, which has recognised the exceptional role of the Barcolana as a promoter of sailing for everyone," commented President Gialuz, "has added substance to the event and allowed the Barcolana and Generali to focus even more on proposing a sailing and sporting event that can encourage important values and can involve more and more people in the event. In addition to being a great celebration on land and at sea, the Barcolana will also provide the opportunity to address the future of the Mediterranean during the third edition of the Barcolana Sea Summit, which enjoys the patronage of the European Parliament and the Presidency of the Italian government this year."

Generali and the Barcolana have announced the face of the 55th edition of the event: it is the Trieste-raised and US-based sailor Francesca Clapcich. The winner of the 2023 edition of The Ocean Race, the round-the-world crew race, aboard 11th Hour, she has always had the environment and the role of women in sailing at heart. Francesca will stay in Trieste from tomorrow until the Barcolana, where she will take part in a series of regattas and gatherings aimed at promoting the role of women in sailing as a metaphor for the role of women in society, and she will be racing aboard the Generali hull with skipper Claudia Rossi.

The Chairman of Generali, Andrea Sironi, stated: "Generali supports a culture of sports for the benefit of individuals and communities. Sports disciplines contribute to people's development and collective growth; through them, values such as a culture of diversity and inclusion can be promoted. The Generali - Women in Sailing Trophy brings these issues into the context of Barcolana to demonstrate, through the professionalism and passion of the sailors, how we can contribute to the change towards a more equal and resilient society."

On the eve of the regatta, Barcolana55 and Trieste will welcome the winner of last year's edition, the American yacht owner Wendy Schmidt, who will arrive on Saturday 7th October for the traditional ceremony of returning the Barcolana Cup and the Women in Sailing Cup, to be handed down to the new winner.

In the meantime, one thousand people have already registered for the regatta. "I would like to thank everybody who is working with us at full speed to welcome sailors and ships arriving from far away," commented President Gialuz. "The Adriatic regattas that took place over the last few weeks have brought the fleets to Ravenna and Izola, where the Go to Barcolana regattas will start. We offer around 800 free berths to those sailing up the Adriatic Coast, a great sign of hospitality as part of an edition that aims to be a great celebration on land and at sea and that will bring back live music, with a concert scheduled for Friday 29th September in Piazza Ponterosso."

The calendar features over 250 events, including regattas and gatherings organised directly by the Barcolana, and initiatives by local associations and organisations who proposed their own activities in the bigger framework of the event. "The calendar brings together the city in proposing activities open to everybody and dedicated to whoever will be in Trieste in the ten days of the event," Gialuz said.

The events calendar can be found online at www.barcolana.it, or in printed form at information points around the city, in hotels and at the Barcolana Infopoint in Piazza Unità.