The Barcolana56 is approaching; olympic medal winners and great champions arrive

A long list of sailors and sportsmen, from the United States to Hong Kong: Olympic medallists Caterina Banti, Ruggero Tita, Alessandra Sensini, great champions such as Chiara Benini Floriani, Flavia Tartaglini, Paolo Cian, Mauro Pelaschier, Tommaso Chieffi. And Wendy Schmidt – the first woman to win the Barcolana – the Italian ocean sailors gathered together by Emergency – Giovanni Soldini, Alberto Riva, Ambrogio Beccaria and Alberto Bona – and the ski champions Elisabeth Goergl, Ivica Kostelić, Tina Maze and Kristian Ghedina. They are all coming to the Barcolana, and are all ready to undertake a challenge on Sunday, 13 October in Trieste, in the world's largest regatta, which currently has 1,657 participants. There is still time tomorrow, on Saturday, for people to finalise their registration and challenge the title of Furio Benussi's Arca, overall winner of the 2023 edition, under forecasts predicting good weather and very light wind.

While the sailors are getting ready for celebrations, today has been the day of ‘Women in Sailing by Generali and Barcolana’, the event to promote mixed sailing. On board four J70 monotypes, just as many teams consisting of two male and two female athletes battled it out in the Gulf. In the meantime, Maxi and Solaris boats competed under corrected time in the final regatta of their respective cups, taking part in a race on the Barcolana course, but with results being calculated under ORC. Meanwhile, the TriEste24 - Trofeo GHC Sanatorio Triestino (GHC Sanatorio Triestino Cup) kicked off with races around the buoys and a Stadium Race, and a fantastic first day for the regatta of the Italian Sailing Federation’s ‘Next Generation Foil Academy powered by Luna Rossa’ was opened with Wazsp, IQ Foil and Wingfoil on the water with the first gusts of Bora blowing at dawn.

Today was also the day of sustainability. BAT Italia’s stand and the Infopoint offered an exclusive preview of the first two ‘Liquid Trees’ to appear in Italy – this is revolutionary technology that helps to reduce the event's carbon footprint. The ‘Liquid Trees’ contain genetically modified algae that ‘clean’ the air and thus improve the environmental balance. Meanwhile, after its great success on Thursday, with over 1,500 young people taking part, today is the last day of the Barcolana Sea Summit. The event revolves around three key topics: the blue economy, the underwater economy, and the wind economy. It will feature prestigious speakers, as well as a videoconference by Italian Minister of the Environment Pichetto Fratin and a closing address by Commander General of the Harbour Masters - Coast Guard, Admiral Nicola Carlone, President of the Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano (SVBG, Sailing Society of Barcola and Grignano) Mitja Gialuz, and President of the Schmidt Family Foundation Wendy Schmidt.

WOMEN IN SAILING BY GENERALI AND BARCOLANA - The ‘Women in Sailing by Generali’ regatta was held under waning, spotty, and gusty Bora conditions. Four mixed crews competed aboard J70 boats over four races, along a very challenging race course that favoured the Barcolana veterans who are well used to racing in the Gulf of Trieste. The first place went to the crew composed of Michela Stefani (SVBG), international PRO Pinar Genç, Matteo Mioni (SVBG), and SVBG’s sports director Dean Bassi; the team helmed by Lisa Vucetti with Jamila Cerdeira, Alessio Castellan (all from SVBG), and Noah Barbiero (TPK Sirena) came in second. Olympic champion Caterina Banti with Vittorio Bonifacio (SVBG), Jana Germani (the Navy) and Luca De Vidovich (SVBG) finished third, followed by the team composed of the Guardia di Finanza athletes Alessandra Dubbini and Chiara Benini Floriani with Luca Centazzo (TPK Sirena) and Jutta Scherlitz. “Women in Sailing by Generali and Barcolana,” commented SVBG President Mitja Gialuz, “is a regatta-manifesto, an event that brings excellent sailors to compete on equal terms in mixed teams. It is an opportunity for our cause and our commitment to an increasingly inclusive Barcolana to become tangible, operational and visible.”

BARCOLANA MAXI - TROFEO PORTOPICCOLO - The 11 Maxi boats who took part in the warmup on the course of the Autumn Cup today were met with the Bora blowing at 8-10 knots. The wind, which dropped to 3-4 knots halfway through the race, then accompanied with gusts of up to 12-14 knots the boats sailing close-hauled in the last part, up to the finish line in front of Piazza Unità. The winner of the race held on the Barcolana course under corrected time was Riccardo Bonetti's 90' Sloop Shockwave 3, followed by the ILC Maxi 79 Nice-Fiamme Gialle helmed by Paolo Cian and Alberto Leghissa's Frers 64 Anywave Safilens. Anywave Safilens leads the overall ranking, followed by Nice-Fiamme Gialle in the second position and by David Mizrahi's Botin 52 Night Shadow in the third.

BARCOLANA SOLARIS ADRIATIC CUP - It was the second day of racing for the Solaris fleet that, after a rainy first day, competed today on the Barcolana course from Barcola to Trieste, with the Bora dying down, which made it necessary to raise the Sierra flag to shorten the course by putting the finish line at buoy 3 near Miramare. Riccardo Zuccolo's Mayflower (SN Pietas Iulia) leads the ranking for the second day, followed by Alvise Zanetti's Sunny (SVBG) and Luigi Panozzo's Isla Bonita (Treviso Sailing Club). According to the overall ranking, the winner of the first edition of the Barcolana Solaris Cup is Alvise Zanetti’s Sunny, followed by Riccardo Zuccolo's Mayflower and Paolo Bastiani’s Giovi (YC Porto San Rocco), while the FairPlay prize was awarded to Giuliano Mosconi’s Maad.

BARCOLANA CLASSIC - TROFEO SIAD - Everything is ready for the Barcolana Classic - Trofeo SIAD (SIAD Cup) which will be held tomorrow (Saturday, 12 October) and organised by Barcolana and Yacht Club Adriaco. 101 ladies of the sea will be at the regatta, taking to the sea for the traditional parade in front of Piazza Unità first, and then for the race around the buoys in the Gulf.