Barcolana 56: over 1730 boats ready to race

Less than 25 hours to go before the Barcolana 56 Presented by Generali kicks off tomorrow, 13 October, at 10:30 a.m. in the Gulf of Trieste. The great festival of sailing and of the sea, which started ten days ago, is now getting into full swing, with over 1730 boats registered to compete (provisional figure – last updated at 3 p.m. today). On Friday evening the great Italian ocean sailors Giovanni Soldini, Ambrogio Beccaria, Alberto Riva, and Alberto Bona landed in Trieste; this morning they took part in an event organised by Emergency, and tomorrow they will be on board Ancilla Domini, together with Olympic champion Caterina Banti. The city is all dressed up and ready for the event, the world's largest regatta, which is going to be held in light wind conditions according to the weather forecasts.

The lineup of great champions was completed with the arrival of Ruggero Tita, two-time Olympic champion with Caterina Banti. The ‘Fiamme Gialle’ athlete, winner of two Olympic gold medals, will be on board the Nice, the boat of the Guardia di Finanza, which was fitted out to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Corps.

“We are ready for the big celebrations,” declared President of the Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano (Sailing Club of Barcola and Grignano) Mitja Gialuz. “After ten days of events involving thousands of people on land and at sea, Trieste is today welcoming the crews that have chosen to share their positive energies, becoming part of this great shared story that is the Barcolana.”

THE REGATTAS ON THE BARCOLANA’S EVE – Yesterday Trieste also welcomed the 25 contestants of the ‘Go to Barcolana from Ravenna’, which was won by Mylius 50 MIL' III (Circolo Velico Ravennate) in 12 hours, 55 minutes, 26 seconds (a new record for the event - find the final ranking here). The sailors who took part in the regatta arriving from Slovenia, who followed a route characterised by long-standing friendship and sharing of the Gulf, are expected today in the afternoon (find the ranking here - available after 5 p.m.).

The day started at dawn with the second day of racing for the ‘Barcolana FIV Foil Academy powered by Luna Rossa’. The Barcolana Classic – Trofeo SIAD (SIAD Cup), organised in collaboration with the Yacht Club Adriaco, also kicked off today, with 104 boats at the start – the ‘ladies of the sea’ will be at the centre of the Barcolana’s eve (results available here after 5 p.m.), while the last event of the evening will be the Barcolana By Night Snam Cup (results available here after 8:30 p.m.).

THE EVENTS AT LAND - The afternoon at land was all about the Italian Navy, which presented the 2025 edition of the International Sailing Week, organised in collaboration with the Naval Academy, the city of Livorno, and the committee of Livorno’s sailing clubs, which will take place in Livorno from 25 April to 4 May 2025. In the Sala Ridotto at Teatro Giuseppe Verdi, the Navy's 2025 Calendar was then presented. This year the calendar, dedicated to Fondazione Francesca Rava-NPH Italia ETS, stands out for its especially relevant and humane theme: ‘The faces and smiles of Navy staff’. The emotions and dedication of the men and women who serve our country at sea with commitment and passion are told through twelve evocative pictures taken by photographer Massimo Sestini.

The big celebrations on land also featured an unusual event, the Barcolana SKI – sci alpino vista mare (alpine skiing with a sea view), organised by Promoturismo FVG to reinforce the idea of a unique territory. The focus was on some of alpine skiing’s former champions and legends, representing the countries surrounding the Alps and the Adriatic – Austria, Croatia, Italy, Slovenia. Among them are Elisabeth Goergl, two-time world champion and two-time Olympic bronze medallist; Ivica Kostelić, winner of four Olympic medals, three World Championship medals, and one World Cup overall title; Kristian Ghedina, winner of three World Championship medals and 13 World Cup races; and Tina Maze, Olympic champion and winner of four World Championships and one World Cup overall title.

In the morning a promotional giant slalom team race took place on the artificial slope of the Neve Sole sports facility in Aurisina, a winter sports training centre recognised by the Italian Winter Sports Federation (FISI). The competition, organised in cooperation with Sci Club 70, was open to the public. The faces of the race and former champions led four teams, made up of 12 young skiers from FISI’s regional alpine skiing team. The event continues at 5 p.m., when the skiing legends will be welcomed at the ‘Io sono Friuli Venezia Giulia’ (I am Friuli Venezia Giulia) stand for the prize-giving ceremony in the presence of the authorities and will be available to sign autographs. Afterwards they will board the ‘Io sono Friuli Venezia Giulia'-branded Solaris 60 yacht for a sea trip to discover the Gulf of Trieste