Barcolana58: the flag-raising ceremony at SVBG marks the start of the 58th edition
In keeping with tradition, the flag-raising ceremony at the Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano officially opened Barcolana58 presented by Generali. Held at noon on the Barcola waterfront and dedicated to the members of the organising yacht club, the ceremony featured Vecia Trieste and the performance of three anthems – the Italian National Anthem, the Ode to Joy and the Anthem of Trieste – once again marking the start of Barcolana. More than 1,000 people are involved in organising over 500 events across Friuli Venezia Giulia.
“At the Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano, we officially launched the 58th edition of Barcolana with the Italian National Anthem, the Ode to Joy and the Anthem of Trieste,” said Mitja Gialuz, President of the Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano. “It was a very well-attended and emotional ceremony, marking the beginning of ten days during which Trieste and the surrounding region will fully embrace Barcolana. We are starting with strong participation in Barcolana SUP, Barcolana Young and Barcolana Nuota powered by Honda, while entries for the Coppa d’Autunno continue to grow. Our entire organisational team is ready, with a huge number of people involved. My thanks go to the volunteers, the members of the Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano and everyone whose work and passion will make this edition possible. Barcolana was born from sailing, but it continues to grow thanks to the involvement of an ever-wider community. Now the invitation is to join us and experience Barcolana58 presented by Generali together.”
BARCOLANA YOUNG TROFEO OPTIMIST ITALIA KINDER JOY OF MOVING – DAY 1
As every year, the young Optimist sailors were the first fleet to take to the water and open Barcolana’s racing programme – this year, one day earlier than usual. The regatta is once again part of the Trofeo Optimist Italia Kinder Joy of Moving circuit and is the fourth event in the series. The circuit will conclude in Malcesine, on Lake Garda, from 23 to 25 October, with the final standings based on the sailors’ best results across the five events in Marsala, Cervia, Capodimonte, Trieste and Malcesine. A fleet of 318 sailors, split between Division A (Juniors) and Division B (Cadets), took to the waters off Bacino Zero in Trieste’s Porto Vecchio for an opening day dominated by the Bora. Strong winds initially forced a short postponement to the start of racing. As soon as conditions allowed, the Juniors were the first fleet to get underway, followed shortly afterwards by the Cadets. With the Bora blowing at around 15–20 knots and stronger gusts, racing got into full swing. As the wind continued to build, however, the Race Committee sent the sailors back ashore.
Three races were completed during the day: two for the Juniors and one for the Cadets.
Provisional Division A standings after two races:
Mihael Zobec, JK Olimpic
Roman Vyevyenko, Fraglia Vela Riva
Carlo Miraglia, Centro Surf Bracciano
Leading female sailor: Beatrice Fornaro, Seaside S.s.d A R.l, seventh overall.
Provisional Division B standings after one race:
Maurizio Domenici, GDV LNI Anzio
Valerio Pucci, CN Marina Di Carrara
Guglielmo Grioni, CV Torbole SCSD
Leading female sailor: Giulia Zanoni, Fraglia Vela Riva, fifth overall.
BARCOLANA FUN
Meanwhile, Barcolana FUN continues – the free, borderless online national ranking connecting kiters, wingers and windsurfers from Italy and Slovenia. Each athlete competes on their home waters – at sea or on inland waters, including lagoons, lakes and rivers – and uploads their GPX track to the GPSFormula platform, which processes performance over 100, 200 and 500 metres.
Five disciplines are being contested: directional and twintip kitesurfing, kitefoil, wingfoil, windsurf slalom and freeride, and windsurf foil.
In the current provisional standings, Luka Pozar leads the wingfoil category, with top speeds of 31.67 knots over 100 metres, 31.33 over 200 metres and 30.63 over 500 metres. Tommaso Feri leads the kitefoil category with 27.32, 27.15 and 26.60 knots, and also tops the SurfKite standings. Giovanni Baldassi leads the twintip category with 32.23, 32.17 and 28.86 knots, while Matej Vidmar heads the Windsurf Slalom standings.
Project partners are Reptile, Kitelife, GPSFormula, CKWI and SVBG. The challenge will conclude on 5 October, with the prize-giving ceremony scheduled for Thursday, 8 October at Local in Trieste. In 2025, Barcolana FUN attracted 124 athletes, who uploaded a total of 233 tracks.
BARCOLANA CAMMINA – AQUILEIA, GATEWAY TO THE MEDITERRANEAN
With Aquileia, Barcolana58 presented by Generali today also launched its programme of events across the region, with an afternoon dedicated to the deep connection between the city and water, explored through experiences combining archaeology, nature and history.
The main event, “Aquileia Porta del Mediterraneo” (“Aquileia, Gateway to the Mediterranean”), was sold out. The walk was organised by Fondazione Aquileia, a Golden Partner of Barcolana, with Cammini d’Italia as media partner. Starting from the Fondo CAL archaeological area, participants followed the city’s ancient and modern waterways, stopping at the monumental river port, which remained active at least until the 4th century, and at the ancient market area. Here, recent discoveries by the University of Verona have shed new light on how the inhabitants of ancient Aquileia addressed navigation difficulties by creating new landing places and commercial areas.
The second part of the itinerary took place on the water, with an hour-long boat trip along the Natissa River to the first casoni of the Grado Lagoon, a transitional landscape between land and sea that preserves submerged archaeological remains and a rich natural heritage.
Alongside the walk, the Barcolana Cammina programme in Aquileia featured a Shinrin Yoku-Dō forest-bathing experience in the ancient river port area, a theatrical walk for children, the “Canale Anfora: una strada liquida” (“Canale Anfora: A Liquid Road”) cycling route, a visit to the Jonah Mosaic in the Basilica of Aquileia and, at Palazzo Brunner-Segré, the talk “La bellezza sta nel mezzo: il patrimonio materiale e immateriale dei cammini” (“Beauty Lies in Between: The Tangible and Intangible Heritage of Walking Routes”), followed by a screening of the documentary La Via Decia.
The event was organised as part of Barcolana58 presented by Generali by Fondazione Aquileia, in collaboration with the Municipality of Aquileia, the Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape Superintendency for Friuli Venezia Giulia, the Basilica of Aquileia, Associazione Nazionale per Aquileia, Fondazione Radio Magica ETS, Stazione di Terapia Forestale FVG-ITALIA, Eco&Salute Soc. Coop. – ecosystem services for human health – and with Cammini d’Italia as media partner.
BARCOLANA SKATE UP – DAY 1
The second edition of Barcolana Skate Up got underway in Trieste this afternoon, bringing skateboarding, biking and roller skating into the heart of the city.
From 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm, the sports ground of the Parish of Nostra Signora di Lourdes (via Monte Mangart 2/1) hosted an open skate and bike jam, demonstrations and workshops offering participants the chance to try new disciplines, including roller skating. Large numbers of young people filled the venue and will be back for more tomorrow in the San Giacomo neighbourhood.
PARALLEL FLOWS
In Trieste’s Borgo Teresiano district, the exhibition Parallel Flows / Flussi paralleli by SERSE – the artist behind the Barcolana58 poster – and Jingge Dong was open to visitors from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm at MLZ Art Dep, via Roma 15.
Moving beyond the idea of opposition, SERSE’s contemplative research and Jingge Dong’s exploration of representation between East and West create a new space for visual dialogue between cultures.
OPENING OF THE BATHYSCAPHE TRIESTE SECTION AT THE DE HENRIQUEZ MUSEUM
At 7:00 pm, in the presence of the Mayor of Trieste, Roberto Dipiazza, the Museo di guerra per la pace “Diego de Henriquez” (via dei Tominz 4, Trieste) is scheduled to host the opening ceremony of its new section dedicated to the Bathyscaphe Trieste.
The opening represents the final stage of a major project led by the Municipality of Trieste’s Councillor for Culture, Giorgio Rossi, who passed away during the summer. Barcolana57 had played a leading role in the project, with the bathyscaphe temporarily displayed in Piazza dell’Unità.
Starting tomorrow, Saturday, 3 October, the new section will be open to visitors during the museum’s regular opening hours with an admission ticket.
ENTRIES REACH 1,300 BOATS
Entries for the main Barcolana58 presented by Generali regatta have now reached 1,300 boats. The world’s largest sailing race is scheduled for Sunday, 11 October.
