Barcolana58: Basilico, skippered by Matteo Sampiero, is the new Italian Meteor Champion

Friday at Barcolana58 presented by Generali has brought a series of sporting results, with weather conditions continuing to affect the racing programme. In the waters off Grignano, the 53rd Italian Meteor Championship concluded with Basilico, skippered by Matteo Sampiero, taking the title. Meanwhile, on the course of the main race, Alberto Leghissa’s Anywave won the Barcolana Maxi Trofeo Portopiccolo, while Paolo Bastiani’s Giovi topped the overall standings in the Barcolana Solaris Adriatic Cup. Conditions proved more challenging for the Este24 fleet, as a thunderstorm front moved through the area and the wind shifted to the Bora, forcing crews to wait both at sea and ashore. The programme of feeder races across the Adriatic is also continuing. Today also saw the return of the Generali – Women in Sailing Trophy, which will be awarded on Sunday during the Autumn Cup, while the Barcolana Women in Sailing by Generali race, originally scheduled for today, has been postponed until tomorrow, Saturday 10 October, at 10:00. With less than 48 hours to go before the start, 1,764 boats have registered for the great race on Sunday 11 October.

VESPUCCI TOUR – Tomorrow, Saturday 10 October, the Amerigo Vespucci and the Villaggio IN Italia, set up at Molo dei Bersaglieri for the final stop of the Vespucci World Tour – North America Campaign 2026, will host two major events.

At 11:15, the ANSA talk “New Global Routes: The Arctic Challenge” will take place on board the Amerigo Vespucci. Speakers will include Undersecretary of State for Defence Senator Isabella Rauti; Undersecretary of State for Enterprises and Made in Italy Fausta Bergamotto; Chief of Staff of the Italian Navy Admiral Giuseppe Berutti Bergotto; Chief of Staff of the Italian Army Lieutenant General Carmine Masiello; President of ITA – Italian Trade Agency Matteo Zoppas; President of the Italian National Research Council (CNR) Andrea Lenzi; and Chairman of Fincantieri Biagio Mazzotta.

At 15:30, the Conference Hall of Villaggio IN Italia will host the talk “The Underwater Domain: Italy as a Global Leader”, streamed live on ilsole24ore.com. The Mayor of Trieste, Roberto Dipiazza, will deliver the opening greetings. Speakers will then include Chief of Staff of the Italian Navy Admiral Giuseppe Berutti Bergotto; President of the Fondazione Polo Nazionale della Dimensione Subacquea Roberta Pinotti; Chairman of Fincantieri Biagio Mazzotta; the Director General of the Agency for the Safety of Underwater Activities; and Andrea Scuppa, Defence & Traffic Control Line of Business Manager at Intecs Technologies S.p.A.

53RD ITALIAN METEOR CHAMPIONSHIP – DAY 4 (FINAL DAY) – Basilico, skippered by Matteo Sampiero of Circolo Vela Erix, is the new Italian Meteor champion. The 53rd edition of the Italian Championship concluded today in the waters off Grignano, beneath Miramare Castle, with just five points separating the top three crews after five races and one discard.

Basilico, which was already leading at the end of yesterday’s racing, secured the title with 17 net points, ahead of Enrico Michel’s Frivolotto, representing Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano, which finished second on 20 points. Third place went to Davide Sampiero’s Pekoranera Ensto of Circolo Vela Erix, with 22 points. The podium reflects the consistency of the leading crews throughout a championship that remained closely contested until the final day.

It was a particularly positive championship for Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano, which, in addition to Frivolotto’s second place, saw Luca Taglialegne’s Ismo finish fifth on 30 points. Also in the top ten was Tommaso Salvi’s Bee Wave, ninth overall with 43 points and first among the Under-25 crews, securing the Trofeo Patelli awarded to the Italian champion in that category. The award for the highest-placed female helm went to Margherita Mesini, at the helm of Bloody Mary (Il Portodimare ASD), who finished 14th overall.

The championship, organised by the Italian Sailing Federation together with Società Nautica Grignano and Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano, concluded after five races. Results remain provisional pending the completion of jury proceedings.

For the top twenty crews in the overall standings, racing continues tomorrow with the Barcolana By Night Regional Cup, which will see the Meteor fleet compete in the San Giusto Basin. They will be joined by five Under-25 crews and five crews selected by draw.

BARCOLANA TRIESTE24 GHC SANATORIO TRIESTINO – ESTE24 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP, DAY 2 – Bad weather disrupted the second day of the Este24 European Championship. Following yesterday’s three races in strengthening south-westerly winds and choppy seas, the Race Committee faced rapidly changing conditions today. The wind shifted to the Bora, while a thunderstorm front accompanied by heavy rainfall swept across the racecourse, forcing the Committee to reposition twice in an attempt to find suitable conditions to start racing.

As the weather front passed through, support boats began repositioning the racecourse, while the AP over H signal was displayed, instructing crews to return ashore and await further announcements.

With no further races completed, the overall standings remain unchanged after yesterday’s three races. Antonio Sodo Migliori’s Kaster 24 (Yacht Club Costa Smeralda) retains a commanding lead following three consecutive victories, with 3 points. Behind Kaster 24, Paolo Brinati’s Estrella C.C.A. (Circolo Canottieri Aniene/C.N.G.M.) and Roberto Ugolini’s La Poderosa 2.0 (Circolo Nautico Guglielmo Marconi) are tied on 10 points. Marco Baldi’s Frog is fourth with 12 points, while Pink Team Sanatorio Triestino GHC, helmed by Elisa Degrassi of Lega Navale Italiana Trieste, lies sixth on 21 points.

Tomorrow will see the final day of racing to decide the European title, followed by the prize-giving ceremony at 19:00 and the Closing Party.

BARCOLANA SOLARIS ADRIATIC CUP – FINAL DAY – Giovi, Paolo Bastiani’s 2019 Solaris 55, has taken overall line honours in the Barcolana Solaris Adriatic Cup, the race dedicated to yachts built by Aquileia-based Solaris Yachts and organised in collaboration with Yacht Club Portopiccolo. Today, the fleet competed on the course of the main Barcolana race, bringing the Solaris yachts into the waters of the Autumn Cup.

In the overall standings, Giovi finished first, ahead of Alvise Zanetti’s Sunny, a 2015 Solaris 58, and Luigi Panozzo’s Isla Bonita III, a Solaris 44. In Group A, for yachts measuring between 36 and 47.99 feet, Isla Bonita III took victory ahead of Farewell IV, entered by Solaris Yachts, and Roberto Mattiuzzo’s Andreborah. Sailing aboard Farewell IV were also five students from the Nautical Institute of Trieste, two from the Nautical Institute of Imperia and two female students from Carducci Dante in Trieste, taking part in a hospitality project developed in collaboration with the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, PromoTurismoFVG and Solaris Yachts. In Group B, for yachts measuring between 48 and 57.99 feet, Giovi took victory ahead of Sunny and Renzo Franco’s Bambù 4.

BARCOLANA MAXI TROFEO PORTOPICCOLO – Alberto Leghissa’s Anywave has once again taken centre stage at the Barcolana Maxi Trofeo Portopiccolo, winning the overall standings on corrected time in today’s race on the Autumn Cup course. The Frers 64, which also won the 2025 edition, confirmed its position at the top of the event for large yachts, organised in collaboration with Yacht Club Portopiccolo.

Behind Anywave, second place went to Fiamme Gialle Nice, an ILC Maxi 79 crewed by members of the Guardia di Finanza, with Paolo Cian at the helm. Third place went to Doers on Board, Fincantieri SpA’s VOR 60. This marks Fiamme Gialle Nice’s third participation in both the Barcolana Maxi and Barcolana, in a particularly significant year for the Guardia di Finanza, which is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its Sailing Section. In the evening, the President of Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano, Mitja Gialuz, met the newly appointed General Raffaele D’Angelo, who took part in the Barcolana Maxi alongside outgoing General Antonio Marco Appella.

The top three in the overall standings also formed the podium for the race on the Barcolana course, sailed on corrected time.

Awards were also presented in the various categories. In the Maxi Racer category, first place went to David Mizrahi’s Night Shadow, a B&C 52, while Anywave also took top honours among the Super Maxi Racers. In the Super Maxi Cruiser category, victory went to Camillo Galiano’s Flying Dragon, a Swan 70 RK. Among the Mega Yacht Racers, the award went to New Zealand Endeavour, a ketch entered by Dwejra Shipping Ltd.

The race gave the large yachts an opportunity to compete on the course that will host the Barcolana58 fleet on Sunday, offering a preview of the great race.

BARCOLANA CLASSIC TROFEO SIAD – On the eve of the Barcolana Classic – Trofeo SIAD, the SIAD Group is celebrating ten years alongside Barcolana, marking a partnership spanning ten editions of Trieste’s great sailing festival and reflecting a relationship that has developed well beyond simply supporting the event.

SIAD is renewing its commitment to Barcolana58 presented by Generali, confirming a partnership built on shared values and a mutual passion for the sea.

The collaboration between the SIAD Group and Barcolana is rooted in a shared culture of tradition, innovation and looking towards the future. One of its most significant expressions is the Barcolana Classic – Trofeo SIAD, the regatta dedicated to vintage, classic and Spirit of Tradition yachts, which brings some of the most fascinating vessels in sailing history to the Gulf of Trieste each year. Over the years, the partnership has also given rise to special projects. In 2018, to mark Barcolana’s 50th anniversary, SIAD and Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano designed and built Barcolana50, a modern passera sailing boat constructed according to Adriatic tradition, with the aim of preserving traditional boatbuilding skills, celebrating the local maritime heritage and creating a project with a life beyond the regatta itself.

The Barcolana Classic – Trofeo SIAD takes place tomorrow, 10 October, as one of the highlights of the programme celebrating sailing heritage. At 10:30, the traditional parade in the San Giusto Basin will precede the race, scheduled for 11:30, featuring vintage, classic and Spirit of Tradition yachts. In the year marking the tenth anniversary of the partnership between SIAD and Barcolana, the event takes on particular significance, celebrating the passion for the sea, sailing traditions and maritime culture that has united the SIAD Group and Barcolana for a decade.

GENERALI – WOMEN IN SAILING TROPHY RETURNED AHEAD OF BARCOLANA58 – The Generali – Women in Sailing Trophy was returned today ahead of its presentation on Sunday 11 October to the first mixed crew to cross the Autumn Cup finishing line with a woman in a leadership role. Now in its sixth edition, the award was established through the collaboration between Generali and Barcolana to promote mixed-gender sailing and recognise the role of women on board, starting with younger generations.

“This is a course we set a few years ago, and one that has helped increase the number of women at the helm and in positions of responsibility on board,” commented Mitja Gialuz, President of Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano. “Once again this year, a significant number of crews will be competing for the trophy, championing a value in which we strongly believe: the role of women on board is also a metaphor for the role of women in society.”

Over the years, the initiative has involved more than 250 athletes, 70 coaches and five sailing clubs in Friuli Venezia Giulia. In 2026, it reached a new milestone by becoming part of the Italian Sailing Federation’s national training programme for Level 2 and Level 3 coaches.

“We are delighted to have helped create this opportunity and to see how, thanks to Barcolana’s work with the Federation and coaches, the project has reached a national level,” said Emma Ursich, Generali Group Head of Corporate Identity.

The winner of the Generali – Women in Sailing Trophy will receive a glass artwork created by Barovier and a personalised coaching and leadership development programme provided by Generali Academy.

Promoting women’s participation in sailing will also be a focus of tomorrow’s sporting programme, Saturday 10 October, with the Barcolana Women in Sailing by Generali race, originally scheduled for today and postponed until 10:00. The event will bring the project’s values onto the water, giving crews another opportunity to compete on the eve of the Autumn Cup. The programme includes a briefing at the Generali stand, followed by the prize-giving ceremony after the race.

BARCOLANA58: THE FUTURE OF THE LARGE-YACHT INDUSTRY IN TRIESTE – Porto Vecchio could provide a major opportunity for the development of the large-yacht industry, with the possibility of creating a marina operating under free-port regulations, the only one of its kind in Europe. This was one of the prospects discussed today at the conference “SuperYacht: A New Market Segment for the Nautical Industry of Venezia Giulia”, organised by Barcolana and the Venezia Giulia Chamber of Commerce as part of Barcolana58 presented by Generali.

The discussion focused on Trieste’s potential to become a leading centre for the construction, refitting and berthing of sailing and motor yachts over 50 metres, building on the expertise and infrastructure already available locally. This is a rapidly growing market in which Italy accounts for 52% of global superyacht orders, with 568 of the 1,093 vessels currently under construction worldwide.

Participants included representatives from the shipbuilding, yacht design and marine industries, among them Gianluca Fenucci of Trieste Shipyards, Enrico Samer of Samer & Co. Shipping, Marino Quaiat of Quaiat Yard, Roberto Mento of NavalHEAD, yacht designer Maurizio Cossutti and sailor Andrea Tesei. The discussion highlighted the need to expand berthing facilities, infrastructure and services for large yachts, drawing on the city’s maritime heritage and its technical and scientific expertise.

“Trieste is Barcolana’s home, and Trieste must seize every opportunity offered by this market and industry, because it has all the capabilities needed, which must now be brought together more effectively,” emphasised Dean Bassi, Vice-President of Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano.

The conference was also attended by Sergio Emidio Bini, Friuli Venezia Giulia’s Regional Councillor for Productive Activities and Tourism, and Manlio Romanelli, a member of the Venezia Giulia Chamber of Commerce Board, who highlighted the potential of the nautical industry to support the region’s economic and tourism development.

BARCOLANA UN MARE DI RACCONTI – The series of literary events continues at Magazzino delle Idee. This afternoon’s guests included Elena Rui, a finalist for the 2026 Premio Strega, presenting Vedove di Camus (L’Orma), a passionate exploration of the four women in Albert Camus’s short but intense life. She was followed by Polish author Anna Kańtoch with the crime novel L’estate dei perduti (Voland), and Viola Ardone with Tanta ancora vita (Einaudi), her latest novel following the publishing success of Il treno dei bambini.

REGISTRATIONS – Entries for Barcolana58 presented by Generali continue to rise, with 1,764 boats having already confirmed their participation in the great race on Sunday 11 October. Registration remains open until tomorrow, Saturday 10 October, the final day for completing entries for the Autumn Cup. The registration office at Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano will be open from 09:00 to 19:00.

PROMOTURISMOFVG: BARCOLANA SKI AND EVENTS IN PIAZZA UNITÀ TOMORROW – From the sea to the mountains, via the Karst plateau: tomorrow, Saturday 10 October, PromoTurismoFVG will bring a programme of events to Barcolana showcasing the many different facets of Friuli Venezia Giulia.

The highlight of the day will be Barcolana Ski – Coppa d’Autunno, starting at 10:30 in Aurisina on the artificial ski slope at the Sci Club 70 Federal Winter Sports Training Centre. Two teams led by Kristian Ghedina and Tina Maze, joined by eight young athletes from the region, will compete in a two-run giant slalom, bringing the worlds of sailing and skiing together. Conceived by PromoTurismoFVG and first held in 2024, the event will continue on 9 January 2027 on the snow-covered Di Prampero slope in Tarvisio.

The programme will then move to Piazza Unità d’Italia, where, at 17:00, the “Io sono Friuli Venezia Giulia” hospitality area will host the presentation of certificates for a specialist training course on teaching skiing to people with physical, intellectual and developmental disabilities. The course is promoted by the Friuli Venezia Giulia Regional Ski Instructors’ Association, together with AMSI FVG and PromoTurismoFVG. The Barcolana Ski prize-giving ceremony will follow at 17:30. The hospitality area, open from 10:00 until midnight, will continue to welcome visitors with its regional wine bar, local food specialities and spaces dedicated to promoting the region.

The day will conclude with m2o Night, from 21:00 until midnight, bringing DJ Shorty, Albertino, Fargetta and Walter Pizzulli to the heart of Trieste for an evening of live dance music.