Barcolana presented by Generali is ready to start

Barcolana 53 © Filippo Gobbato

New routes at sea with RoundItaly Genova-Trieste, new routes on land with the Barcolana Sea Summit, the sustainability theme, and the great joint effort of Barcolana and Generali, to highlight and emphasise the women of the sea on the way towards visibility and inclusion: Barcolana53 presented by Generali is all set to go, scheduled from October 1st to the 10th.

The great sea celebration of Trieste was presented today in the presence of the Chairman of Generali, Gabriele Galateri di Genola, and the Chairman of the Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano, Mitja Gialuz. The official closing of the subscriptions of Barcolana53, which also this year relies on RAI's main media partnership, is scheduled on September 30th.

"New regattas, like the RoundItaly and the connecting regatta from Ravenna to Trieste, a true social commitment as regards sustainability and inclusion, a great celebration on land and at sea, where the Rive and Piazza Unità will be the heart of the grand event, in order to experience it together and in safety. We are ready for Barcolana53 - commented the Chairman of SVBG Mitja Gialuz - this year we are exploring many new routes with the aim of innovating the event, but at the centre of our attention remain the sailing people, those who are already navigating, who are organizing their trip to Trieste so as to be the protagonists of this great celebration".

The Chairman of Generali, Gabriele Galateri di Genola, stated: "Returning all together to the sea, practising the sport and exchanging views on subjects such as the environment, diversity and inclusion, sustainability, makes this experience all the more meaningful: we are living in a time of profound change, with opportunities for growth and improvement that must be grasped. For Generali, which is celebrating its 190 years and whose ambition is to become Lifetime Partner, it's a commitment towards its people and the community it operates in".

This year with Generali, the Barcolana has planned "Trofeo Generali - Women in Sailing", a story whose goal is to highlight and emphasise the women of the sea. The symbol of this new route is the Trofeo Generali - women in sailing, which will be awarded to the first helmswoman of a mixed crew that will cross the Barcolana's finishing line. But the story will go way beyond this, with stories belonging to the women present at the event - from the Olympic gold medallist in Tokio, sailor Caterina Banti, to the scientists who study the sea, protagonists of the Barcolana Sea Summit; to the many sailors that have been protagonists of the Barcolana for many years now and who with their spirit of women of the sea can contribute to inspiring other women to be protagonists in their own fields, and to make their role and contribution more visible. Alongside its commitment to the inclusion theme, Generali has sustained the Barcolana in its internationalisation, supporting the book Barcolana: The Largest Sailing Race in the World, edited by Harper Collins. It is the first book about the regatta in English, which marked in September the relaunch of the presentations of the event abroad.

Ready to go, Barcolana53 presented by Generali has introduced, today, the calendar of events, which can also be found online at www.barcolana.it, and on the new App for smartphones, created and innovated by IKON, our digital partner.

At Sea - The great novelty of the RoundItaly Genova-Trieste, which started on September 16th, has monopolized the attention of the Italian yachting world, entering the history of regattas and setting the time for future mileage records on the route that unites Italy and the two main sailing events: the Salone Nautico di Genova and the Barcolana di Trieste.

Together with these novelties, there will be space dedicated to innovation with the inclusion, in the Barcolana calendar, of the Portopiccolo Maxi Race, with its three days of regattas for the "maxi" yachts scheduled from the 1st to the 3rd of October; and tradition, with the classic regattas of the Barcolana period, inaugurated on October 2nd; it will be up to the youngsters to start off the calendar of sea events with the Barcolana Young, scheduled for the 2nd and 3rd of October, at the same time as the competitors of the Melges 24 class. The Barcolana per il Sociale regatta will take place on Tuesday October 5th, while for the entire period of the Barcolana, between the 2nd and 8th of October, the super-fast kitesurfs and wasps will take over - two energy categories - in the tenth year of the Barcolana FUN Siram Veolia; instead, on Friday October 8th the Star class will compete for the Lega Navale Italiana and the Fine Art Sails trophies. On the eve before the Barcolana, we shall see the monotypes of the Barcolana By Night Snam Cup, the Barcolana Classic by SIAD boats (this year also open to the IOR class boats) and the monotype boats in the One design regatta. During the days leading up to the Barcolana, Trieste will also see the arrival of the boats participating in the Adriatic connecting regattas: the Go to Barcolana from Slovenia, which is returning after having been put on hold last year, and the Go to Barcolana da Ravenna Trofeo Hera. Still regarding the events at sea, the long awaited Barcolana Nuota will return, scheduled for Sunday 3rd October in the Bacino San Giusto, with the participation of 300 athletes.

On Land - There are 54 events scheduled on land, many of which are located in the spaces of the Porto Vecchio, the Magazzino 26 and the Auditorium Generali of the Trieste Convention Center.

Alongside the Barcolana Sea Summit (6th-9th October), the great event dedicated to sustainability and to the health of the Mediterranean Sea, there will be "Barcolana - Un mare di racconti", the literary festival dedicated to the themes of the sea, and an ample series of fervently anticipated appointments: Barcolana Job organized by the Region, the exhibitions held in the Magazzino26, the outreach activities of the Immaginario Scientifico, and the conferences of Barcolana Digitale organized by the State Police.

There will also be the Villaggio Barcolana: Piazza Unità will host the institutions and the Gold Sponsors of Barcolana, and along the Rive there will be - in addition to the area dedicated to RAI and to the live broadcasting of Linea Blu scheduled for Saturday October 9th at 2pm - temporary stores and spaces dedicated to the crews.

The Villaggio will be inaugurated on October 1st in Piazza Unità and along the central part of the Rive, and on October 6th it will be completed by the other areas. Access to the Villaggio will be regulated according to Covid rules and regulations as regards safety and prevention, therefore it will be necessary to have a Green Pass. Over 500 boats will be able to moor along the Rive thanks to the digitalization of the spaces performed last year: those coming from outside Trieste who requested a mooring space when registering online, will find free mooring (subject to availability) thanks to the efforts of the Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano.

Among the main events on land is the meeting organized by the Federazione Italiana Vela, with the sailors Ruggero Tita and Caterina Banti, the Olympic gold crew in Tokio, scheduled for Friday October 8th, and the presence of Luna Rossa during the weekend of the Barcolana.