Barcolana Sea Summit with Jeremy Rifkin starts tomorrow
by Barcolana 3 Oct 2023 20:25 BST
29 September - 8 October 2023
Barcolana Sea Summit with Jeremy Rifkin © Barcolana
The fifth day of the Barcolana has opened with the"Follow me" students' traditional group photo. Eighty students from the Istituto Nautico (Nautical Institute) and the ITS Accademia Nautica (Nautical Academy), boys and girls who aspire to make a career at sea, are leaving their school desks this week to move to the Rive and aboard their inflatable rafts. As per tradition, theirs will be the first smiles to welcome in the Gulf the 800 or so crews coming to Trieste from the Adriatic Sea with their boats. The students will be ready to escort them to their respective berths.
For Trieste's Istituto Tecnico Nautico and Accademia Nautica this is now a tradition, as the "follow me" project has been an educational experience for generations of students who along the Rive have experienced intense days of practice at sea. "This project represents the foundations of the Barcolana. We are proud to be part of the young captains' experience; their work is the greatest treasure in our history and experience," commented the president of the Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano (Sailing Club of Barcola and Grignano) Mitja Gialuz.
Today the wind blew off and on in Trieste. The Barcolana per il Sociale (Barcolana for the community) regattas were the only ones that could be held, while in Portopiccolo no races took place for the first day of the Barcolana - Trofeo Maxi Tivoli Portopiccolo, which will, however, take place tomorrow with Bora blowing.
Great success has been achieved by the newly enhanced events of the Barcolana per il Sociale framework. Thanks to the presence of the Italian Sailing Federation with its Parasailing Academy and of World Sailing, Barcolana per il Sociale will last three days and will involve many people with disabilities, both sailing experts and novices.
"Barcolana per il Sociale is a great asset," commented Gialuz, "an event that enriches us all. In 2015 we created this project that has helped the Barcolana have open conversations with the world of disability through the help and support of many organisations. Today this project, together with World Sailing and the Italian Sailing Federation, is growing once again and in the best way possible: involving more and more people and adding an international dimension to the event. We are proud and honoured that the Italian Sailing Federation and World Sailing have chosen the Barcolana, an event for the people, to send out a strong message: sailing is for everyone, always, and it is a great vehicle for integration."
The event that took place today is part of the tradition. It included the match race of the Trofeo Fuorivento and the Trofeo Calicanto, a fleet race that involved 11 boats - 6 Arpeges and 5 boats of different classes - with 35 young registered sailors.
These are the biggest days for those looking for a place on board on Sunday. Not just along the docks, but on social media as well: dozens and dozens of enthusiasts are writing in sailors's group in search of a spot at the Barcolana. Società velica di Barcola e Grignano has responded with the first edition of "Ticket to Race", a programme dedicated to sailors who do not have their own boat, but want to participate becoming part of a crew instead. Find more information on Ticket to Race (and places that are still available) on the Barcolana website.
Barcolana Sea Summit - Tomorrow morning will be the first of three days of conferences dedicated to the health of the Mediterranean. Have a look at the event programme here.
Registration Update - Today at 7pm the number of boats registered for the Barcolana 55 presented by Generali was 1420.