Barcolana56 presented by Generali - Day 1

Barcolana © Barcolana / Studio Borlenghi

After a year of work and much anticipation, the Barcolana56 Presented by Generali has finally kicked off.

The first of ten days of great sailing, a true festival of sea sports, has kicked off today with the traditional flag-hoisting ceremony held at the headquarters of the Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano (SVBG, Barcola and Grignano Sailing Club), which was already specially decorated for the occasion.

Right on time for the start, like an impatient guest, was the Bora, which these days has been blowing with strong gusts over the Gulf, to the delight of those who are taking part in the Barcolana FUN, the event dedicated to sailing disciplines such as kitesurfing, wingsurfing and windsurfing, who have been working since 21 September between Savudrija and Lignano to deliver their best performance in terms of speed, jumping height and distance covered. Today, immediately after the hoisting of the flag, they were the first to take to the water, opening the event by darting in front of the Barcolana platform trying to reach maximum speed, distance over two hours or jumping height, depending on the different specialisation, and putting on a great show for those who attended the ceremony.

Ten days before the regatta, 1280 people have already registered for the event. So far 421 boats have applied for a free mooring space; the secretariat at SVBG is waiting for their crews in order to finalise their registration and give shipowners a bag containing more gifts than ever so as to celebrate together an edition held in the name of 'Positive Energies.'

"This is it," said Mitja Gialuz, now in his eleventh year as SVBG president, "the hoisting of the flag is one of the most beautiful and intimate moments of the event, and it is dedicated to the club members who experience the regatta as volunteers and who are the main protagonists of this wonderful event. I would like to thank them for their work, and for the many challenges we will face together over the next few these days."

Barcolana Fun - They are not found in the official rankings of the race but they can be seen whizzing around the Gulf, from Lignano to Savudrija, each and every time WindGuru reports a perfectly windy day.

They are the unbridled kitesurfers, windsurfers and now even wing (even better if foil) athletes: around 100 of them can be found in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, with affiliates from Slovenia and even Austria. Over these days they play a central role in the Barcolana FUN, the event that has been following the technical evolution of energy sailing sports for over 15 years. They are all working to make the highest jump, or to reach the highest speed and cover the longest distance. The Bora, as always, has come to the rescue - over 100 signals have already been shared since 21 September, when the window opened, amounting to over 30 miles covered across the gulf in two hours, with an average speed of over 25 knots and maximum speed of 33 knots.

It is easy to join: just send in your performance, and celebrate every jump or personal record.

The event is organised by Sports Director Dean Bassi, an Energy sailing enthusiast, together with Kytelife and Windsurf Club Trieste. Today they defied the Bora in front of the platform to open the Barcolana in the best possible way - kitesurfing, wingsurfing and windsurfing through the waves at a speed of over 50 km per hour.

The first guest boats for the event: the Nice - Meanwhile, the first boats have already arrived: this edition's flag-hoisting ceremony welcomed as a guest the crew of the Nice, the boat of the Guardia di Finanza, which will play a central role in the main Barcolana events. The 'Fiamme Gialle' (Yellow Flames, from their logo) team are in charge of promoting the Corps' image in sports on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of their foundation, and the Barcolana is the last sporting event in a calendar that has kept the Guardia di Finanza busy for a whole year. At the Barcolana, Fiamme Gialle-Nice, a 78-foot maxi boat built by an Australian shipyard and now owned by Mauro Malgara of Ice YachtsMAXI, will be helmed by Paolo Cian, a Barcolana expert who, together with the crew of yellow-green sailors, can boast a high-level palmares.

'Follow me': Tests at sea - The first day of the Barcolana will see the students of the Nautical Technical Institute in charge of welcoming the guest boats. About 90 of them have voluntarily joined the 'Follow Me' project and met President Gialuz among the school desks over the past few days. Today they took part in a sea rescue simulation of a person falling into the water. "I believe that the 'Follow Me' project is exceptional," Gialuz commented. "It is one of the great souls of the Barcolana. The project, which was organised by the school, together with some former students led by Samuele Girotto, aims to provide future captains with on-field skills. I thanked them because they are the Barcolana's first touchpoint, the first people that those sailing up the Adriatic coast meet in Trieste."

Inclusivity: a vast programme of activities kicks off - One of the central themes of the first week of the Barcolana will be inclusion. "Inclusiveness is one of this edition's objectives - in addition to the events dedicated to Parasailing and 'Barcolana per il sociale' (Barcolana for the community), which is about to reach a record number of participants, we have planned swimming and finswimming events, we are offering people with disabilities the possibility to experience sailing, and we arranged all the events on land to be open and accessible. It is a new commitment for the Barcolana, which has also created a mooring space for people who have difficulty getting on the boats and need to have easy access." Starting Monday, the spotlight will be on the theme of Paralympic sports at sea, with the Italian Sailing Federation's Parasailing Academy, World Sailing, and a conference organised in partnership with Unicredit on the best practices to make sea sports more and more inclusive and open to all (on 7 October at 6.00 pm at NH Hotel).

Tomorrow: the Barcolana SUP experience (with a record number of participants) and the Barcolana Young take place - Piazza Unità opens

Barcolana Grado SUP experience - The second edition of the Barcolana Grado Sup Experience has already beaten all records, registering a number of 130 participants, more than double last year's participation. It is an event with great potential, which aims to grow further and spread the spirit of the Barcolana. Professionals and enthusiasts will be at the same starting line, ready to compete on their SUP, a board which is popular, inexpensive and accessible for everyone.

"Thanks to the support of the Lega Navale Italiana (Italian Naval League) - section of Grado, the Società Canottieri Ausonia (Ausonia Rowing Club), Kitelife Grado, PromoTurismo FVG, Acqua Dolomia, Starboard, and the essential logistic and organisational support by the Municipality of Grado and G.I.T. (Grado Impianti Turistici S.p.A.), we are holding a great event, destined to gain more and more importance. The recreational and the sporting dimensions come together, and Grado is the perfect location for this end-of-summer event around the beach, the lagoon and the old town centre" said Mitja Gialuz.

According to the programme, the secretariat desk on the beach will open tomorrow at 8 a.m. for registration and gadget collection. The 'SUP desk' will be opened for those who wish to borrow a SUP and take part in the sporting event. At 9:30 a.m. a briefing for contestants will be held, followed by the start, which will take place from 10 a.m. onwards, depending on weather conditions. After the race, a pasta party will be held for all participants at the Antiche Terme bar and restaurant, followed by the prize-giving ceremony at 2 p.m. and by a big party with the JoediBrutto band and DJ Ringo's DJ set at 3.30 p.m.

Tomorrow the great event gets into full swing - Piazza dell'Unità and the Scala Reale area will be the absolute centre of celebrations with the opening of temporary stores, the Infopoint, lounges, and many spaces for the public. "This year more than ever," President Gialuz explained, "we have been working to improve the quality of the Barcolana Village and to propose, together with our partners, interesting spaces and opportunities to gather. One of the new additions will be the installation in the bay of Sistiana of a 'mini village' offering typical local products, aimed to provide support to the boats mooring and getting ready for the upcoming races.

At 7.00 p.m. tomorrow a great appointment will take place: the free concert by Subsonica, to be held in Piazza Ponterosso.

Solaris, Piazza Unità hosts the Solaris 50 - Through great teamwork, during the night a Solaris 50 will be moved from the Aquileia shipyards to Piazza Unità, where it will remain for the entire event. "It is a dream come true," said President Gialuz. "Having a Solaris boat in Piazza Unità is a great honour for the Barcolana and for the whole of Friuli-Venezia Giulia's blue economy. We consider it as a true monument to the local shipbuilding industry - every year Solaris brings its boats to Düsseldorf, Europe's leading boat show, in the same way so that the public can see them up close. It is wonderful to have the chance to show this masterwork at the Barcolana." The boat, which is one of the shipyard's most successful models, will leave from Aquileia at 10 p.m. tonight as an oversized load, and it will be installed in Piazza Unità during the night, where it will remain on display and will be celebrated until 13 October, also thanks to the support of Fondazione Aquileia.

For more information visit www.barcolana.it.