4th edition of The Grand Tour - Stage 2: 57th Kekszalag Blue Ribbon Regatta
by Manuel Vlacich 27 Jul 16:45 BST
Daniele Balzanelli, Manuel Vlacich and Franco Deganutti at the Blue Ribbon Regatta on Lake Balaton © The Grand Tour
Italian athletes Franco Deganutti and Manuel Vlacich created the idea of a sports project called "The Grand Tour Sailing" four years ago, and managed a Guinness World Record in 2022, having sailed, among others, to the highest point in the world in 2023 (Bolivia, Lake Titicaca +3,812m above sea level), in the bay of Ilullisat among the icebergs
of Greenland, in the largest underground lake (thus the lowest place in the world) in Europe (Switzerland, St. Leonard).
The sailing endeavors of The Grand Tour Sailing are also under the banner of sustainability, so much so that
One Ocean Foundation - a non-profit initiative that aims to find solutions to ocean problems by promoting
a sustainable blue economy and inspiring international leaders, businesses and individuals - was happy to
offer its free patronage to The Grand Tour Sailing initiative.
After the first stage held from 12 to 14 June on the island of Texel in the Netherlands where the duo raced
aboard a Hobie Cat Tiger formula18 taking part in the 46th edition of the Round the Texel, in July it was the
turn of the participation in the 57th Kekszalag Blue Ribbon Regatta on Lake Balaton in Hungary.
For this stage, participation was organized as a three-person crew aboard a Meteor boat owned by friend
and owner Daniele Balzanelli who, after having already raced with Vlacich and Deganutti in the third edition
of The Grand Tour on Loch Ness in 2023, has returned to be part of the team again.
The Kekszalag regatta is Europe's oldest lake sporting event, also known as the "Blue Ribbon" and has been
held on Lake Balaton in Hungary since 1934. The regatta involves the circumnavigation of the lake, covering
a distance of over 155 km and is considered one of the most important and crowded regattas in Europe, with
over 500 participating boats: from the super-fast trimarans to the classic wooden boats, divided into
categories and with a compensation formula: ORC or Yardstick.
Known for being a "slow" event because it tends to be characterized by light winds, this was not the case for
the 2025 edition. Due to a strong storm that hit the area in the days before and after the regatta,
unfortunately causing considerable damage to the local community, the race was held with winds of up to
30 knots.
The crew crossed the finish line at 11:54 PM on July 10th, the same day they started, far exceeding their
wildest expectations, which would have seen them cover the 155km in around 30 hours.
This performance allowed the Italian crew (the only one in the race) to finish the event on the second step
of the podium in the Yardstick III category.
The next stops, after Texel in the Netherlands and the Round the Lake Balaton Race in Hungary, will be the
Silverrudder Challenge of the Sea in Denmark in September, where Deganutti will tackle the world's largest
offshore race for solo sailors aboard a UFO28.
The Grand Tour website: sites.google.com/view/tgtsailing