5th edition of The Grand Tour - Preview
by Manuel Vlacich 6 Jan 17:58 GMT
Locations for the five editions of The Grand Tour © The Grand Tour
After being entered in the Guinness World Record books in 2022, having sailed at the highest
point in the world in 2023 (Bolivia, Lake Titicaca +3,812m above sea level), sailing in the Ilullisat Bay between the
icebergs of the Greenland, in Saint-Léonard underground lake, Switzerland, and in 2024 the
team being named Italy's "Sailor of the Year" in the Passion category, more recently they have achieved second place at the Blue Ribbon Round the Lake Balaton Race.
The project continues to evolve without losing its essence: "three stages, in the same
year, with the same boat". A modern "Grand Tour", inspired by the travels training of the nobles and
young people aristocrats of the 17th and 19th centuries, which today becomes sporting, cultural and
environmental.
Theme for 5th edition
The Grand Tour Sailing 2026 chooses to stop and reflect on the
time value: on that which flows, that which remains and that which must still arrive. Time becomes so the
common thread of three stages.
First stop: Varanasi - India where time stands still
In the spiritual heart of India, along the sacred river Ganges, Vlacich and Deganutti will give life to a match
race unique in the world with their Tiwal. They will sail between the ghats of the ancient city of Varanasi
which has been calling for over 3,500 years millions of faithful. A place where time seems suspended, where
life and death they coexist on the same shores. A context powerful, symbolic, and at the same time a from
the areas most polluted on the planet: a reminder of the environmental mission of the project.
Second stop: Greenwich - England where time flows
From waters of the Thames, in central London, the two sailors will cross the Greenwich Meridian,
the point from which the world measures time. An urban regatta, dynamic, iconic: the time that flows, which
divides, which unites. A symbolic and spectacular passage, perfectly in line with the spirit of the Grand Tour.
Third stop: Diomede Islands - Bering Strait where time begins and ends
Just two miles separate Little Diomede (USA) from Big Diomede (Russia), but between the two islands The
International Date Line runs. Here, in one of the corners more remote and hard to reach than any other on the
planet, Vlacich and Deganutti will face a match race that defies logic: leaving one day and arriving... the
day before!
An environmental project
The Grand Tour Sailing continues to be an initiative deeply tied up to protect the planet. The previous
editions have carried the two sailors sailing between icebergs, at the highest point elevated on the planet
at more than 3800m above sea level and in environments fragile, in caves with lakes underground with the aim
of raising awareness on the need to protect The ecosystems more vulnerable.
In 2026, as Ambassadors of One Ocean Foundation, Vlacich and Deganutti renew their commitment: to
demonstrate that the sail can be a powerful means to tell, respect and defend the sea, the oceans and waters
of the world.
The logistical challenge
As always, complexity is not just about sport. Carrying the same portable boats (two Tiwal, already used in other
editions) in three continents, in places remote or densely urbanized, between permits, flights, customs
and conditions extreme, is a challenge. A challenge that requires planning, creativity
and resilience.
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