Interview: Maria Kochetkova
Photography: Victor Caneva
The largest regatta in the world is happening this fall in Trieste (1-9 October) and the city is buzzing with excitement. Various land events will be spread throughout the city, with the boat races taking over Trieste’s gulf.
We interviewed the heart and mind behind the regatta, Mitja Gialuz, on what’s probably going to be the biggest event of the season in Trieste.
What is Barcolana for the city of Trieste?
Barcolana represents the spirit of our town. The beauty of our regatta is that all boats can participate. Whether they’re rickety two-man sail boats, professional yachts, or literally anything in between. “We are all in this together” is the spirit of our regatta which is a celebration for Trieste and for the rest of the world.
What’s special about this year’s regatta?
Organizing regatta in the past two years wasn’t easy. We went through with it in 2020 despite Covid, then had to cancel, for the first time in its history due to the Bora wind, taught us a lot that year: we forged an even stronger bond with our competitors and our public, and this has prepared us for new challenges. In 2021 the weather conditions were really harsh, yet we made the race happen anyway. This 2022 year’s regatta is a grand comeback for us and for our city.
What’s the best way to follow the regatta if you don’t have a boat?
There are various events happening on shore, from Piazza Unità stands to Porto Vecchio. And for the actual regatta, the best place with a perfect view is Napoleonica trail.
Your hopes for Barcolana54?
That this year’s regatta signifies the restart for our city and for our race. We hope this event and all which are to follow will continue bringing the much needed joy to our country. This year Barcolana 54 will be even more international, we’ll see teams arriving from around the globe and once again we’ll be placing the city of Trieste at the center of the world’s attention. `
Details of the various events on offer for the 54th Barcolana, which runs from October 1st to the main race on Sunday October 9th at 10 AM can be found on www.barcolana.com.
