by InTrieste
Illustration: Victoria Tsaleva
It’s the largest boat race in the world, but what we’ve always love about Barcolana is the sheer anarchy of it. This yearly boat race boasts rickety two-man sail boats, professional yachts, and literally anything in between. Some take to the sea heavy with crew members and sponsorship in a serious attempt to win the race, others take a packed lunch (always a good idea if the wind drops and the race takes longer than expected) and a more leisurely approach. After the deafening starting cannon, seen from the hills above, the race resembles a disorganized swarm of tiny white sails migrating out to sea.
Details of the various events on offer for the 55th Barcolana, which runs from 29 September to the main race on Sunday October 8th at 10 AM, are provided on Barcolana’s website. There will be stalls along the seafront and events all over the city, as this unique boat race is a celebration of the spirit of Trieste and its connection with the sea.
“Barcolana represents the spirit of our town,” SVBG president Mitja Gialuz told us. “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. 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. The 2022 was truly spectacular. We hope this 2023 regatta will be even better.”
“We’re ready for an extraordinary edition,” continued SVBG President Mitja Gialuz, “which has been organized in synergy with local institutions, our presenting partner Generali, and the yacht clubs that contributed to designing this great event which allows us to promote the whole Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. Together we have built the Barcolana Crew, the largest crew in the world, which is about to arrive in Trieste. Many of the faces that make up the Barcolana Crew have already been the protagonists of our graphics and promotion of the event, and they bring to completion the sailors’ portraits project that was started last year by famous photographer Carlo Borlenghi.”
On the eve of the regatta, Barcolana55 and Trieste will welcome the winner of last year’s edition, the American yacht owner Wendy Schmidt, who will arrive on Saturday 7th October for the traditional ceremony of returning the Barcolana Cup and the Women in Sailing Cup, to be handed down to the new winner.
The calendar features over 250 events, including regattas and gatherings organised directly by the Barcolana, and initiatives by local associations and organisations who proposed their own activities in the bigger framework of the event. “The calendar brings together the city in proposing activities open to everybody and dedicated to whoever will be in Trieste in the ten days of the event,” Gialuz said.
Barcolana Young, the young sailors regatta, as well as Barcolana by Night, a nighttime boat race (or perhaps more like a battle) on the eve of the main Barcolana regatta will be a sight to see!
There are several options for viewing the regatta, from strolling down to the seafront for a close-up view of the start, to climbing one of the many hills (Prosecco is a favorite, as it hangs over the starting point and offers unrivalled views, but hills such as San Luigi and San Giusto also provide beautiful, if more distant view). All hills can be reached by car and bus, although do check for road closures and bus diversions to make sure you’re not caught out.
While you’re waiting, you can always take a walk by the sea to check out the sailing teams who will be racing this year, many of whom are moored along the seafront. The boats are already gathering, the water’s fine. Come enjoy a few days at the races!
Details of the various events on offer for the 55th Barcolana, which runs from 29 September to the main race on Sunday October 8th at 10.30 AM can be found on www.barcolana.it.
