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Barcolana

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Barcolana
NASA satellite image of the Gulf of Trieste
First held1969
OrganizerSocietà Velica di Barcola Grignano
Length13 nmi (24 km; 15 mi)
Websitewww.barcolana.it

The Barcolana (Slovene: Barkovljanka) is a historic international sailing regatta organized by the Sailing Club of Barcola and Grignano (Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano). It takes place every year in the Gulf of Trieste on the second Sunday of October. The Barcolana is one of the most crowded regattas in the world. The Barcolana became the Guinness World Record holder in February 2019 when it was named "the greatest sailing race" with its 2,689 boats and over 16,000 sailors on the starting line.[1]

Thanks to its particular formula, the Barcolana is a unique event on the international sailing stage: on the same starting line expert sailors and sailing lovers race side by side on boats of different sizes divided into several divisions according to their overall length.

End of the 2006 Barcolana, with the victory of Alfa Romeo 2
Sailing the first side of the route during the 41st Barcolana

History

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The Barcolana was founded in 1969 thanks to the initiative of the yacht club Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano in Trieste. It has always taken place on the second Sunday of October to end the season of the yacht club, and therefore its full name is Barcolana Autumn Cup Regatta. During the first edition of the regatta, only 51 sailing boats from yacht clubs of Trieste took part in the race.

The course

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The race takes place on a 15-mile four-sided, fixed mark course. The starting line is between the Miramare Castle and the seat of the Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano and for the first time in 2014 the finish line will be in the waters just off Piazza Unità d'Italia. Over the years the route has undergone several changes and for many years one buoy has floated in Slovenian waters.

Participation

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The Barcolana is not an event for sailors only, but it involves the whole city of Trieste attracting tourists from abroad. Every year about 25,000 sailors take part in the race and more than 250,000 spectators watch the Barcolana from the Trieste seafront, known as the Rive, and from the Karst highland. Thanks to the particular conformation of the territory around the Gulf of Trieste, spectators can enjoy the race from numerous observation points as if sitting in a natural “sailing stadium”.

Side events

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The Barcolana is not only the regatta on Sunday morning, but includes several events involving the sea and the city for ten days. In recent years several races and side events have taken place:

  • Land Rover Extreme 40: for the first time in 2014, the catamarans Extreme 40 of the Extreme Sailing Series will race for several days in the Gulf of Trieste;
  • Barcolana Young: a race on Optimist Class Boats dedicated to athletes aged between 8 and 15;
  • Barcolana Classic: a race for vintage and classic boats;
  • Barcolana by Night: the Ufo 28 one-design class boats will race by night just off Piazza Unità d'Italia;
  • Barcolana FUN: kitesurfers and windsurfers will race in the Bacino San Giusto, just off Piazza Unità d'Italia.

The Barcolana also includes several events on land:

  • Barcolanda Village: a village of stands along the Rive of Trieste offering food and wine areas, areas dedicated to the sponsors and exhibitions of technical equipment;
  • Barcolana in Music: several night concerts before the Barcolana;
  • FuoriRegata: local businesses organize events and activities including tastings, cultural and commercial events.

Cups and trophies

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Several prizes are awarded during the prize-giving ceremony which usually takes place at the end of November. The spirit of many prizes goes beyond the mere sporting result and enhances sporting values and the origin of the event.

  • Barcolana Trophy (permanent trophy): to the overall winner;
  • President of the Republic Trophy: to the overall winner;
  • Generali Trophy: to the winner in the Cruiser Class, the trophy is not awarded to race boats but only to “cruisers”;
  • Cups: to the first, the second and the third in each category; to the first, the second and the third in each Cruiser Class; to the first monotype boat belonging to a class with over 10 participants;
  • Fondazione CRTRIESTE Trophy: to the skipper of the first boat of the Trieste Province;
  • Port of Trieste Trophy: to the Italian boat that beats the highest number of boats in its category;
  • Italo-Austrian Friendship Trophy: to the first Austrian boat in the overall ranking;
  • City of Trieste Trophy: to the sailing club within the zone 13 with the highest number of entrants (excluding SVBG);
  • Fulvio Molinari Trophy: to the first boat owner in the overall ranking who participated in at least 20 Barcolana regattas;
  • IYFR Trophy (International Yachting Fellowship of Rotarians): to the first boat with a crew consisting of a Rotary member and at least one disabled member of a Paralympic Federation;
  • Giovanni Sigovich Trophy: to the first boat of the IX category (up to 6.45 m in length);
  • Fair Play Barcolana Trophy: to the boatowner who during the Barcolana distinguished himself/herself for fair play actions which best express the seafaring spirit of the event;
  • “Rose in the Wind” Trophy: to the first helmswoman of a boat with a mixed crew;
  • Boatowner of the Italian Navy League: to the first boat of the Italian Navy League.

Walk of Fame

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Edition Sailboat Skipper Club
1969 Betelgeuse Napp STV
1970 Marie Pesle YCA
1971 Carla Sigovich Garda
1972 Sandra Toffaloni YCA
1973 Vento di mare Rizzi STV
1974 Kaiten Zalukar SVBG
1975 El Raguseo Colonna STV
1976 El Raguseo Colonna STV
1977 Papillon Drioli YCA
1978 El Cid Bartoli-Zago STV
1979 El Cid Bartoli-Zago STV
1980 Rupe Hoffmeister-Stadler YC Monaco
1981 White Shadow Drioli SVBG
1982 Condor Battiston YCL
1983 White Shadow Drioli SVBG
1984 Condornonsisamai Becchetti YCL
1985 Blue Eyed Princess Bardelli SVBG
1986 La Fenice di Venezia Venerucci CNC
1987 Il Moro di Venezia Ferruzzi-Nava Ravenna
1988 Uragan Battiston YCL
1989 Il Moro di Venezia 2 Ferruzzi-Nava Ravenna
1990 Fanatic Zizala-Battiston YCL
1991 Satanasso Calbre Gaburri-Poli ANS
1992 Il Moro di Venezia Ferruzzi-Chieffi YCI
1993 Fanatic Zizala-Battiston YCL
1994 Fanatic Zizala-Puh YCL
1995 Gaia Legend Kosmina YCJK
1996 Gaia Legend Kosmina YCJK
1997 Gaia Legend Kosmina YCJK
1998 Riviera di Rimini Benvenuti-Cian CV Rimini
1999 @DRIACOM Cilenti CDV Pd
2000 @DRIACOM Cilenti CDV Pd
2001 Cometa Pfizer-Favini CVMM
2002 Uniflair Cilenti-Bressani CVV
2003 Alfa Romeo Neville Crichton Cruising Yacht Club Australia
2004 Alfa Romeo Neville Crichton Cruising Yacht Club Australia
2005 Provincia di Trieste Lorenzo Bressani
2006 Alfa Romeo 2 Neville Crichton Cruising Yacht Club Australia
2007 Alfa Romeo 2 Neville Crichton Cruising Yacht Club Australia
2008 Alfa Romeo 2 Neville Crichton Cruising Yacht Club Australia
2009 Maxi Jena Mitja Kosmina Jahtni Klub
2010 Esimit Europa 2 Igor Simčič Yacht Club de Monaco
2011 Esimit Europa 2 Igor Simčič Yacht Club de Monaco
2012 Esimit Europa 2 Jochen Schümann Yacht Club de Monaco
2013 Esimit Europa 2 Jochen Schümann Yacht Club de Monaco
2014 Esimit Europa 2 Igor Simčič Yacht Club de Monaco
2015 Robertissima III Vasco Vascotto Yacht Club Costa Smeralda
2016 Alfa Romeo Furio Benussi Yacht Club Adriaco
2017 Spirit of Portopiccolo Furio Benussi Yacht Club Portopiccolo
2018 Spirit of Portopiccolo Furio Benussi Yacht Club Portopiccolo
2019 Way of Life Gašper Vinčec Sailing Planet

See also

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References

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