Trieste hosts Barcolana, the largest sailing regatta in the world

1,614 sailing boats of different classes took part in the legendary Barcolana regatta, held last weekend in Trieste, Italy. The race, held for the 54th time in its history, ended the big festival week. The regatta attracted about 300 thousand citizens and tourists from all over the world.

1614 sailboats of different classes took part in the legendary Barcolana regatta, which took place last weekend in Trieste, Italy. The race, which was held for the 54th time in history, ended a long festival week. The regatta brought together about 300 thousand residents of the city and tourists from all over the world.

The Barcolana54 race was won by American entrepreneur and philanthropist Wendy Schmidt. Her yacht Deep Blue crossed the finish line in 57'47", beating Furio Benussi's Arca by 59 seconds. Portopiccolo Prosecco Doc took third place with Mitya Kosmin at the helm.

Schmidt also won the Generali Women in Sailing Cup, awarded to the first female skipper in a mixed crew, making it the first time in Barcolana history that one team has won both cups.

The history of Barcolana began more than fifty years ago, when the Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano sailing club held its first race with 51 sailboats. By 2017, the regatta had grown to over 2,100 boats and 25,000 entrants, setting a world record for a simultaneous start. Today Barcolana remains the largest and one of the most profitable regattas in the world.

The traditional week-long festival, which preceded the regatta, included about 300 different initiatives - water sports competitions as well as meetings, a cultural program and social events.

The traditional week-long festival that preceded the regatta included around 300 different initiatives – water sports competitions, as well as meetings, a cultural programme and social events for both professionals and the general public.

Credits: StudioBorlenghi Studio Borlenghi