Barcolana Special Edition: Trieste and Barcolana's grand welcome to Nave Vespucci
by Barcolana 1 Mar 18:09 UTC
1 March 2025
Barcolana Special Edition: Trieste and Barcolana's grand welcome to Nave Vespucci © Barcolana
A welcome like never before: Nave Vespucci enters the San Giusto Basin in Trieste, escorted by hundreds upon hundreds of sailing boats, motorboats, rowing boats, and small dinghies.
This is the Barcolana Special Edition, an event organized to honour the Italian Navy's training ship as she returns home after a two-year circumnavigation of the globe. Even the Bora wind joins in the celebration, blowing strongly with gusts of up to thirty knots: of the 1,333 registered boats, only the least experienced sailors remain ashore, while the rest gather at 14:00 at the Barcolana starting buoy. Shortly after, at the horizon, Nave Vespucci appears, and the sailing community falls in line to pay tribute to the great traditions of seamanship, as the Frecce Tricolori aerobatic team paints the sky over Trieste in the colours of the Italian flag.
A passion for the sea embraces Nave Vespucci: thousands of people gather in Piazza Unità d'Italia and along Molo Audace to await her mooring. Out at sea, the Barcolana Boat Parade escorts "the most beautiful ship in the world" into the San Giusto Basin, evoking the final stretch of the world's largest regatta, held every year on the second Sunday of October, while proudly displaying the ceremonial flags. Barcolana's tribute to Nave Vespucci, broadcast live on Rai Uno and streamed on Barcolana's social channels in a three-hour special, captivates sailing enthusiasts from around the world. Among the featured sailors are double Olympic gold medallist Caterina Banti with Giovanna Micol, the Fiamme Gialle sailing team led by Paolo Cian, and many other well-known faces from Barcolana, alongside rowers and sailors with disabilities aboard Hansa 303 class boats. Many crews have embraced Barcolana's invitation to celebrate the carnival at sea, showing up at the Boat Parade in festive costumes.
"Dozens of thousands of people along the Trieste waterfront," said Mitja Gialuz, President of the Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano, "have witnessed a historic day. We celebrated the arrival of Nave Vespucci with the very first edition of the Barcolana Special Edition, an extraordinary event: at the sound of the cannon, Nave Vespucci hoisted her sails, giving us all an unforgettable thrill. As she approached Piazza Unità d'Italia, the enthusiasm among the sailing community was overwhelming, marking a moment of deep connection and passion for the sea. A heartfelt thanks to the Italian Navy, Difesa Servizi, everyone who made this incredible experience possible, and all the crews who showcased their outstanding seamanship. Long live Barcolana, long live Nave Vespucci!"
The grand maritime celebration also featured small sailing dinghies and rowing boats: the Italian Navy participated with an eight-oared yole, crewed by past and present athletes from the Italian Navy Sports Group, including Gabriel Soares and Linda De Filippis (silver medallist and sixth-place finalist at the Paris 2024 Olympics), Franco Berra at the helm (Sydney 2000 Olympic finalist), Giorgia Sciattella, and Antonio Vicino, both world champions. Joining them in rowing were the Undersecretary of Defense, Senator Isabella Rauti, and Dr. Lorenzo Mariani, Co-General Manager of Leonardo. Rear Admiral Gianluca De Meis and Alessandra Balzani completed the crew.
Among the registered participants was also a crew from the Italian Rowing Federation, aboard a four-person GIG boat provided by the Friuli Venezia Giulia Regional Committee. The crew included Italian national rowers Stefania Buttignon, Marco Frank, Stefania Gobbi, and Josef Marvucic. Another crew from the Guardia di Finanza (Italian Finance Police) took part in the event aboard a Figaro 3, featuring the Commander of the Gaeta Sailing Section, Captain Francesco Nerone, the section's technical director Pierluigi Fornelli, Paolo Cian, and Fabio Montefusco.
Meanwhile, this morning, Barcolana and the Italian Navy inaugurated the exhibition "A TUTTO TONDO - Nave Vespucci's World Tour," featuring photographs by Massimo Sestini, in the presence of the Chief of the Italian Navy, Admiral Enrico Credendino. The exhibition is hosted at the Palazzo della Regione Friuli Venezia Giulia from today until March 7. Organized in collaboration with the FVG Region, PromoTurismo FVG, the City of Trieste, and with the support of Generali, the exhibition will later be displayed at the Procuratie in Venice to coincide with Nave Vespucci's arrival in the lagoon city. The exhibition not only celebrates the presence of the Navy's training ship in Trieste but also highlights its profound connection with Barcolana, as they share the same deep passion for the sea. Another key link between Nave Vespucci and Barcolana is photographer Massimo Sestini, whose official images documented the ship's world tour, and whose iconic shots of Barcolana have become part of the regatta's history.
"Generali," said Emma Ursich, Head of Corporate Identity at Generali Group, "is proud to support this exhibition by Massimo Sestini, which passionately narrates the stories of two Italian icons, the Amerigo Vespucci and Barcolana. The sea is an integral part of everyday life in Trieste, the city where Generali was founded in 1831, and where, together with Barcolana, we develop important projects for the community. We will accompany this photographic journey of Amerigo Vespucci's world tour also to Venice, at our Procuratie headquarters in Piazza San Marco."
"It is with great emotion that we inaugurate this exhibition dedicated to Massimo Sestini," commented Mitja Gialuz. "He is a true icon of Barcolana. His photographs have travelled the world, capturing our event with a unique perspective. Among the images on display is the iconic shot of the Frecce Tricolori during Barcolana50, and I can only express my deepest gratitude for his extraordinary work and his future projects."