The history of the regatta born in 1969 BARCOLANA, THE SEAFARING SPIRIT OF TRIESTE
For all seafaring and sailing lovers, for those who cannot miss a world’s unique spectacle: the meeting is in Trieste, every year, on the second Sunday of October. It’s the Barcolana, the most crowded international sailing race in the Mediterranean, an event consisting of a week of celebrations on land and at sea which turns Trieste into the European Capital of sailing. At the start line under the Victory lighthouse almost two thousand boats, lead by helmsmen used to compete in world sailing races, amateur skippers, holiday sailors, who are all under the spell of an event that every seafarer must take part in, at least once. The story of the Barcolana is one of those you do not expect, because nobody knows which is the key ingredient for the success of this unique event. The Barcolana was born by chance, as a simple end of summer regatta, 44 years ago. The first ever Barcolana took place in 1969, with 51 boats at the starting line - already a large number considering the number of sailing boats then present in the Gulf of Trieste. The first Autumn Cup was won by Commander Piero Napp from the Società Triestina della Vela: he was not yet aware that his boat Betelgeuse was to become a milestone in Barcolana history.