A unique Barcolana 2018
The historic Barcolana regatta is confirmed as the most attended regatta in the world. In the 2018 edition it exceeded the records with 2689 registered boats, more than twenty-eight thousand sailors at sea and over three hundred thousand people on the city shores.
The winner of this fiftieth edition was once again "Spirit of Portopiccolo" led by a team of brothers, Furio and Gabriele Benussi, who surpassed the success of 2017 by crossing the finish line in 1 h, 12 minutes and 17 seconds, thus winning their third consecutive victory. "Ottica Inn - Tempus Fugit" led by Mitja Kosmina ranked second, followed by the "Way of Life" which ranked third, while the Swan 90 Generali – Woodpecker Cube stood out with an excellent fifth place.
Two more elements underlined the importance of this edition of the Barcolana: the Frecce Tricolori’s air show, which held the attention of the crowds in the moments just before the start of the race and the ship “Amerigo Vespucci”, which arrived in Trieste for the occasion and symbolically received the last registration number of the regatta.
Generali has been alongside Barcolana as main sponsor for over 40 years and it has always supported the sailing world, sharing its values and spirit. The second edition of the Generali Cup was also a success: the regatta dedicated to Group employees involved 50 people from 14 different countries who competed on ten J70 mono-types. Furthermore, the strong relationship between Generali and the sea was also underlined by the historical rowing boat "Caorlina" of Squero Vecio CRA of Generali Italy, which arrived directly from Venice after two days of navigation.
"The Barcolana experience is unique: every year it gives different emotions", said the Chairman of Assicurazioni Generali Gabriele Galateri di Genola. "The growing presence of sailors and visitors from Italy, Europe and even further afield, demonstrates the success of a unique formula which is capable of combining a competitive spirit, fun, and community, both on the sea and the land."
The Group CEO Philippe Donnet, at his first edition of the regatta, wanted to underline the link between Generali and Barcolana: "This event is very important for us because Trieste is very important for Generali. We were born in this city, we have a very strong presence here, and we feel committed to this city. Barcolana expresses the values of internationality and fair competition that are a part of who we are. "
Generali decided to further bind its name to the event through a three-year partnership, which will see the Group becoming its presenting partner in 2019 and supporting the growth of the event from an increasingly international perspective. Moreover, on the occasion of this fiftieth anniversary, Generali promoted the publication of the book "Un mare di racconti", published by Giunti, which recounts many of the several experiences linked to the historic regatta through voices and images.
