Generali at Barcolana 55 supporting sustainability and diversity, equity and inclusion

• In October, the third edition of Generali's ‘Women in Sailing’ Trophy will be awarded to the first mixed team with a female skipper

Trieste - Sustainability, diversity, equity and inclusion, and climate change are the issues that Generali supports at Barcolana, the sailing event that will take place in October in the Gulf of Trieste. Generali, which has been alongside Barcolana for over 40 years, is presenting sponsor of the initiative.

The event, organised by the Barcola and Grignano Sailing Club, will host the third edition of the ‘Generali Women in Sailing’ Trophy, awarded to the first mixed team led by a female skipper in the ‘Autumn Cup’ that will take place on October 8^th. The winner will also be rewarded by Generali Academy with a coaching and leadership course customised to her needs.
In 2022, the Trophy was won by Wendy Schmidt, an American businesswoman and philanthropist, shipowner and skipper of Deep Blue.

As part of the Barcolana, the 'Women in Sailing by Generali' initiative aims to enhance diversity, guaranteeing equal opportunities and promoting inclusion, giving prominence to all the women who participate in the event, at sea, at land and in organization. This year 'Women in Sailing by Generali' will become the final stage of the activities carried out all over the world by World Sailing for women's sailing, the "Steering the Course" programme, and will also be enriched by an event at sea and the participation of the #WomenInSailing team, made up of male and female athletes from the Società velica Barcola e Grignano, at a number of regattas
throughout the season.
A special Gallery will be published on the website www.barcolana.it, with the aim of inspiring more and more women to be protagonists, at sea and beyond.

The days of the Barcolana will also see the participation of Generali’s initiative The Human Safety Net with activities open to the public. The Foundation’s mission is to support vulnerable families with small children and promote the inclusion of refugees through work and entrepreneurship.

Generali will be by Barcolana's side throughout all the annual activities, supporting the event in developing and consolidating the projects that have allowed it to grow and achieve its international status.

The Chairman of Generali, Andrea Sironi, said: “Through participation in sporting events, Generali promotes the culture of sport and a healthy lifestyle. For many years it has also done so in collaboration with Barcolana, a sailing event with a long tradition but capable of innovating, attentive to environmental sustainability and the promotion of diversity, equity and inclusion. This is why we are historically close to it, helping it to grow internationally and promoting its activities, with the 'Woman in Sailing by Generali' project and also through our The Human Safety Net Foundation, so that this event will be, for the community of Trieste and for all those who participate coming from all over Europe and beyond, an opportunity for sport, entertainment and growth”.

In recent years, the environment, integration, diversity and inclusion have been at the centre of the initiatives promoted by Generali at Barcolana. A case in point is Isabelle Joschke, an internationally renowned sailor and athlete engaged in social work, and the ‘Generali Sea Talks’, conversations with two famous women sailors, Dee Caffari and Vicky Song.

Sailing, a sport that Generali has historically supported and whose values it shares, will be the sport through which gender equality can be discussed, addressing the traditional association of men with marine occupations.