Barcolana Lake Up returns to Lago dei tre Comuni: two days of sport and celebration on 3 and 4 October for its secondo edition

Barcolana returns to Lago dei Tre Comuni. Following last year’s debut, the second edition of Barcolana Lake Up will take place on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 October, bringing the spirit of the world’s largest sailing race to the inland waters of Friuli Venezia Giulia with two days dedicated to sport, discovering the local area and participation.

Presented today in Trasaghis, the second edition confirms and strengthens the bond established in 2025 between Barcolana and Alto Friuli. The project has been developed together with institutions, sports associations and local organisations, offering different ways to experience Lago dei Tre Comuni through a range of disciplines and bringing Barcolana58’s invitation – “Be Barcolana”: be there, take part and share a passion for water through sport – to life even far from the sea.

“We have returned to Lago dei Tre Comuni,” said Mitja Gialuz, President of the Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano, “because a year ago Barcolana found a community here that welcomed it and made it its own. This is what Be Barcolana means: being there, taking part and building something together that begins with sport and water and grows into a connection between people and places. Last year we said that the sea begins here too, in the lakes and rivers that feed it; today we are back because that connection has become part of Barcolana. Lake Up perfectly expresses what we want to be: an open and inclusive community, capable of bringing Friuli Venezia Giulia together through sport and a shared passion for water.”

TWO DAYS TO EXPERIENCE THE LAKE – Barcolana Lake Up offers a programme combining canoeing and kayaking, model sailing and paragliding, turning Lago dei Tre Comuni into one of the key venues of Barcolana58 for an entire weekend.

On Saturday 3 October, the programme will begin with opportunities to discover the lake through canoeing and kayaking excursions. Instructors from Scuola Kayak & Rafting Friuli, together with nature guides, will accompany participants on an experience designed to explore the lake environment and surrounding area.

The spectacle will also take to the skies, with paragliding activities organised by Volo Libero Friuli and “Acropazzie”, featuring spectacular manoeuvres by free-flight athletes above Lago dei Tre Comuni.

Model sailing will also take centre stage on the lake, promoted by Associazione Italiana Modelvela and ASD Nautilago. Radio-controlled boats measuring up to two metres in length will be at the heart of an Open Day dedicated to discovering the discipline.

Music will also accompany Saturday afternoon: at 5.00 pm, Doro Gjat will perform live, continuing the day in an atmosphere of celebration and togetherness on the shores of the lake.

On Sunday 4 October, canoeing, kayaking and paragliding activities will return, while the programme on the water will expand to include kayak polo, with matches played on a competition field set up in front of the campsite: a dynamic and spectacular discipline that spectators will be able to follow from the shore.

At 2.00 pm, it will be time for Barcolana Modelvela, one of Lake Up’s signature events. The radio-controlled boats will compete from a starting line on a windward-leeward course, recreating the dynamics and excitement of a full-scale sailing race.

Also from 2.00 pm to 6.00 pm, the afternoon will be accompanied by a DJ set by Gravy Deejay, which will pause for the prize-giving ceremony from 4.30 pm before resuming until the end of the event. A pasta party will complete the final celebrations, bringing the second edition of Barcolana Lake Up to a close together.

BARCOLANA AND ALTO FRIULI: A PROJECT GROWING TOGETHER WITH THE LOCAL AREA – The second edition of Barcolana Lake Up is the result of collaboration between Barcolana, institutions, local authorities, sports associations and local organisations that, since the event’s debut, have shared the aim of enhancing Lago dei Tre Comuni through sport and participation.

The project places the energy of the local community at its heart, consolidating Barcolana’s presence in Alto Friuli and showcasing a location naturally suited to outdoor sports and water culture, while creating an opportunity to experience and discover it beyond the traditional summer season.

“An event born on the sea is coming to the heart of Alto Friuli, bringing to Lago dei Tre Comuni the same values of participation, sport and community that distinguish the world’s largest sailing race,” said Sergio Emidio Bini, Regional Councillor for Productive Activities and Tourism. “Barcolana Lake Up is a tangible example of how Friuli Venezia Giulia can present itself as a single, major destination, showcasing its different identities and offering authentic experiences to residents and visitors, in keeping with the promotional strategy that the Regional Administration has pursued for years to raise awareness of the entire region through major events.”

“Last year,” said Matteo Michielon, Vice-President of Associazione Nautilago, “I said that I hoped this would be just the beginning of a new network of connections between people, places and passions. Seeing Barcolana Lake Up return to Lago dei Tre Comuni for the second consecutive year is therefore enormously satisfying, because it means that the first experience worked and that together we have managed to build something that can truly grow over time.

For me, it also remains something very personal: I grew up here, I started sailing with ASD Nautilago and, as a boy, I looked forward to Barcolana as one of the highlights of the year. Seeing it today on ‘my’ lake still feels very special.

But the most important thing is seeing how many different people and organisations are working together. Barcolana Lake Up brings sports associations, local authorities, operators, volunteers and people who believe in the potential of this area around the same table. To me, that is the most rewarding result of all.

Bringing an event of this importance to Lago dei Tre Comuni means raising awareness of the lake, but also demonstrating in a very tangible way that this area can be enjoyed through sport and outdoor activities well beyond the summer months. It is something we have been working on for a long time, and seeing such strong participation confirms that we are heading in the right direction.

So, thank you to Barcolana, the Region, the local authorities and, above all, all the associations and volunteers who make this possible. Last year it was a new challenge; this year it is already beginning to feel like a wonderful tradition.”

Barcolana Lake Up is part of the widespread programme of Barcolana58 Presented by Generali, which from 2 to 11 October will bring the spirit of Be Barcolana from Trieste to different parts of Friuli Venezia Giulia. During the same opening weekend, alongside Lago dei Tre Comuni, Grado will host the Barcolana Grado SUP Experience, while Lignano Pineta will welcome Barcolana Beach Sprint: different disciplines, places and communities united by a desire to experience sport and their relationship with water.

“The second edition of Barcolana Lake Up,” said Stefania Pisu, Mayor of Trasaghis, “has an even greater significance for us: returning to Lago dei Tre Comuni means giving continuity to an experience that began last year and transforming that initial idea into a journey capable of growing, becoming established and looking to the future.

Barcolana brings much more than a major sporting event to our lake: it brings a way of experiencing and telling the story of the area through water, sport, the environment and participation. It is a message in which we fully recognise ourselves, because Lago dei Tre Comuni is a heritage belonging to the communities that surround it and, at the same time, a resource capable of reaching out and opening itself up to the whole of Friuli Venezia Giulia.

Having Barcolana here for the second consecutive year is therefore an important confirmation of this place’s potential. It means introducing it to an increasingly broad audience, but above all promoting a sustainable and responsible way of experiencing it, enhancing its environmental, landscape and sporting qualities throughout the year.

This journey now goes hand in hand with tangible initiatives aimed at the future of Lago dei Tre Comuni, made possible by the support of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region and the work of the Comunità di montagna del Gemonese, together with the local authorities involved. It demonstrates how a shared vision and stable collaboration between institutions and local communities can create new opportunities for our area while respecting its identity and environment.

‘Be Barcolana’ means being there, taking part and feeling part of a community. I believe this is one of Lake Up’s deepest values: connecting different places through water and making Lago dei Tre Comuni a place for people to meet, enjoy sport and share experiences. Associations, volunteers, residents, operators and institutions are an essential part of this journey: it is through our ability to work together that we can build an authentic, sustainable and lasting future for our lake.”

“Welcome back, Barcolana Lake Up. It is a great honour for our community,” added Massimo Di Doi, Councillor for Sport of the Municipality of Cavazzo Carnico, “to collaborate on an event of the calibre of Barcolana Lake Up, which returns following last year’s debut and has succeeded in forging strong relationships between people, businesses and the local area. Our magnificent lake once again proves to be the ideal setting for events that combine sport, the promotion of the local area and a passion for sailing.

This initiative not only enriches our calendar of events but also strengthens the bond between the community and outdoor sport. My heartfelt thanks go to the organisers, volunteers and everyone whose energy will make this event an unforgettable occasion for coming together and promoting tourism throughout the valley.”

Barcolana Lake Up is held under the patronage of the Comunità di montagna del Gemonese and Comunità di montagna della Carnia, and the Municipalities of Cavazzo Carnico, Bordano and Trasaghis, in collaboration with ASD Nautilago, Scuola Kayak & Rafting Friuli, Associazione Italiana Modelvela, Volo Libero Friuli and Sportland.

The initiative also benefits from the support of **PromoTurismoFVG**, which, through the “Io sono Friuli Venezia Giulia” brand, accompanies Barcolana throughout the region, supporting initiatives centred on the relationship between the environment, sport and communities.

Mega Intersport will also support the event by providing discount vouchers for all registered participants and gift cards for some of the competition winners: the overall winner of Barcolana Modelvela and, for “Acropazzie”, the highest-placed female and male competitors.

The full programme, details on how to take part in the individual activities and all updates will be available through Barcolana’s official channels.