THE LARGEST SAILING RACE IN THE WORLD
Trieste, 2 - 11 October 2026
Trieste, 2 - 11 October 2026
Barcolana - News10.10.26
Michela Stefani wins Barcolana Women in Sailing by Generali
Michela Stefani, sailing with Martina Cavaletto and Francesco Tesser aboard SLO 600, has won Barcolana Women in Sailing by Generali, held this morning in the Gulf of Trieste. Traditionally scheduled for the Friday before the Autumn Cup, the race had been postponed until today because of adverse weather conditions. Very light winds of between 2.3 and 3.2 knots allowed only one race to be completed, with Stefani finishing ahead of Jamila Cerdeira, second with Rebecca Picariello and Eugenia Maggiore, and Croatian skiing champion Ivica Kostelić, third with Tommaso Salvi and Cristina Pirola. Francesca Russo Cirillo finished fourth, followed by Silvia Versolatto and Giulia Lantier.
The race is part of the Women in Sailing project, developed by Barcolana and Generali to promote mixed-gender sailing, encourage women’s participation and create opportunities for women and men to share roles, responsibilities and achievements on board. This year, the initiative also involved Generali Group employees and women from the Italian Army Military Academy, who had the opportunity to experience sailing alongside female sailors from Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano.
“Together with Generali, we are pursuing a project dedicated to inclusion, working to turn principles into practical experiences,” commented Dean Bassi, Vice-President of Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano. “We started with crews skippered by women, moved on to all-female crews and have now reached what we believe should be the norm: mixed crews in which women and men work together to achieve a shared result. This year, we wanted to broaden the experience further, involving not only great champions but also Generali employees and women from the Italian Army Military Academy, placing them in the capable hands of our female sailors. SVBG has always believed in female talent: many of our most prestigious medals have been won by our women sailors, and I am also thinking of Alice Linussi and Maria Vittoria Marchesini, who started out in Barcola and have reached the highest levels of international sailing. Our aim is to continue creating real opportunities. This year, we chose Be Open as Barcolana’s message; for Women in Sailing, I like to think of Be People: people first, without distinctions.”
“Together with Barcolana, we have helped promote an approach to sailing that values mixed-gender crews and is increasingly finding its place in Olympic classes too,” commented Emma Ursich, Head of Corporate Identity at Generali Group. “We are delighted to have played our part in this journey and thank Barcolana for sharing it with us. We would certainly have liked a little more wind today, but all the crews gave their very best, and we are pleased to have shared this day of sport and participation.”
Established in 2019 through the partnership between Barcolana and Generali, Women in Sailing has grown over the years into a project promoting mixed-gender sailing and training beyond the event itself. It has involved more than 250 athletes, 70 coaches and five sailing clubs in Friuli Venezia Giulia, and in 2026 became part of the Italian Sailing Federation’s national training programme for Level 2 and Level 3 coaches. The initiative will continue tomorrow with the presentation of the Generali – Women in Sailing Trophy, awarded to the first mixed crew to cross the Autumn Cup finishing line with a woman in a leadership role.
The race is part of the Women in Sailing project, developed by Barcolana and Generali to promote mixed-gender sailing, encourage women’s participation and create opportunities for women and men to share roles, responsibilities and achievements on board. This year, the initiative also involved Generali Group employees and women from the Italian Army Military Academy, who had the opportunity to experience sailing alongside female sailors from Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano.
“Together with Generali, we are pursuing a project dedicated to inclusion, working to turn principles into practical experiences,” commented Dean Bassi, Vice-President of Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano. “We started with crews skippered by women, moved on to all-female crews and have now reached what we believe should be the norm: mixed crews in which women and men work together to achieve a shared result. This year, we wanted to broaden the experience further, involving not only great champions but also Generali employees and women from the Italian Army Military Academy, placing them in the capable hands of our female sailors. SVBG has always believed in female talent: many of our most prestigious medals have been won by our women sailors, and I am also thinking of Alice Linussi and Maria Vittoria Marchesini, who started out in Barcola and have reached the highest levels of international sailing. Our aim is to continue creating real opportunities. This year, we chose Be Open as Barcolana’s message; for Women in Sailing, I like to think of Be People: people first, without distinctions.”
“Together with Barcolana, we have helped promote an approach to sailing that values mixed-gender crews and is increasingly finding its place in Olympic classes too,” commented Emma Ursich, Head of Corporate Identity at Generali Group. “We are delighted to have played our part in this journey and thank Barcolana for sharing it with us. We would certainly have liked a little more wind today, but all the crews gave their very best, and we are pleased to have shared this day of sport and participation.”
Established in 2019 through the partnership between Barcolana and Generali, Women in Sailing has grown over the years into a project promoting mixed-gender sailing and training beyond the event itself. It has involved more than 250 athletes, 70 coaches and five sailing clubs in Friuli Venezia Giulia, and in 2026 became part of the Italian Sailing Federation’s national training programme for Level 2 and Level 3 coaches. The initiative will continue tomorrow with the presentation of the Generali – Women in Sailing Trophy, awarded to the first mixed crew to cross the Autumn Cup finishing line with a woman in a leadership role.
