Generali renews its three-year partnership with Barcolana. Together with the Women in Sailing project, it aims to promote mixed-gender sailing among young people

Trieste – Generali renews its three-year partnership with Barcolana as presenting partner and strengthens its commitment to promoting mixed-gender sailing among young people through the Women in Sailing project with the aim to make a positive impact on the community through sport and education.

The announcement was made during the presentation of the 57th edition of the world’s most attended regatta, held at Palazzo Berlam, in Trieste. The event was attended by Generali Chairman, Andrea Sironi, Barcolana President, Mitja Gialuz, Generali Group Head of Corporate Identity, Emma Ursich, and moderated by Fabrizio Brancoli, Deputy Director of the Nem Group, responsible for leading Il Piccolo and overseeing Events.

In addition to the renewal of the decades-long collaboration between Generali and Barcolana, also the evolution of the Women in Sailing project was presented. The initiative was first launched by Generali in 2019 with a dedicated Trophy — scheduled to take place during this Barcolana on 12 October — it has grown into “Women in Sailing by Generali and Barcolana” with the goal of increasing the presence of women in decision-making roles on board, not only at the world’s largest regatta but across all sailing competitions.

Following a phase of research and analysis, the project has now entered its implementation stage, involving sports psychologists and endorsed organisations such as the Italian Sailing Federation (FIV) and World Sailing. Activities are focused on supporting athletes, coaches and sailing clubs, in developing mixed-gender crews starting from sailing schools, and on launching a digital platform that provides access to dedicated content.

The Chairman of Generali, Andrea Sironi, stated: “Shared and concrete actions allow us to pursue a fairer and more inclusive society. Sport is an extraordinary educational and wellness tool that contributes to the development of young people and to collective growth. The decades-long partnership between Generali and Barcolana is aimed at exactly this goal, generating a positive and lasting impact on society through the sport of sailing. The Women in Sailing project, launched in 2019 to promote mixed-gender sailing among young people, has grown by involving more and more areas of the community, amplifying its message to support athletes, sailing clubs, and federations in developing mixed crews and integrating this approach from the very first experiences at sailing schools.”

The President of the Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano, Mitja Gialuz, explained: “Two weeks before the start of Barcolana57, the organizational machine is ready to welcome the public with an unprecedented program, featuring nearly six hundred events across different locations in the region, all under the banner of sport, culture, marine environmental awareness, and inclusion. In this journey, presenting partner Generali plays a fundamental role, continuing to believe in Barcolana and fostering innovative projects with a strong social impact. Among these, I would like to highlight ‘Generali Women in Sailing,’ now in its seventh edition, which this year sees a very ambitious strategic expansion: with the involvement of sailing clubs in Friuli Venezia Giulia, the Italian Sailing Federation, and World Sailing, we aim to build an advanced laboratory for the development and promotion of mixed-gender sailing in all its forms.”

The Generali – Women in Sailing Trophy, now in its fifth edition and awarded to the first mixed-gender team to cross the finish line of Barcolana regatta with a woman in a leadership role, includes a glass artwork created by Barovier as well as offering a personalised coaching and leadership program tailored to the winner’s needs, provided by the Generali Academy.

In 2024, the Generali – Women in Sailing Trophy was won by Giulia Leghissa, following Federica Tuniz in 2023, with special mentions awarded to Alice Linussi and Marta Benussi respectively. In 2022, the winner was the American sailor Wendy Schmidt, and in the inaugural edition in 2021, Claudia Rossi.

In recent years, Generali’s initiatives at Barcolana have been shaped by the themes of integration and inclusion. One notable ambassador for these has been Francesca Clapcich, the first Italian to win The Ocean Race, who is actively engaged in promoting a fair and competitive environment in professional sailing.
A group of sailing enthusiasts from Generali offices across Italy will also take part in the Women in Sailing regatta on 10 October and in Barcolana on 12 October.

Furthermore, sharing and inclusion will be at the heart of the free workshops for children organised by The Human Safety Net, Generali’s Foundation, which aims to support vulnerable families with children aged 0–6 and promote refugee inclusion through employment and entrepreneurship. These workshops will take place on 8 October (10:00–13:00, 15:00–19:00), 9 October (9:30–11:30), and 10-12 October (10:00–13:00) at the Generali space in Piazza Unità d’Italia.
The Center for Children’s Health (CSB) will also offer workshops for children and families, guiding participants through games and reading, and organising sessions for parents on sleep and infant massage. The Human Safety Net volunteers will support CSB educators in welcoming families with young children, organising reading and music activities, and sharing information about the services offered at The Human Safety Net family centre in Trieste.