Generali presents the success of the Women in Sailing project

• Launched at Barcolana to promote mixed-gender sailing among young people, Women in Sailing will now enter into the training programme of the Italian Sailing Federation (FIV)

Trieste - Generali, presenting partner of Barcolana, showcases the success of the Women in Sailing initiative launched in 2019 to promote mixed‑gender sailing among young people. The innovative project born within the ‘Coppa d’Autunno’ regatta will now be integrated into the training programme for second‑and third‑level coaches of the Italian Sailing Federation (FIV).

The results were presented in Trieste, at Generali’s Palazzo Berlam headquarters, during the launch of the 58th edition of the world’s most attended regatta, scheduled to take place from 2 to 11 October this year. The event was attended by Generali Chairman, Andrea Sironi, and the President of the Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano, Mitja Gialuz, with Il Piccolo’s co‑director, Alberto Bollis, as moderator.

Andrea Sironi, Chairman of Generali, said: “Generali is committed to projects that have a positive and tangible impact on communities, especially on young people. We are proud to share that our Women in Sailing project, which was born at Barcolana and has significantly grown across the region thanks to the support of sailing clubs, coaches and young sailors, has now reached the National Sailing Federation, entering into the training programmes of coaches across the country. Our goal is to promote mixed crews, ensuring that more and more young people feel free to follow this path — from their very first experience all the way to the highest levels of Olympic sailing. Sport offers an extraordinary opportunity for sharing, highlighting the importance of equity and inclusion. This project will continue to evolve, introducing new activities each year, also with the support of the Generali Group Academy to help build meaningful journeys of personal development.”

Mitja Gialuz, President of the Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano, said: “Women in Sailing demonstrates how Barcolana can be not only a major sporting event, but also a platform capable of driving tangible change in the world of sailing. A project launched together with Generali in Trieste has grown year after year, to the point of becoming part of coach training at national level as well. This is an important achievement, because it means turning a principle – that of mixed-gender sailing – into established practice and sporting culture. This is where its greatest value lies: creating the conditions for new generations of girls and boys to grow, train and compete together, with the same opportunities and the same ambitions.”

Born with the aim of generating a positive impact on communities through sport and education, the Women in Sailing project was first launched in 2019 with the Generali – Women in Sailing Trophy, which in 2026 reached its sixth edition. The Trophy is awarded to the mixed crew that, in the ‘Autumn Cup’ regatta, is first to cross the finish line with a woman in a leadership role. The winner receives a glass artwork crafted by Barovier and a personalised coaching and leadership programme delivered by Generali Academy, tailored to her individual development needs. Over time, the initiative has expanded with the mixed‑crew regatta Women in Sailing, now traditionally held on the Friday preceding the ‘Coppa d’Autunno’ regatta.

The project further evolved 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. With this aim, Generali and Barcolana commissioned a study conducted by SWG, under the patronage of the Italian Sailing Federation (FIV) and World Sailing. Its findings formed the basis of a dedicated toolkit developed by sports psychologists, coaches and past winners of the Generali Women in Sailing Trophy. The toolkit supports coaches and technical staff in training mixed youth teams and is complemented by an online platform offering access to all dedicated materials, including a section on coach training curated by psychologist and trainer Andrea Frausin.

Since the project’s inception, more than 250 athletes, 70 coaches and five sailing clubs in Friuli Venezia Giulia have been involved, alongside 12 sessions with experts and two sessions integrated into the national FIV second‑and third‑level coaching courses.

In 2025, the Generali – Women in Sailing Trophy was won by skipper Giulia Ascione and helmswoman Marta Benussi. They were preceded by Giulia Leghissa in 2024 and Federica Tuniz in 2023, with two special mentions awarded respectively to Alice Linussi and Marta Benussi. In 2022, the Trophy was assigned to American sailor and philanthropist Wendy Schmidt, and in 2021—the inaugural year—to Claudia Rossi.

In line with Generali’s commitment to the community, with the goal of generating a positive and tangible impact, the Group supports Barcolana’s Be Community programme, designed to broaden the engagement of the city of Trieste. This year, following the involvement of the Cavana district, the initiative will be extended to the Borgo Teresiano, home to the historic buildings where Generali was founded and where its headquarters have operated since the very beginning.

Sharing and inclusion will also be central to the free‑access workshops for children organised by The Human Safety Net, Generali’s Foundation dedicated to supporting vulnerable families with children aged 0–6 and promoting refugee inclusion through work and entrepreneurship. The workshops will take place from 6 to 11 October (4 p.m. to 6 p.m.) and from 7 to 11 October (10 a.m. to 12 p.m.) at the Generali space in Piazza Unità d’Italia.

The Center for Children’s Health (CSB) will offer activities for children and families, guiding participants in rediscovering traditional games, music and storytelling, and organising sessions for parents on sleep and infant massage. Volunteers from The Human Safety Net will support CSB educators in welcoming families with young children, organising reading sessions, musical activities, and presenting the initiatives carried out at the Trieste Family Centre of The Human Safety Net.