The Big Buoy Regatta is back (11-13/04): here’s what you need to know

The suggestion of Porto Venere, the narrow passage of the Bocche di San Pietro and the next few miles on the high seas, towards the ODAS Italy 1 buoy of the CNR. Then the return to the two islands, Palmaria and Tino… These are the places of the Great Buoy Regatta – Commander Belloni Trophy., which will return this April (11-13) for its fourth edition, consolidating, by now, among the offshore trials of the upper Tyrrhenian Sea. Born in 2022 from an idea of Davide Besana, that of the Great Buoy, however, is not your usual regatta…

Big Buoy Regatta – Commander Belloni Trophy

Beginning with the extraordinary setting in which it takes hold, with its exceptional passage between Porto Venere and Palmaria, the Grande Boa is not the usual ‘long stick,’ despite its approximately 70 mn. It is something more. Leaving aside the breathtaking scenery, in fact, it is an event that looks to celebrate Italian seafaring and naval culture, harking back to the great events and great boats, which it celebrates as much in its course as in memory. And, this year, it thus also celebrates the 50th anniversary of the victory of the Tarantella (Navy) at the legendary and very tough Giraglia in 1975, adding another layer to a story to be discovered…

Big Buoy Regatta – Fil Rouge

The Regatta of the Great Buoy – Commander Belloni Trophy, organized by the LNI of Lerici and sponsored by the CNR, the Navy and the Municipality of Portovenere, is, first and foremost, a celebration of our homegrown seafaring culture. The regatta, in fact, is just the form this takes. Pleasant, certainly, but a form nonetheless. The underlying theme in fact, the pretext, is a quite different thread, divided between sailing, naval, and scientific research traditions. If the sailing one, more easily, manifests itself in the celebration of Tarantella, classic hulls (to which the regatta is open as Classic IOR), and the regatta itself, it is the other two elements that represent the more complex levels. And we have to go back to World War I to understand them best….

Commander Belloni Trophy – the Buoy yesterday and today

There is a connection that links the events of Commander Belloni (for whom the trophy is named) to the CNR’s Great Buoy Odas placed in the middle of the Ligurian Sea, the buoy of this regatta as well. This, in fact, is at about the same spot where, in October 1914, Commander Belloni initiated a daring undertaking: the theft of the submarine Argonauta, commissioned by the Russian Navy from Fiat Sangiorgio. The objective of this was a treacherous mission inside the fortress of Pula, with the aim of sinking the Austrian naval vessel even before the country entered the war.

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Mission that, however, due to the French Blockade never saw the light of day. The captain and crew, however, sank in their attempt to hide the theft, right in the Boa Odas area, thus providing an ideal route for the regatta as well. The return to Portovenere, in this sense, turns instead into a peaceful message, more than 120 years later, uniting events of yesteryear with those more contemporary. And with the Tarantella celebration, the layers increase, as at the helm, in that 1975, it was Commander Belloni’s son who concquistar the victory in Giraglia…

The decision to use the CNR oceanographic buoy as a reference point, then, is not only linked to the past and pre-war events. This, in fact, is also meant to combine the passion for deep-sea sailing with the enhancement of Italian scientific excellence. The ODAS Italia 1 buoy is in fact an offshore pole-launched marine laboratory, positioned 40 miles off the coast in the Ligurian-Tuscan and Provençal basin, and represents a unique example of sustainable technology. Standing 51 meters tall, 36 of which are submerged, it thus becomes a symbol of union between the present and the past, thus also underscoring the commitment to sustainability and preservation of the seas for which the organization stands.

Big Buoy Regatta – Dates and Course

Coming to the event itself, first of all, it is necessary to look at the classes: this is a regatta open to most. Therefore, ORCs, Orc Grand Cruisers, FIV-Rated Cruisers; and IOR Cruisers and Classics are invited to participate, the latter being a true celebration of the local and Mediterranean sailing tradition.

Coming to the Course, however, The Big Buoy Regatta – Commander Belloni Trophy proves to be trying, but with the lightness of effort offered by a short course, about 70 miles. The start, thus, will be given in the waters off Portovenere, with spectacular passage through the Bocche di San Pietro, a privilege rarely granted to other events. From here, course for 248°, for 34 nautical miles, toward the ODAS Italy 1 Buoy of the CNR, to return toward Palmaria and Portovenere, to find the finish line on the conjunction between Cape Palmaria Island (southern end of Palmaria) and the Tino Island Lighthouse. The event, which will kick off on April 10, with the reception of boats at the harbor, will see its official start on the 11th at 4 p.m., with departure, instead, on Saturday the 12th. It will be on Sunday, however, the awards ceremony.

For those interested, find all information on the organization’s official channels.

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