Giro d’Italia a Vela 2025: Figaro 3 fleet lands in Cattolica, Italy

With the start of the first leg from Venice to Cattolica, the Giro d’Italia a Vela, the highlight event of the Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour 2025 with its special format of thrilling regattas and Sailing Villages along the coasts of the Belpaese, officially got underway.

The Giro d’Italia a Vela 2025 is finally getting into full swing. With the conclusion of the first leg on the Venice – Cattolica route, this highly anticipated sailing competition officially opened, which in the coming weeks, with a large fleet consisting of the best talents of international sailing, will cross the seas and coasts of the Belpaese along a 1,400-mile route divided into 10 stages, before the grand finale in Genoa scheduled for July 13.

The highlight event of the Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour 2025, the Giro d’Italia a Vela (Tour of Italy by Sail) is organized by Defense Services and Sailing Series International and this year will run clockwise with departure from Venice and arrival in the “city of the lantern.” It is a unique event, among the most competitive in the Mediterranean, expressing the best of sport sailing while promoting coastal tourism, boating and environmental sustainability.

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Navy salute and then the departure from Venice

The first leg of the Giro d’Italia Sailing Tour departed from the city of La Serenissima on June 1 at the end of the opening ceremony that was staged at the “Submarine Stage” inside the Venice Boat Show. The presentation was attended by the Navy Chief of Staff, Rear Admiral Giuseppe Berutti Bergotto, the CEO of Difesa Servizi SpA, Dr. Luca Andreoli, the President of SSI, Dr. Riccardo Simoneschi, and the Regional President of FIV, Dr. Anna Giacomello.

After the pleasantries and celebrations, the 10 crews at 12 noon boarded the fast Bénéteau Figaro 3, 10.85-meter one-designs designed by Van Peteghem, Lauriot and Prevost (VPLP), and finally set off on the first of ten legs of the scheduled circumnavigation of Italy, parading in front of the splendid Piazza San Marco and along the city’s canals crowded with people. Objective: to hurtle at full speed down the Adriatic Sea and reach the port of Cattolica, some 90 miles away, in the shortest possible time.

To “Yellow Flames” the stage victory

After an intense regatta, the final standings of this first leg were as follows: “Fiamme Gialle” of Filippo Baldassarri and Pietro Zucchetti (Italy), “Marina Militare” of Andrea Pendibene and Vincenzo Vano (Italy), “Goztepe Yelken” of Anton Germeshausen and Max Wentzel (Turkey), “Aeronautica Militare” of Giovanni Bannetta and Niccolò Bertola (Italy), “Yacht Club Sanremo” of Marco Villani and Sami Al Sukail (Italy), “Ocean Cruising Club International” of Jack Oswald and Evan Turnell (UK), “Royal Madras Yacht Club” of Charlie Fernandez and Joe Slipper (India), “Verein Seglerhaus am Wansee 1867 Berlin” of Josh Lewis and Maciek Lato (Germany), “Circolo Nautico Sambenedettese” of Alberto Magni and Leonardo Mannozzi (Italy), “Baltimore Sailing Club” of Jacobs Cups and Mateusz Szweda (Ireland).

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“It was a fast leg, with a nice wind of more than 15 knots, which ended in about 19 hours, as expected,” says Riccardo Simoneschi, president of Sailing Series International and creator of this splendid format. “As you can see from the tracking, the crews put up a great fight, with various overtakes and twists and turns. Upon arrival, Cattolica welcomed us in great weather, sunshine, warmth and a tense Garbino that still provided plenty of fun aboard the Waspz and WingFoil.”

A big sailing festival in Cattolica’s harbor

After the arrival of the crews in the port of Cattolica, the Pink Ribbon Tour Village was set up within which there is a full schedule of events and appointments open to all, some of which are organized by the City Council of the City. These include “stadium” formula regattas with the Waszp acrobatic dinghies and the WingFoiling class, the FIV’s “Open Days” introductory sailing events, sailing workshops for children, meetings with sports personalities, guided tours of the city and conferences on the excellence of the area. To top it off, musical performances and DJ sets from aperitif onward.

On Wednesday, June 4, at 6 p.m., the awards ceremony for the first leg of the Giro d’Italia a Vela will be held, after which the fleet of racers will set off for the second leg to Vieste (June 6-10).

In short, the Pink Ribbon Tour 2025 Sailing Tour of Italy is an unmissable opportunity to share lots of racing, fun and passion for the sea, exploring Italy’s most beautiful coastlines and some of the most scenic places in the Mediterranean. Il Giornale della Vela is media partner of the event and will keep you updated on the next stages. Happy Giro d’Italia a Vela to everyone!

NAVY PINK RIBBON TOUR 2025 AT A GLANCE

OBJECTIVE: The goal of the Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour 2025 is to promote sailing in Italy and coastal tourism, encourage “gender equity” in our sport and the new culture of environmental sustainability.

ORGANIZERS: The Navy Pink Ribbon Tour 2025 is organized by Defense Services S.p.A. In cooperation with Sailing Series International Sports & Events.