Trieste’s waterfront will host more than sailing during Barcolana58. The Barcolana Nuota powered by Honda event is scheduled for Sunday 4 October, with Olympic and world swimming champion Gregorio Paltrinieri set to join a public one-nautical-mile swim in front of Piazza Unità d’Italia.
A route visible from shore
The organiser describes an approximately 1,850-metre course beginning and ending in front of the city’s central waterfront. The start is scheduled for 11:00 and the prize-giving for 12:45, offering a sporting spectacle that visitors can follow without chartering a viewing boat.
The race is also open to suitably eligible amateur swimmers, with a separate finswimming format for athletes with disabilities. The event is a supervised competition, not a general invitation to swim freely through harbour traffic.
The return of a prominent swimmer
Paltrinieri attended the previous edition after poor weather prevented the planned swim, meeting participants and other athletes ashore. His proposed participation on 4 October gives the new edition a continuation of that experience.
An announced athlete appearance does not override weather or safety decisions made on race day. Spectators and competitors should follow the current organiser notices rather than assume the schedule cannot change.
Registration and requirements
The official announcement states that online registration closes at midnight on Wednesday 30 September and lists a €40 fee. Participants require the appropriate current medical certificate and, for foreign entrants, recognised membership or equivalent proof under the published conditions.
Anyone considering the swim should read the full event regulations and assess their ability in open water. A leisure-yacht background does not in itself qualify a person for a competitive distance event.
Another reason to stay in Trieste
The swim is part of the wider 2–11 October festival, allowing family and friends to combine a waterfront sporting morning with restaurants and sailing events later in the week. Accommodation and marina bookings remain separate arrangements.
Dates, route and registration information come from Barcolana’s official September announcement and event page. The matching image is the organiser’s own swim photograph.
Primary source: Barcolana event announcement. Original Luxury Yacht Guide coverage.
