“Vela al Terzo” Sailing Regatta

The “Vela al Terzo” Association will participate in the Boat Show with a parade of traditional boats. On Saturday, May 31st, these boats will maneuver in the Darsena Grande of the Arsenale before mooring with their sails raised along the quay near the Enrico Dandolo submarine.

Elegant Venetian “topi”, refined “sanpierote” that perhaps retain some of the lines and names of the ancient “sandoletti” fishing boats from Pellestrina, and “batèli a pisso” or “batèli pontài” (which are “topi ciosòti” with beautiful designs on their bows) will begin a carousel of maneuvers in front of the “Gaggiandre”. They’ll demonstrate that the common misconception of these boats being slow and clumsy is little more than a rumor circulating as a prejudice among sailors who have never actually been on board. In 2012, America’s Cup skippers themselves changed their minds after a regatta among them in St. Mark’s Basin, hosted by the Vela al Terzo Association.

Those present will witness a unique spectacle, especially due to the beauty of the multicolored sails that feature the heraldic designs of the Chioggia fishing tradition. This tradition was the matrix of the traditional Adriatic seafaring, of which the AVT is now the heir and guardian. At the end of the exhibition, the boats will moor near the stern of the Enrico Dandolo, keeping their sails hoisted.

On the days preceding and following May 31st, members of the public who wish to can experience the thrill of a short navigation in the Rio delle Galeazze.