Centomiglia 2023: Key Innovations and Events at Lake Garda Sailing Regatta

Grand style presentation for the 51st edition of the Centomiglia, Europe’s most prestigious sailing regatta that takes place in non-marine waters and annually draws thousands of sailors from around the world. The Centomiglia awards ceremony was hosted at the Grand Hotel Villa Feltrinelli, a splendid Liberty-style mansion. The event was attended by Gargnano mayor, Marcello Festa: “This year, the regatta, which will be preceded by a week of sailing competitions, has been postponed to September 15th. This will allow us to extend the tourist season across the entire lake.”

Image of Villa Feltrinelli

“The Centomiglia gives international visibility to Lake Garda,” noted Giuseppe Mongello, president of the Comunità del Garda. “Sailing is the most important sport here. For this reason, the Comunità del Garda has promoted another major initiative related to this sport: the third edition of the Garda National Lottery, which has been linked to the sailing events scheduled for August 24th and 25th, three weeks before the traditional Centomiglia.”

Technical innovations of the Centomiglia

Luciano Galloni, president of the Circolo vela Gargnano, outlined the technical innovations for the 51st Centomiglia: “After three editions, the Centomiglia is renewing its course. The first part of the race develops in Alto Garda. Only the starting line remains unchanged, between Bogliaco and Castelletto. The entire fleet will transit again in Trentino waters with the passage of Torbole. On the Veronese shore, a buoy at Assenza in Brenzone is planned.”

In the southern part of Benaco, two different routes are planned. The boats in groups 1 and 2, the larger vessels, will have to reach the buoy at Desenzano before heading back to the finish line in Bogliaco. For the smaller boats, the route has been shortened. The boats in group 3 will turn at Rocca di Manerba. This way, even crews with less sail surface, i.e., less powerful “motors”, can aim for the overall victory.

We estimate that with this reduced route, the smaller boats can gain about two and a half hours over the boats in groups 1 and 2. We hope to surpass the record of approximately 500 crews set so far.

Additional events of the Centomiglia

Among the new features announced by Galloni are the pairing of the Centomiglia with the MilleMiglia car race, a competition reserved for vintage boats, organized as part of the events surrounding the Centomiglia. Meanwhile, preparations are underway for the Centomiglia Games, the regattas linked to the Garda National Lottery, and other events scheduled before the traditional Centomiglia: “The Lotteria races will take place on August 24th and 25th,” continued Galloni, “From September 9th to 16th, the international sailing week is scheduled, including the 35th Trofeo Gorla Grand Prix velico of the Marina Militare and the European Asso 99 Championship.”