Helmed by internationally renowned skippers, 17 boats are competing this year in a unique racecourse for the coveted Doge’s hat in Murano glass, offered by the Venice Hospitality Challenge, now in its eleventh edition. Thirteen Venetian hotels, as always paired with as many maxi yachts, will compete along with four additional teams. These include the Città di Venezia/Salone Nautico, which will benefit from the performance of the Moro di Venezia; the Francesco Morosini Naval Military School, represented by the New Zealand Endeavour; and two new entries: the Yacht Club Venezia/LILT and the Coast Guard’s boat Gipsea, a vessel seized from organized crime and used for training activities.
The race will start at 1.30 pm with the traditional water sprays from Panfido tugboats, marking the beginning of the only regatta that runs from start to finish in the internal waters of a city. The route will lead from San Marco towards the Lido, with a turning point placed between Lido and Sant’Elena, before returning in front of the Giudecca for another turn, and finally continuing to the finish line in the San Marco basin.
