The ninth edition of the Venice Hospitality Challenge was presented on 6 October at The Gritti Palace. Unique to the world that takes place entirely in the internal waters of a city, the Venice Hospitality Challenge is a happy synthesis between the seafaring spirit of the Serenissima and the commitment to testify its image of hospitality of excellence.
Regatta program
On Saturday 15 October at 1.30pm the water jets of the Panfido tugs will mark the way for the boats. New this year is the double start: the fleet, based on the characteristics of each boat, will be divided by the Race Committee into two categories that will start two minutes from each other. At the end of the regatta, scheduled for around 5.00 pm, the prize-giving ceremony will follow at the Zattere at the VYP Venice Yacht Pier. The public will be able to follow the regatta from the banks of the San Marco basin, from Punta della Dogana, Giudecca and Zattere.
As always it will be on the extraordinary stage of the San Marco basin that the Venice Hospitality Challenge will give a show. The event, conceived and organized by Mirko Sguario, president of the Venice Yacht Club, involves the Venetian high-end hotel industry, always at his side from the very beginning edition. The hotels participating in the Venice Hospitality Challenge 2022 are: SINA Centurion Palace, The Gritti Palace a Luxury Collection Hotel, Ca ‘Sagredo Hotel, Hotel Danieli a Luxury Collection Hotel, JW Marriott Venice Resort & Spa, Bauer Palazzo, Palazzina, Hotel Excelsior Lido Resort, Ca ‘di Dio VRetreats, The St. Regis Venice, San Clemente Palace Kempinski, Violino d’Oro and Alajmo Ristorante Quadri. As always, each hotel will be combined with a boat to which Il Moro di Venezia and New Zealand Endeavor will be added this year, respectively, for the City of Venice / Boat Show and the Military Naval School “F. Morosini”.
For this ninth edition, fifteen famous maxi yachts led by internationally renowned skippers will be ready to compete on the race course for a prestigious victory and the coveted Doge’s hat, specially made this year by the historic CAM glass factory in Murano.
The teams
Here the Hotels, with the Maxi Yachts and the Skippers
SINA Centurion Palace (Maxi Jena/Milos Radonjic)
The Gritti Palace (Way of Life/Gasper Vincec)
Ca’ Sagredo Hotel (Arca SGR/Furio Benussi)
Hotel Danieli (Adriatic Europa/Dusan Puh)
JW Marriott (Anemos/Gughi Danelon)
Bauer Palazzo (Only Lu/Marco Furlan)
Palazzina (Idrusa/Paolo Montefusco)
Hotel Excelsior (Portopiccolo/Mitja Kosmina)
Ca’ di Dio/LILT (Kiwi/Paolo Pesaresi)
The St. Regis (Anywave/Mauro Pelaschier)
San Clemente Palace Kempinsky (E… Vai/Sinisa Hrvatin)
Violino d’Oro (Clean Sport One/Jure Orel)
Alajmo (Pegaso/Roberto Zambelli)
Città di Venezia/Salone Nautico (Il Moro di Venezia/Dudi Coletti)
Scuola Navale Militare “F. Morosini” (New Zealand/Mauro Magarotto)
An exceptional judge for an exceptional regatta
To referee a prestigious competition, a high-level judge could not be missing: Alfredo Ricci Golden Star of sporting merit CONI, International Regatta Official. Ricci will chair the Venice Hospitality Challenge Committee assisted by the National Judge Gianfranco Frizzarin, Emilia Barbieri and Alina K. Dix.
Venice Hospitality Challenge in streaming with Enrico Zennaro
For all fans who cannot be in Venice, it will be possible to follow the event thanks to the live streaming visible on the Facebook page of the Venice Hospitality Challenge, the Venice Boat Show and the “Generali Italia” Instagram profile. The voice of Alessandro Pavanati of Velaveneta will tell the emotions of the regatta while the technical commentary will be entrusted to Enrico Zennaro, as well as winner of numerous world and European titles, also of three editions of Venice and the first sailor to “fly” with the foil in the basin di San Marco in 2020 aboard his Moth.
Yacht Club Venezia and the centenary of LILT
Being informed is always the first step towards safeguarding one’s health and LILT (Italian League for the Fight against Cancer) celebrates the centenary of its foundation alongside the Venice Yacht Club under the motto “Prevention is life”. The Provincial Section of Venice has been active in the city since 1978, with its major cancer prevention campaigns in October, March and May and with continuous assistance and rehabilitation activities for cancer patients and their families. The Vaporetto Rosa, a hybrid boat with a low environmental impact, will be present in the lagoon to remind you of the importance of breast cancer prevention.
Mirko Sguario, president of the Yacht Club Venezia and organizer of the regatta, said: “We are ready to hoist the big sails in the San Marco basin for the ninth edition of this event that summarizes the seafaring soul and, thanks to the participating hotels, the hospitality of Venice. I want to remind you that this year LILT (Italian League for the fight against cancer) celebrates its centenary with a series of initiatives that include the presence of the Vaporetto Rosa during the regatta and it is a great pleasure to announce that Kiwi will compete, as well as for the YCV, also for LILT which has been at our side for some time.”
During the press conference, the councilor for tourism Simone Venturini also intervened, underlining how the Venice Hospitality Challenge is contributing to the tourist revival of Venice, as well as renewing its image: that of a city that increasingly wants to be the capital of sustainability and beauty.
“Also this year, the important and now traditional appointment of the Venice Hospitality Challenge brings great sailing back to the lagoon, becoming one of the outstanding events of the Venetian autumn.” – adds Fabrizio D’Oria, Operations Director of Vela Spa and Organizational Director of the Venice Boat Show – “As a Boat Show we are pleased to collaborate in the creation of the VHC as a stage of the fourth edition of the Show which will be held from 31 May to 4 June 2023. One collaboration also represented by the participation in the Il Moro di Venezia tender as Ambassador of the Boat Show.”
Arianna Nardi, Marketing Director of Generali Italia, commented: “For the past nine years we have been an active part of this event with which we share support on the territory, for sport and its values, for people’s healthy and sustainable lifestyles. For us, this is a tradition that is renewed and confirms the commitment, of the Company and of our Agents, to the territory alongside our customers in all relevant moments of their lives.”
“We are proud to support the Venice Hospitality Challenge, an event in line with Visa’s own values of sustainability. We are alongside the city of Venice to support it in the preservation of its heritage and in welcoming Italian and international tourism.” said Filippo Manca, Visa Italia’s Director of Merchant Sales and Acquiring.
The event is sponsored by the Municipality of Venice and the Port Authority and benefits from the support of the partners Vela S.p.A., Salone Nautico, the gold sponsors Generali Italia and VISA and the sponsors Bisol1542, Vetreria CAM, Acqua Dolomia, MureaDritta, I-Clip, Fontego, Optician Inn. Media Partner: Boats, Excellence Magazine, Venezia made in Veneto, Venezia Unica, Lagunamare, Wonder World and Wonder Cortina.
We thank the Municipality of Venice, the Navy, the Harbor Master’s Office, the Police, Marina Santelena, Terrazza Aperol, CMV Panfido, Assonautica, Venezia Le Città in Festa, VYP Venice Yacht Pier, Portodimare, Alilaguna for their collaboration, Venezia Unica and Ve.La.
