Sportiness, luxury and the most famous Venetian hotels are the references of the 2018 Venice Hospitality Challenge regatta

 

This year again, on saturday October 20, Venice will be hosting the Venice Hospitality Challenge 2018, the only regatta in the world that takes place on the inner canals of a city. The luxury sailing event promises to be once again very spectacular, with the participation of twelve Maxi Yachts which have signed great pages in the history of sailing, led by internationally renowned skippers and paired with the most famous Venetian hotels. Final award: the Doge’s hat, specially made for the 2018 Venice Hospitality Challenge by the historic Murano glassworks F.B. Signoretti.

Venice will experience days of sport, lifestyle and luxury, while having a special respect for nature and the sea in particular. The Venetian Yacht Club, promoter of the race, will support One Ocean Foundation, the international project launched by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda for the protection of the seas and spreading awareness on the urgent problems of the marine ecosystem. The skipper Mauro Pelaschier, at the helm of the 36-meter Maxi Yatch Viriella, will be the ambassador of the Foundation and the Charta Smeralda, which all the participating hotels invite to sign: www.1ocean.org.

The fleet will be based in Marina Santelena, while the San Marco basin, focal point of the route, will allow the public to follow this competition from the shores. The regatta will start at 1.30 pm on Saturday October 20: departure and arrival from the San Marco basin towards the Lid with buoys positioned between the Lido and Sant’Elena and in front of Punta della Dogana; the latter will consist of a platform that will host an electric AUDI car.

As always, the regatta will touch the most evocative points of the Serenissima: Piazza San Marco and the Basilica, Palazzo Ducale, the gardens of the Biennale, the Island of San Giorgio Maggiore and the Giudecca Canal. The award ceremony will take place at 4.30 pm, at the VYP Venice Yacht Piers wharf.

The hôtel participants in this fifth edition are: Hilton Molino Stucky Venice; Hôtel Danieli, a Luxury Collection Hôtel, Venice; Belmond Hôtel Cipriani; SINA Centurion Palace; Palazzina; The Westin Europa & Regina, Venice; The Gritti Palace, a Luxury Collection Hôtel, Venice; Ca ‘Sagredo Hôtel; Hôtel Excelsior Venice Lido Resort; Falisia, Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Portopiccolo and Hôtel Almar Jesolo Resort and Spa.

Venice, a city that has always been inextricably linked to the sea, will be at the forefront of this important moment ofoutreach with the famous skipper Mauro Pelaschier, ambassador of “Charta Smeralda” at the Venice Hospitality Challenge 2018.

“The peculiarity of this regatta consists in bringing boats with a minimum length of 60 feet in an extremely spectacular city circuit – point out Mirko Sguario, creator and organizer of the event and President of Yacht Club Venezia – and that’s why we can now consider Venice Hospitality Challenge a real Grand Prix of Venice for sailing, as is the Monaco Grand Prix for Formula 1. A choice that attracts every year a large number of prestigious partners, a signal that the city believes in this event, looking at the combination of sport and hospitality as an attraction not only for the many sailing enthusiasts but also for all visitors to the Serenissima “.

The last edition saw a clear victory of Spirit of Portopiccolo – Ca ‘Sagredo thanks to an excellent start and management of the skipper Furio Benussi. Second and third place for New Maxi Jena – The Gritti Palace and Pendragon VI – Hilton Molino Stucky. The award ceremony was attended by high-profile Italian and international sailors: Kim Andersen, President of the World Sailing Federation, Andrew Mc Irvine, general secretary IMA (International Maxi Yacht Association), Francesco Ettorre, FIV President, Rear Admiral Marcello Bernard Italian Navy and Ermelinda Damiano, President of the Venice Municipal Council.