AN EVENT INSPIRED BY THE FAMOUS BARCOLANA

La Barcolana is a nautical festival that takes place every year on the second Sunday in October in the Gulf of Trieste, and has been doing so since 1969! Last year, no fewer than 2,000 boats (sail and motor), 25,000 sailors and 250,000 spectators took part in the regatta, which starts in the port of Trieste. Needless to say, it's the biggest nautical event in the Mediterranean. Well, Marseille is going to have its own version of the event. In fact, the city wanted to create a major nautical gathering to bring together all the inhabitants of Marseille and the Provençal region, and will be taking its inspiration from the Barcolana.

A TEMPTING PROGRAM

The program includes a wide range of activities, both on land and at sea, to keep everyone happy. There will be day and night boat races, catamaran races, one-design races, classic sailboat races, junior skipper races, paddleboat races, rowing races, kayak-football events, swimming, diving and much more! On top of all that, there will be a whole host of cultural and culinary events along the coast, including Provençal cooking competitions, a giant aioli, a sardinade… In short, something for every Provençal!

This gigantic event is scheduled to take place in the outer harbor, the Vieux Port and under the corniche (which will be transformed into a giant grandstand for the occasion), and should last around ten days. The name of the event has yet to be decided, and it's possible that the public will be asked to vote on it, so you can start looking for names now!

Ideally, the project will be launched this year so that it can be implemented as early as 2018 or 2019. Start training now, because the competition will be tough!