Vogalonga 2023

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Vogalonga 2023, one of the most beloved Venetian sporting events, will take place on Sunday, May 28, in the beautiful city of Venice.

Vogalonga is a race of boats rowing around the islands of the Venetian lagoon, up to the island of Burano, over a total distance of 30 kilometers.

This marathon of non-motorized boats does not have winners, or if you want, winners are all those who participate.

Both a non-competitive boat race and a manifest against motor-powered boats which pollute the lagoon, Vogalonga gathers every year in Venice thousands of participants.

Anyone can participate in the race, young and old, locals and people from all over the world, men and women alike.

SHORT HISTORY OF VOGALONGA

The history of Vogalonga began on November 11, 1974, when a group of friends, both amateurs and professionals, organized a small race in the waters of the Venetian lagoon.

On this occasion, an idea was born – to initiate a regatta dedicated to all the fans of the Venetian rowing, to revive this ancient tradition and to support a campaign against the degradation of the Venice lagoon.

Among the participants, perhaps the most fervent promoter of the event was Lauro Bergamo, the director of Il Gazzettino newspaper.

On January 26, 1975, an official announcement was made for the establishment of Vogalonga, which was presented to the citizens and the press, promoted by a special committee.

The first Vogalonga took place on May 8, 1975, the day of the Feast of the Ascension (Festa della Sensa), when the race began in front of the Doge’s Palace, on a signal given by a cannon shot.

48 years ago, at the first edition of the race, there were about 500 boats and more than 1500 rowers. At the 2018 edition of Vogalonga, there were about 2,100 boats and over 8,350 rowers.

VOGALONGA 2023 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Vogalonga 2023 will start around 9.00 am in the St. Mark’s Basin (Bacino San Marco).

The boats will sail through the Giudecca Canal (Canale della Giudecca) and will pass on their way along the islands of Sant’Elena, Vignole, Sant’Erasmo and San Francesco del Deserto.

At the middle of the route, the participants will reach the small island of Burano, and they will return along Mazzorbo, Madonna del Monte and San Giacomo in Paludo.

On the island of Murano, the race will continue on the Grand Canal of Murano, and then the boats will head to Venice.

After entering the city via the Cannaregio Canal (Canale di Cannaregio), the participants will race across the Grand Canal to the finish line of Vogalonga 2023, located in front of the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute.

All participants who will reach the finish line, will receive a commemorative medal and a certificate of participation.

As usual, during Vogalonga 2023, the waterbus service in Venice will be stopped between 9.00 am and 3.00 pm.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN VOGALONGA 2023

The 47th edition of Vogalonga will be held on Sunday, May 28, 2023, along a 30 kilometers course through the Venice lagoon.

The race will be open to any type of rowing boats, regardless of weight, size or number of rowers.

The registration for Vogalonga 2023 will be possible on the website www.vogalonga.com. The registration will be open with about a month before the race, and will close a few days before the event.

The registration fee per person participating in the race will be around 22.00€ (the fee for the 2022 edition). The registration fees will be paid online via credit card on the Vogalonga website.

Before the race, the participants will park their boats in special areas set up on Isola Nuova del Tronchetto. Also, they could reserve a parking space for cars in the adjacent car parks.