Veleziana 2026: a full sailing week in the heart of Venice

Veleziana Sailing Week 2026: the current programme

The official programme currently lists: 10–11 October Veleziana Opti; 12–17 October Trieste–Venezia – Two Cities, One Sea; 15–18 October Veleziana Inclusiva; 15–16 October Maxi on Cooking Star; 16 October La Certosa Match Race; 16–17 October Italia Cup – Coppa Excelsior; 17 October Veleziana al Tesoro, Regate Sprint and Veleziana Sailing Week Party; 17–18 October Veleziana al Terzo and Veleziana Dinghy; Sunday 18 October Regata Veleziana. Some participation and registration details are still being updated, so use the official website for anything that may change.

A city-wide sailing week, not one single race

Veleziana Opti opens the programme for Optimist sailors; Trieste–Venezia – Two Cities, One Sea links the two Adriatic cities from 12 to 17 October; Veleziana Inclusiva brings inclusive and para sailing into the lagoon. Maxi on Cooking Star, Italia Cup – Coppa Excelsior and La Certosa Match Race complete the sporting programme, but casual visitors do not need to chase every event.

17 October: the Arsenal, rowing and Venetian traditional sails

Saturday 17 October is particularly busy: Veleziana al Tesoro and Regate Sprint animate the Arsenal area, while Veleziana al Terzo brings Venice’s distinctive traditional sails onto the water. “Vela al terzo” is the traditional Venetian sail rig seen on historic lagoon boats. The official event page lists activity on both 17 and 18 October: Saturday hosts the final round of the AVT summer championship, while on Sunday the colourful traditional-sail fleet accompanies the finish of the Regata Veleziana. Veleziana Dinghy also runs on 17–18 October and is now in its seventh edition.

18 October: Regata Veleziana and the big finale

Sunday 18 October brings the XIX Regata Veleziana, the main event closing the Sailing Week. Boats of different sizes and categories take part, while Maxi yachts also compete for Line Honours. For visitors, the clearest spectacle is the finale: the published course enters the lagoon and brings the fleet into St Mark’s Basin, finishing near the Doge’s Palace.

What is most worth seeing as a visitor?

You do not need to chase every race. For most visitors, the final weekend is the easiest way to experience the event: Regate Sprint and Venice’s traditional sailing culture on 17 October, followed by the main Veleziana Regatta on the 18th. St Mark’s Basin is the symbolic final setting, but wind, course management, navigation restrictions and daily conditions can affect timing, so do not plan around an unconfirmed passing time.

A major sailing weekend in Venice

St Mark’s Basin also hosts the Venice Hospitality Challenge on Saturday 17 October, followed by the Veleziana finale on Sunday 18. They are separate events with different organisers and formats, but together they make the weekend especially interesting for visitors who enjoy sailing.

For Saturday’s programme, see our guide to the Venice Hospitality Challenge 2026.

Planning the day from Marghera

If you are staying in Marghera, leave the car at the apartment and reach Venice by bus or train. Decide which part of the programme matters most to you, then re-check the official website the day before: schedules, access to specific areas and operational conditions can change. Registration for the main Regata Veleziana opened on 7 September 2026, but visitors should focus on the public programme rather than crew entry procedures.

For bus and train planning from the mainland, see how to reach Venice from Marghera.