Centomiglia Sailing Regatta
Without a doubt, the international sailing regatta Centomiglia is one of the most important water sports events. Its reputation extends far beyond the Garda region and this year it will take place on 5 and 6 September 2026!
The race has always been on the second Sunday of September since 1951. It is organised by the initiative Circolo Vela di Gargnano. For more than half a century, the best European sailors have come together to compete against each other on Italy's largest lake.
It usually starts between 08.00 and 09.00 in the morning at the port of Bogliaco. The fastest make a hundred miles, Centomiglia, in less than eight hours, but many sail crews finish in the dark. Sometimes participants are at sea for a full 24 hours.
A big party with an open-air bar is always arranged to shorten the waiting time for spectators on the mainland. Almost every year more and more boats take part in Centomiglia, and recently more than 350 teams from around 20 nations were counted. Anyone can sign up, from the Italian sailing legend Giovanni Soldini to the hobby boaters with multi-hull boats and sailing yachts.
The route at sea leads past several buoys between Torbole, Acquafresca, Desenzano del Garda and Manerba del Garda. The most impressive competition is the Maxilibera category, with boats of 12 m hull length and 20 m high sailing masts. The ballast consists purely of the body weight of the sailors, who sometimes daringly lean out of the boat to compensate for the wind.