The Vogalonga, a true act of love for Venice and its waterways, embodies a heritage: that of preserving the natural and cultural beauty of the Venetian lagoon. Every year, this event brings together rowing enthusiasts from all over the world to complete a 30-kilometre itinerary through the city's picturesque islets and canals. Henri-Pierre Le Quement, who has taken part on several occasions, talks to us about this emblematic race.
Rowing the Venetian way
Henri-Pierre Le Quement spent a large part of his life in the Paris region, rowing on the Seine. After a life rich in travel and encounters, he settled in Saint-Malo. At the age of 73, this retired architect and water sports fanatic has tried everything, but rowing remains his favorite. An interest that comes from his years spent on the Paris river. One day, as he watches a man ride by on an elegant black gondola, Henri-Pierre feels an irrepressible curiosity arise within him. After approaching the man, he struck up a conversation. The man offered to join him to learn how to row in the singular manner he practises: " venetian style ". Opportunities sometimes present themselves naturally, and a passion is born for Henri-Pierre.
" The Venetian oar is a standing oar" he explains, before recalling the beginnings of this happy memory You slide the oar into what's known as a forcola, a very pretty and rather complex piece of wood carved into the back of the gondola, which will enable the gondolier to perform his maneuvers. In the beginning, it has to be said, you're in a real bind. I did it for a year or two, then he told me I was good enough to come with them to Venice, to take part in a race called the Vogalonga. He had already done it 18 times by then. He's probably on his thirtieth now."
In 2002, Henri-Pierre took part in his first Vogalonga in Italy, crossing the islands of the Venetian lagoon. He was so impressed by the experience that he returned four years in a row. The competitive atmosphere of the clubs has never attracted him, and so much the better, because what seduced this enthusiast was precisely the fact that the race takes place far from any spirit of competition. The aim is to cover 30 kilometers in a reasonable time and simply enjoy the scenery and the good times on the water.
" There are no beginners. Those taking part should already be well versed in the techniques of vogare, the Italian term for paddling or navigating using a remo " explains Henri-Pierre. This festive event, very popular with Venetians, brings together rowers from all over Europe and the rest of the world, and its popularity has grown steadily over the years. Each team is free to design its own costume.
Registration is open to anyone over the age of sixteen, both men and women. Minors under the age of sixteen may also take part, provided they are accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. For this race, all types of rowing boats are accepted, with no restrictions on weight, size or number of rowers. In May 2024, the 48th edition of the race was held, when the maximum limit for boat entries was reached.
" The people we hiked with had tricks for sleeping off the tourist trail, because it's so crowded... We slept at San Giorgio Maggiore, a small island in the Venetian lagoon opposite Saint Mark's Square. We were staying with Benedictine monks. The last cab, the vaporetto, stops at 6pm, so the advantage was that we had the island to ourselves. We rented boats there. They weren't gondolas, but sandolos, a variant"explains Henri-Pierre. A gondola-specific oar, the remo is designed to enable gondoliers to manoeuvre skilfully through the narrow canals of Venice. A very special technique, if specialists are to be believed.
The origins of defending the lagoon
The origins of the Vogalonga lie in a simple, friendly regatta between mascarete on Saint Martin's Day in 1974. At a time when the noise of engines overrode the quiet of oars, a group of enthusiasts of the voga alla Veneta sought to reverse this trend. Lauro Bergamo, Delfo Utimpergher, Toni and Giuseppe Rosa Salva, all committed to the preservation of Venetian traditions, therefore initiated an ambitious event to revive these traditions and combat the degradation of the city.
This initial impetus culminated in the first Vogalonga, officially launched on January 26, 1975 during the celebration of the " Per Venezia e per San Marco!" (Ascension). An event that brought together many enthusiasts and experienced rowers to defend Venice. From the sound of a cannon shot to the sinuous movements of thousands of oars, Venice was brought to life through a variety of boats, from gondolas to the most modest bogs and vipers, as well as boats from sports clubs.
The participants had joined forces to defend the city against one of its most insidious enemies, the movement of the waves.
The Vogalonga has renewed the bond between Venice and its inhabitants, reviving almost-forgotten traditional sailing techniques. The phenomenon quickly gained momentum, leading to the creation of over fifty rowing clubs in the region, equipped with boats of ten, twelve or even eighteen oars.
A difficult, non-competitive course
" It's a mess without a name! " recalls Henri-Pierre. Throughout the morning of the tour, vaporetti traffic was suspended along the route to avoid any disruption. The departure is marked by a cannon shot on Sunday at 9 a.m. in front of the Ducal Palace, accompanied by the cry " When we arrive, most of the Italians, who are very strong in this field, have already been here for a long time. Looking back, we see that there are still a lot of people behind us, so we say to ourselves, finally, it's okay!" . The Venetian rowers raise their oars in salute. Henri-Pierre does not deny it: " It's more difficult when there's a chop. It's going to take us 2 hours longer... We take breaks of course, but when we see all the boats overtaking us, it's irritating. So we have to set off again without delay. We once rowed for 7 hours. Towards Murano, it was windy. We had a workboat with a strong dunnage. The conditions were really tough, but once you've made the trip, you don't back down. You're obliged to take part. I can say that in this case, it's better to have brains than arms!"
.
