Marina Monfalcone, on the northern Adriatic coast, is now home to the Red Bull Sailing Academy, a training center dedicated to the cutting-edge disciplines of modern sailing. Designed as a high-performance campus, the facility aims to prepare Olympic-level athletes, particularly in the foiling and kitesurfing disciplines.
A selective, talent-centred approach
Recruitment is based on performance criteria. Hans-Peter Steinacher, Managing Director of Marina Monfalcone, insists: "We scout, we choose who gets to join the academy. " The emphasis is on skills rather than financial resources, with a focus on global detection.
Intensive ten-day sessions are offered to talented youngsters during the summer, combining practice at sea, physical training and educational support.
An inauguration marked by the great names of sailing
The opening ceremony was attended by a number of iconic figures from the world of competitive sailing: the Red Bull Italy SailGP Team, Olympian Ruggero Tita, skipper Jimmy Spithill, and sailors Thomas Zajac, Santiago Lange and Roman Hagara.
Steinacher underlines the importance of this base: " The sport has evolved enormously since 2013 with the arrival of foiling. The Bay of Trieste offers perfect conditions for top-level training. "
Two-time America's Cup winner Jimmy Spithill adds: " What was missing in this sport was a real training base. You're always on the move, with no place to come back to. The Academy changes that."
A project to structure top-level sailing
With this academy, Red Bull intends to structure a continuous training program, from detection to international competition. The Monfalcone site will thus become an anchor point for future champions, while offering access to the skills of today's greatest sailors.
The academy is now fully operational and aims to position Italy as a European center of excellence for top-level sailing.
