New Pula-to-Trieste Route Adds Croatia to Go to Barcolana

Barcolana has added a new Croatian approach route to its 2026 programme, with the first Go to Barcolana from Croatia sailing from Pula to Trieste on 9 and 10 October. The new event joins established routes from Slovenia and Ravenna, giving crews on different parts of the Adriatic a shared reason to converge on Trieste before the Autumn Cup.

For leisure sailors, the idea is attractive because the passage itself becomes part of the festival rather than merely the transfer needed to reach it. A coastal trip gains structure, company and a clear destination while still retaining the satisfaction of arriving by sea.

Pula creates a new southern approach

The Croatian route starts from the Istrian coast and carries crews north towards the Gulf of Trieste. Barcolana describes it as another strand in an increasingly international Adriatic network built around the days before the main regatta.

That geography makes the event relevant to cruising as well as racing. Pula and Trieste are both established coastal destinations, so crews can build the organised passage into a longer itinerary rather than treating the start and finish as isolated race venues.

Three routes now converge on Trieste

The Croatian event joins Go to Barcolana from Slovenia and the route from Ravenna, creating three different approaches to the same festival. This gives visiting sailors options based on where their boat is normally kept and makes the journey towards Trieste more visible around the Adriatic.

Sailing in company can also add confidence for crews who are less familiar with cross-border coastal passages. Each skipper remains responsible for navigation, weather and vessel condition, but a shared departure can make the experience more social and easier to plan.

An event can anchor a boating holiday

Small-boat holidays often work best when there is a specific reason to travel rather than a vague intention to cruise somewhere. A regatta, festival or flotilla can provide that anchor while leaving room for overnight stops and exploration before or after the organised sailing.

LBG’s Boating Holidays coverage will continue to look for these practical routes into using boats more often. The new Pula-to-Trieste event is a good example of how a major sailing festival can create smaller journeys that are meaningful in their own right.