The Great Sailing in Sardinia supports the sea and science. From 25 September to 15 October 2025, the MEDSEA Foundation was hosted by the Sardinia Sailing Cup, an international sailing event that this year brought together five World Championships and several foil classes. As the scientific partner of this edition, MEDSEA accompanied the regatta with a programme focused on knowledge and marine protection, involving schools, citizens, and experts in three dedicated events.
At the Amphitheatre of the Sardinia Sailing Cup Village in Marina Piccola, the “three stages for the sea” followed one another.
On Thursday 25 September, the Special Mediterranean Coast Day took place with a keynote by Piera Pala, President of MEDSEA, on the climate change challenges in the Mediterranean, followed by a discussion with Marine Protected Areas and the Regional Department for Environmental Protection with Silvia Serra (RAS Ambiente) and Valeria Masala (Director of the Capo Carbonara MPA). The Blue4All international Photo Contest images on marine protection were screened during the session.
Students of the 4th grade from Up School Cagliari took part in a creative installation focused on marine protection and the role of ecosystems and habitats. The workshop was curated by Alessandro Torrisi / GluDaAmare for MEDSEA.
The focus on marine plastic pollution was central on Thursday 9 October: marine biologist Michela Congiu explained the effects of plastic on marine wildlife, leading into a debate during the panel “Plastic fighters”. Moderated by journalist Luca Foschi, the discussion involved Carola Farci (Rebelterra), Luisa Giua Marassi (Municipality of Cagliari – Environment Department), Claudia Zuncheddu (ISDE Sardegna), and Moreno Pisano (Plastron, Interreg Italy-France Maritime). Meanwhile, the 5th grade students of Up School took part in the activity “Leave only footprints, create through recycling”: a quiz to recognise beached waste, a beach clean-up and a creative recycling workshop led by Maria Pala / MEDSEA.
The 3rd stage “The Living Sea: Posidonia and Biodiversity to Save”, held on Wednesday 15 October, opened with the talk “The Strength of Posidonia: marine biodiversity, resilience and coastal defence” by Francesca Frau, MEDSEA’s Marine Project Manager. This was followed by a discussion with researchers Patrizia Stipcich (University of Naples) and Alessandro Cau (University of Cagliari). Space was also given to communication initiatives: Coco Francavilla presented MusicForTheSea.org, a project recognised by the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science that combines electronic music with underwater sounds recorded during scientific activities; Giorgio Spiga presented “Restituiti dal Mare”, which recovers the most curious objects found during beach clean-ups and traces their stories, prompting a reflection on waste disposal, human-ocean relationships, and the connections across Mediterranean cultures.
The Sardinia Sailing Cup 2025, now in its third edition, has become one of the major international sailing events in Sardinia. It is organised by the Italian Sailing Federation (FIV) with the collaboration of the FIV III Zone, and promoted and funded by the Autonomous Region of Sardinia.
Photo credits: www.sardiniasailingcup.it
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