Vela 365 Takes Shape: The Sailing Performance Lab Opens in Torbole

A new gym dedicated to sailors’ athletic training is set to enhance the Garda Trentino sports offering. The Sailing Performance Lab, unveiled today, Thursday 16 July, at Circolo Vela Torbole, is part of Vela 365, the initiative promoted by Trentino Marketing | ATA Garda, Garda Dolomiti Azienda per il Turismo S.p.A., and the Municipality of Nago-Torbole, in collaboration with the sailing clubs of the Upper Garda area. The project aims to further establish Garda Trentino as a leading international sailing destination throughout the year.

Among those attending today’s inauguration were Roberto Failoni, Councillor for Tourism of the Autonomous Province of Trento; Gianni Morandi, Mayor of Nago-Torbole; Maurizio Rossini, Chief Executive Officer of Trentino Marketing; Silvio Rigatti, President of Garda Dolomiti Azienda per il Turismo S.p.A.; Gianpaolo Montagni, President of the Italian Sailing Federation (FIV) – Zone XIV; Paola Mora, President of CONI Trentino; Daniele Amato, Health, Corporate & Performance Solution Manager at Technogym; Nicolò Renna, 2025 IQFOiL World Champion and Olympic windsurfer; Michele Marchesini, Technical Director of the Italian Sailing Federation (2013–2026); the current Technical Director Luca De Pedrini; Michele Giorgini of VSR; Pietro Negri of Negrinautica; together with representatives of local authorities and the sailing community.

Designed to meet the specific needs of sailing athletes, the new facility will enable sailors, teams and national federations to complement their on-water training with dedicated indoor conditioning programmes, which are particularly valuable during the autumn and winter months.

The facility has been equipped by Technogym, a global leader in solutions for sports performance and athletic training. As a trusted partner of international sports federations, professional teams and elite athletes, Technogym provides an integrated ecosystem of technologies, connected equipment and digital services designed to optimise physical preparation and support peak athletic performance.

The Sailing Performance Lab will be managed by Circolo Vela Torbole and will play a key role in positioning Garda Trentino as an Alpine alternative to traditional winter training destinations such as Spain, France and Sardinia, ensuring year-round continuity in athletes' training programmes.

Alongside the new gym, the project also includes significant investment in coaching and sailing equipment to attract a broader range of users and respond to the evolving demands of the international sailing market.

The fleet already includes Switch high-performance foiling boats, representing one of the most innovative developments in modern sailing and a major attraction for young athletes, as well as a fully equipped coach boat to support on-water activities throughout the winter season and a fleet of Optimist dinghies.

The fleet will be further expanded with the addition of three fixed-keel one-design boats, creating new opportunities for training, racing preparation and recreational sailing for crews of different skill levels.

In addition to competitive sailing teams, the enhanced sailing offer—combining the new gym with the expanded fleet—will also appeal to a range of complementary target markets, particularly in Northern Europe, with the shared objective of increasing visitor numbers during the period from November to March.

Finally, the Sailing Performance Lab forms part of a broader vision for the future development of the Conca d'Oro area and the Upper Garda sailing hub. This vision is reflected in the international design competition "A Masterplan for Conca d'Oro", which brought together 51 Italian and international architecture firms to imagine the future evolution of the area as a centre of excellence for sailing and water sports.

The new gym and expanded fleet immediately enhance the services available to athletes and sailing enthusiasts while representing the first step in a medium- and long-term development strategy aimed at strengthening Garda Trentino's position on the international sailing stage and creating new opportunities for tourism businesses, the local economy and the resident community.

QUOTES

Roberto Failoni, Councillor for Tourism of the Autonomous Province of Trento:

"The inauguration of the Sailing Performance Lab is the tangible result of a successful partnership between public institutions, Garda Dolomiti Tourism Board and a centre of excellence such as Circolo Vela Torbole. Investing in state-of-the-art indoor training facilities for sailors enables Garda Trentino to further strengthen its position as a global leader in sailing. This project perfectly reflects the territorial development strategy we are pursuing across Trentino. Garda Trentino is no longer just a spectacular summer destination; it has established itself as an open-air training ground capable of attracting athletes and sailing enthusiasts all year round. Providing an indoor training centre of this calibre allows us to extend the tourism season and respond to the growing demand for high-quality sports tourism, generating significant value for the local economy."

Maurizio Rossini, Chief Executive Officer of Trentino Marketing:

"Through the Vela 365 project, Garda Trentino aims to strengthen its sailing identity and develop an offering capable of generating value throughout the year. Sailing is one of Trentino's defining assets within the Alpine region and supports the entire local economy, from hospitality and restaurants to local businesses. The opening of the Sailing Performance Lab is a concrete milestone in this strategy, enhancing the services available to athletes, teams and national federations while increasing the destination's appeal in every season. The first operational objective of Vela 365, developed together with Circolo Vela Torbole and Garda Dolomiti Tourism Board, is to support this evolution with measurable results, starting with an estimated increase of 15,000 sailing-related overnight stays over the next five years and additional tourism revenue of approximately €3 million. Investing in projects such as this strengthens Trentino's international competitiveness through a tourism offer designed to meet the needs of diverse audiences."

Gianni Morandi, Mayor of Nago-Torbole:

"This facility represents the first concrete step of the Vela 365 project, a long-term vision involving public institutions, sports organisations and private partners, with ambitions that go beyond tourism to include sporting excellence and territorial development. It forms part of a broader programme of landscape, architectural and sports redevelopment for the area. At the same time, it was important to move forward and provide the destination with a dedicated training facility capable of welcoming athletes throughout the year. This achievement has been made possible through the collaboration of many stakeholders, public funding, and the commitment of sailing clubs, athletes and volunteers, all of whom deserve our sincere thanks."

Silvio Rigatti, President of Garda Dolomiti Azienda per il Turismo S.p.A.:

"With Vela 365, we wanted to invest in a project capable of strengthening the connection between sailing and the local area throughout the year. This is not simply the gym of Circolo Vela Torbole; it is a facility available to athletes and all sailing clubs across Garda Trentino, providing a place to train during the winter months and prepare at the highest level. The project encourages cooperation among the different clubs and has the potential to further extend the tourism season. Sailing is a fundamental part of our identity and one of the ways in which Garda Trentino is recognised around the world. Our ambition is to establish this area as the national training centre for Italian sailing."

Paola Mora, President of CONI Trentino:

"Athletes in every sport now have increasingly shorter off-seasons and therefore require appropriate facilities where they can train throughout the year. Having access to a dedicated dry-land training centre close to home represents an important opportunity, both for performance and for athletes' quality of life. Garda Trentino is already internationally recognised not only as a world-class venue for racing and training, but also for the quality of its services and hospitality. This new facility can also become a place where the different organisations operating in the area come together, fostering shared development while respecting the needs of the local community."

Gianpaolo Montagni, President of the Italian Sailing Federation (FIV) – Zone XIV:

"Garda Trentino has long been recognised as a centre of excellence in the world of sailing, and this new facility represents another important milestone in a journey that has been built over many years. Although it is based at Circolo Vela Torbole, it will also be open to the area's other sailing clubs and athletes. I hope that many young sailors will be inspired to follow the path of those who started in these clubs and went on to compete at the highest international level, while many others will simply discover sailing as a healthy and educational sport."

@Archivio Garda Dolomiti