
For the second time in history, an all-woman crew rowed the lead galeon Serenissima in the 2010 Regata Storica. This passionate rower’s calf proclaims her devotion to her sport…and her husband’s historic trade.

For the second time in history, an all-woman crew rowed the lead galeon Serenissima in the 2010 Regata Storica. This passionate rower’s calf proclaims her devotion to her sport…and her husband’s historic trade.

Unless you’re an avid sailing enthusiast, you’ve probably never noticed that the colorful canvases tilting into the summer wind as they criss-cross the Venetian lagoon aren’t shaped like sails you’d see elsewhere (…what a surprise). Look closely – they’re not triangular, not trapezoidal, and not rhombus shaped, but a odd quadrilateral with four unequal sides…

I am a member (well, president, actually, although there are five of us that function as sort a cumulative president, I would say) of VIVA (Voga per l’Identità Veneta), an association that promotes the voga alla veneta, the Venetian rowing style (standing up, facing forward) indigenous to Venice and the lagoon. It’s becoming increasing difficult…
Spettacolare. Ideale. Glorioso. Whether you were participating in 36th annual Vogalonga or cheering your pals from the nearest riva or fondamenta, nothing less than superlatives will do when describing the day, the row, the joy, the experience. The thousands of oar-powered boats and thousands more rowers propelling them along the 32 kilometer / 20-mile course…
