A weekend of sailing, science and environmental protection: the Triton Cup 2025 brings together sportsmen, LIFE projects and marine enthusiasts to promote knowledge and \ of Natura 2000 sites.

On May 24 and 25, 2025, Marina Cala de’ Medici hosted an extraordinary weekend of sailing, sustainability and scientific outreach with the second edition of the Triton Cup, an event sponsored by Giornale della Vela, Triton Research and the LIFE A-MAR NATURA 2000 project. The regatta was part of a wide-ranging calendar of events that also included the VELA Cup Toscana, the Sailor of the Year ceremony and numerous land-based activities dedicated to the sea and its protection.

On Saturday afternoon, a unique networking event was held as part of Action D.2 “Networking and Synergies.” Coordinated by Triton Research, it was attended by a diverse audience of environmental stakeholders, sailors, enthusiasts and institutions, with the aim of promoting synergies between LIFE projects engaged in marine conservation. The session opened with a presentation of the LIFE A-MAR NATURA 2000 project and gave space for seven talks focused on innovative actions to monitor and protect Mediterranean biodiversity.

Among them, Giulia Luzi presented both the LIFE Eolizard project-dedicated to the conservation of the Aeolian lizard-and the MonOrniTech project, focused on acoustic monitoring of ornithological biodiversity in the Lungo and Ripasottile Lakes Reserve. Next, Federica Barbera explained the strategies of the LIFE SEA.NET and LIFE DELFI projects to reduce dolphin mortality caused by fishing activities. Diego Mattioli brought the experience of the LIFE PINNA project on the recovery of Pinna nobilis, Massimiliano Bottaro told about ELIFE’s sustainable fishing activities on elasmobranchs, and Antonella Servizio closed with LIFE Conceptu Maris, dedicated to the conservation of cetaceans and pelagic turtles.

Sunday was all about the open sea, with more than 50 boats engaged in the Triton Cup, along a route between Vada and Chioma. The sporting winners were Paolo Manca’s My Way (Cruise category), Jolly Roger (Sport Boat) and Nausicaa (vintage boats), but each participant was rewarded for his or her contribution to promoting conscious sailing. Flags, gift bags, informative and convivial moments completed an immersive experience in which sport became a vehicle for environmental culture.

The Triton Cup 2025 thus embodied the key message of the LIFE A-MAR project: to know and love Natura 2000 sites in order to protect them. A sea of connections, for a new route to sustainability.