Focus o­n superyachts, the environment, tourism and sailing at Genoa 47th International Boat Show conferences Genoa 47th International Boat Show, to be held at Fiera di Genova next 6 through 14 October, will also boast a rich calendar of conferences, events, and presentations.

During its four institutional conferences, UCINA has decided to select four subjects to be debated in depth: Superyachts, the Environment, Tourism, and Sailing. However, dialogue and discussions will also focus o­n important tax-related issues, small boating, training, and marinas.

Holding the world leadership in terms of projects currently ”under construction”, the Italian superyacht industry o­n the o­ne hand is confirming it is a driving force for the boating sector as a whole, o­n the other it is proving its capacity to generate related profits in the nautical service sector, as a result of the berthing and transit of superyachts in Italy. Taking as a reference a study carried out by Bain & Co., UCINA is promoting a debate o­n the opportunities offered by the commercial superyacht service industry in Italy, highlighting this sector’s potential at an international level.

A whole day, Friday 12 October, will be devoted to environmental issues, thanks to the cooperation between UCINA, Federparchi (the Italian Parks Association), and the Italian Ministry for the Environment. The constant search for technological solutions making boating products increasingly environmentally friendly and the constructive dialogue with the Italian Government and with environmental associations have recently led to a reinterpretation of the concept of exploitation of protected marine areas, which involves the entire industrial sector and, more specifically, nautical tourism. In light of the above, UCINA is organising - together with Federparchi – an event to discuss this subject and share views and ideas with the representatives of natural reserves and Protected Marine Areas.

Great attention will also be devoted, as usual, to Tourism. At the Show the debate will focus o­n the leading strategies aiming at integrating nautical tourism into the wider concept of promoting tourism and the national heritage. In this respect, UCINA will provide an update o­n the current legal framework and will try to identify tourist offer development priorities and projects to be implemented.

Institutional events at the Show will also include a conference o­n sailing and its growth potential and strategies in Italy, scheduled for Saturday 13 October and organised in cooperation with FIV, the Italian Sailing Federation. The objective of the conference will be to take a snapshot of how widespread sailing is in Italy and start a process aiming at identifying possible development tools.

On Monday 8 October, the third edition of “Nautica&Fisco” (Boating Sector and Taxation) will also be presented, a volume published by Liguria’s Revenue Agency in cooperation with UCINA and including new information o­n taxation in the boating sector. o­n the same day, La nautica in cifre (The boating industry in figures) will also be presented, which includes the statistical data and the results of the analysis of the boating market carried out jointly by UCINA and the University of Genoa.

The Sea Theatre will host many side events, offering the public an opportunity to get to know boating and the sea. Conferences, meetings, and sports events will be held at the Fairgrounds during a week full of exciting initiatives.

The Theatre will be the very heart of side events, and this year it will also feature a teaching project devoted to school and implemented in cooperation with local newspaper Il Secolo XIX. Every morning, Monday to Friday, lessons will be held, aimed at giving pupils basic notions of maritime culture, with a special focus o­n respect for the environment and safety at sea.

This initiative is part of the promotion of “boating for all” and “sailing the seas”, which are the main objectives of UCINA’s campaign Navigar m’è dolce. This campaign, organised for the third year in a row, has been strongly supported by UCINA to spread boating culture, and for 2007 it has identified over 100 activities to be carried out all over Italy, thanks to the cooperation with Italian sports federations FIV (Italian Sailing Federation), FIC (Italian Rowing Federation), FICSF (Fixed Seat Italian Rowing Federation), FIPO (Italian Sports Fishing Federation), Assonautica, Lega Navale Italiana, under the aegis of the Italian Ministry for Manufacturing Activities, the Ministry for Transports and Infrastructures, the Ministry for the Environment, the Ministry for Juvenile Policies and Sports, the Ministry of Public Education, and the Italian Register of Shipping.

The project “Navigar m’è dolce” (“Navigate seems sweet to me” – a modified quotation from Giacomo Leopardi’s poem “The inifinite”) is already being implemented in schools as a cultural activity with the initiative "Capitani Coraggiosi" promoted by Yacht Club Città di Genova with Genoa Provincial Council and UCINA, in agreement with the Italian Sailing Federation, and targeted at compulsory school students. The project promotes the knowledge and safeguard of the marine environment and provides basics of sailing. At the Sea Theatre, the project which ended last May and 2007/2008 new initiatives will be presented.

Great attention will be devoted this year to boating initiatives in the community service sector: from the activities of by-now well-known association Spirito di Stella to Voile en tête, the European boating event organised under the aegis of Sport en Tête and the Union of Sports

Associations for Mental Health and which carries out therapeutic-rehabilitation projects using "mediators” like sailing. The Italian Federation of Psychotherapeutic Community Facilities –

FENASCOP – is promoting a conference entitled “La riabilitazione psicosociale e la marineria: Pazzi per il Mare” (Psycho-social rehabilitation and sailing: mad about the sea), which will present an initiative promoted by the Federation in order to offer both patients and operators the opportunity to live a special experience through the sea and sea-related activities.

“Evoluzione dello yacht design – barca ideale” (The evolution of yacht design - the ideal boat) will be the leading theme of "Open mind", a conference organised by magazine Yacht Design and BMW under the aegis of Fiera di Genova and UCINA, which will be held o­n Friday 12 October at Yacht Club Italiano.

The theme of design will also be at the core of the photographic exhibition by artist Simone Zaffiri, promoted by UNICEF and devoted to German Frers, the famous naval architect and designer of by-now mythical boats like Il Moro di Venezia, Luna Rossa, Wally o Swan. German Frers was recently appointed UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for his great commitment, involvement, and sensitiveness for the international projects in favour of UNICEF.

The Sea Theatre will also host the presentation of the first project Il tesoro della costa (The treasure of the coast), developed by sailing school Vento di Mare together with the Diving centre Esimio Sub of S. Michele di Pagana. This project aims at teaching children and teenagers respect and passion for the sea through enjoyable and interesting activities like snorkelling or sailing.

Respect for the environment and the sea will also be the subject of the presentation of the Regatta of the Cetaceans, promoted by sailing club Circolo Vela Mare, which combines a highly educational and environmentally-friendly sport with a drawing contest for schools in which pupils can win a whole day sailing and cetacean watching.

Several books will be presented this year. Enrica Simonetti will present at the Show her Fari d’Italia, a collection of wonderful photographs of the most beautiful lighthouses in Italy. There will also be tales of great sailing undertakings, in line with the Sea Theatre’s tradition: from the adventure of the first Italian to cross the Atlantic ocean rowing, Alex Bellini, to the story of Inbar Meytsar, a woman that was able to overcome a tragic loss thanks to her great passion for the sea and for sailing. And then the ironic but useful “Boatpeople - Manuale di sopravvivenza per chi compra una barca” (Boatpeople – Survival manual for anyone buying a boat) by Carlo Romeo, a book devoted to all those who have decided to purchase a boat or have already bought o­ne.

Great passion for the sea, a love capable of overcoming any impediment- this will be the theme of the presentation by Andrea Stella, who will tell about Spirito di Stella, the catamaran equipped for the disabled, o­n which Andrea completed his journey back from Genoa to Miami, the city where his tragic adventure started.

Four events held at the Sea Theatre will be entirely devoted to the sea and sea adventures.

Matteo Miceli will present his endeavour: the solo Atlantic crossing from Las Palmas to Guadalupe o­n a 6-metre non-habitable catamaran, while Andrea Pendibene will tell about his experience at Transat650, to which o­nly 84 skippers worldwide are admitted.

As regards sports initiatives, the Italian Sailing Federation will o­nce again play a crucial role: at the Sea Theatre, it will present its activities and its Olympic class athletes, the protagonists of the past season.

As for professional sports, o­n Sunday 7 October the tenth Carthago Dilecta est will be presented, a “bridge”-regatta between Italy and Tunisia - organised by Circolo Velico Ventotene - which is not o­nly very important from a sports viewpoint, but it also has a considerable cultural and social meaning. o­n Wednesday 10 October, the XXIV Trofeo Accademia e Città di Livorno will be presented, the sailing event which since 1981 has attracted and involved Italian and international crews.