The Vogalonga is a non-competitive community rowing event in Venice that was begun more that 40 years ago by a small group of friends and has since swelled to include as many as 8,000 participants. The rowers follow a long course from the Canale di San Marco, around Sant'Elena, into the northern lagoon and back again.
From: www.vogalonga.it ; The route of the vogalonga. The vogalonga is and has always been a non-commercial activity, untaken by Venetians in the interest of preserving their tradition of rowing and appreciating and enjoying their environment: the lagoon. With thousands of participants, it is also one of the largest community activities that takes place in Venice. That we visitors on land get to enjoy the beautiful spectacle of thousands of colorful traditional boats and teams of rowers traversing the canals and the lagoon of Venice is a very special privilege and certainly a pleasure.
To ensure the safety of the rowers and avoid interrupting the event, the public transportation companies of Venice change and or suspend service. (See the schedule here.) In fact, there are normally very few motorized boats of any kind or size in the waterways of Venice during the Vogalonga. However, it is now reported that at the commencement of the Vogalonga of 2015, a massive cruise ship will traverse the Canale di San Marco.
A sign written in English warns participants of the anticipated sailing of the MSC Musica.
With the Vogalonga taking place tomorrow, May 24th 2015, there was very little notice given to the event organizers or the rowers of the Vogalonga. Above is a photograph shared in social media yesterday afternoon, of an announcement, oddly written in English, of the expected movement of this ship. La Nuova di Venezia e Mestre also published an announcement about it yesterday.
The ship, the 92,000+ ton MSC Musica, is scheduled to sail through the basin of San Marco at 8:15 AM; Through the exact starting point of the Vogalonga, at the exact time when teams of rowers will be arriving for the start of the race.
On May 9th 2015, thousands joined in a protest against large cruise ships in Venice.
Naturally, many people are in shock and disbelief that a massive ship would be allowed to traverse the waters of Saint Marks Basin at a moment when it is known that thousands of Venetians in small boats will also be on the water. Many Venetians planning to row in the Vogalonga are concerned for their safety. Many find this news to be a massive affront to Venetians, their culture, even their very right to safely enjoy the waterways of their own city. It is quite surprising that this should happen not two weeks after a large public protest against big ships in Venice. And, it is certainly a very sharp contrast to the entire spirit of the Vogalonga - A tradition begun for the very purpose of preserving and enjoying the activity of rowing in Venice at time when motorized boats were beginning to dominate the canals - to imagine not a vaporetto, but a 92,000+ ton cruise ship dwarfing more than a thousand small man-powered boats.
**It remains to be seen what, if any protest will be made against the sailing of this ship at such an inopportune moment. Or, whether the MSC Musica can be convinced to wait and allow Venetians to safely enjoy this very special event in Venice. At the moment, OG Venice is primarily concerned for the safety of all of our friends who will be rowing in the Vogalonga tomorrow.**
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