RAEX on the water: mixed crews at D’Inverno sul Po in Turin

RAEX on the water: mixed crews at D’Inverno sul Po in Turin

On 7–8 February, the RAEX project will take part in one of the most iconic long-distance rowing events in Europe: D’Inverno sul Po, held on the River Po in Turin.
For RAEX, this regatta represents far more than a competition. It is a collective moment of visibility, dissemination and continuity for the values developed throughout the project.

Mixed crews, shared purpose

RAEX will be represented by 32 rowers, competing in mixed-gender crews across different boat classes — from doubles to eights.
Athletes will come from across Italy, joined by participants from Sweden and Cyprus, bringing together different rowing cultures, club backgrounds and personal experiences within the same crews.

Importantly, these crews represent 9 rowing clubs, Italian and international — a concrete sign of how RAEX has grown beyond a single organisation into a network of clubs aligned around shared values.

This diversity is not incidental: it reflects the very core of RAEX. Training and racing in mixed crews means learning to adapt, listen, trust and perform together — on equal terms.

Why D’Inverno sul Po matters

D’Inverno sul Po is one of the largest and most visible rowing events on the European calendar.
In its 2025 edition, the regatta brought together around 3,800 athletes, representing 143 rowing clubs from all over Italy and 9 different countries, confirming its role as a true European rowing hub.

Participating in such a large-scale, mainstream event allows RAEX to bring inclusive practices into the heart of the rowing community, where traditions are strong and visibility is high. Racing side by side with hundreds of crews, RAEX mixed teams show — in a concrete and public way — that mixed-gender rowing works, not as an exception but as a normal and effective model.

A strategic moment for dissemination

The timing of this participation is intentional. As RAEX approaches the final phase of the project, D’Inverno sul Po becomes a powerful dissemination opportunity:

• to demonstrate how the project’s methodology translates into real-world racing contexts;
• to engage clubs and rowers well beyond the project consortium;
• to position mixed crews within a highly visible event, reinforcing the idea that inclusion and performance can coexist.

Rather than closing the project in a protected setting, RAEX steps into a large, open and demanding regatta, where its values can be seen, discussed and potentially adopted by others.

Beyond the project timeline

While the RAEX project formally concludes in 2026, moments like D’Inverno sul Po show that its impact extends beyond funding cycles and reports. The regatta becomes a bridge between what has been built during the project and what will continue afterwards — in clubs, training sessions and future events.

On the waters of the Po, RAEX is not just racing.
It is sharing a vision of rowing: inclusive, collaborative and open to everyone who is willing to pull together.