Saracena Swim Cup

A challenge in the waters of the Saracena Coast

The Saracena Swim Cup has become a highly anticipated date on the Sicilian open water swimming calendar. It takes place in Brolo, a town in the province of Messina overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea, along a stretch of coastline known as the Saracena Coast, named after the ancient watchtowers built to defend against raids. The race starts from the Triskele Beach Club on the Brolo seafront and winds through crystal-clear waters between the seaside village and the district of Gliaca di Piraino.

The race program

The event features two competitions on the same day, both serving as a leg of the Sicilia Openwater Grand Prix:

• Saracena Trophy over a distance of 5 kilometers: a course starting from Brolo, reaching the Torre delle Ciavole in Gliaca di Piraino to round the buoy, and returning to the starting point.
• Miglio dei Lancia, a shorter race on a 1,852-meter triangular course between the beach and the Scoglio di Brolo.

The competition is open to competitive and master athletes registered with FIN for open water, FINP para-athletes, and international swimmers affiliated with LEN or World Aquatics recognized federations, attracting dozens of participants from all over Italy every year.

A natural and historical setting

What makes the Saracena Swim Cup special is its setting: the courses traverse a sea teeming with life, featuring Posidonia meadows, and run alongside places steeped in history such as the 16th-century Torre delle Ciavole and the wreck of the steamship S.S. Cambria, which sank in 1869. The Scoglio di Brolo, the town's landmark, serves as the backdrop for the athletes' strokes.

More than just a race

The sporting event is accompanied by a non-competitive swim, the Rockaround, open to everyone and dedicated to those who want to experience the sea of Brolo without the pressure of a stopwatch, swimming between the beach and the Scoglio. The Saracena Swim Cup was born from the collaboration between the ASD Sciacquazza and Ulysse Nuoto Messina associations, with the support of the municipalities of Brolo and Piraino, and has established itself as an opportunity for sports and tourism promotion for the entire Nebrodi area and the Tyrrhenian coast of Sicily.