28–30 June 2026 | News
After months of preparation, the PartArt4OW Sailing Lab officially launched its Mediterranean expedition on 28 June 2026, departing from Anzio (Rome) bound for Ponza. The day brought together a final phase of technical readiness, the presentation of cognate research projects, and a public departure ceremony at the Italian Naval League — before the vessel left the harbour and headed out to sea.
A Day of Preparation: Equipment, Refurbishment and Citizen Science
The morning of 28 June was dedicated to the final stages of equipping and testing the Sailing Lab ahead of departure. Among the most significant moments was the delivery by Ana Jeinić (TU Wien) of the Komuna Maro portolano — a cartographic and artistic artefact produced within the transdisciplinary project Komuna Maro, which explores marine infrastructures and ecological transformations through sailing, collaborative art, and mapping. The portolano will be displayed in all the harbours visited during the expedition, travelling with the Sailing Lab from Anzio to Naples.
Also in the morning, Viviana Piermattei (CMCC) presented the collaboration between the Horizon Europe project CS-MACH1 Marine Citizen Science Data and PartArt4OW, and explained the functioning of the meteotracker now on board — a citizen science instrument that will collect pressure, temperature, and humidity data along the entire navigation route, contributing to the Marine Citizen Science Data Network (MSCDN).
Watch the short presentations:
Departure Ceremony at the Lega Navale di Anzio
At 5 pm, the public departure ceremony took place at the Lega Navale di Anzio, in the presence of institutional representatives and research partners. "Fair wind" speeches were delivered by Anzio Mayor Aurelio Lo Fazio, Deputy Mayor for Environmental Policies Luca Brignone, Deputy Mayor for Culture and Fisheries Valentina Corrado, Port Authority Commander Lieutenant Lorenzo Giovannone, and the President of the Lega Navale di Anzio, Alessandro Sciolari.
The expedition was presented by PartArt4OW coordinators Chiara Certomà (Sapienza University of Rome) and Federico Fornaro (Raw-News). The ceremony also featured presentations from researchers and collaborators of cognate projects: Luisa Galgani (University of Siena, EU Mission Ocean and Waters External Expert Consultant and PartArt4OW Ambassador), Arturo Gallia (Roma Tre University, Island for Future), Diana Rinaldi (ClimateBabes / OutBe), Viviana Piermattei and Camilla Campanati (CMCC, CS-MACH1), and Ana Jeinić (TU Wien, Komuna Maro).
Heading to Ponza: 29–30 June
Following the ceremony, the Sailing Lab departed from Anzio heading south towards Ponza, arriving on 29–30 June. The crew began field exploration activities on the island, opening the first chapter of a Mediterranean journey that will continue through the summer.
The PartArt4OW project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation programme. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency (REA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.