The Hungarian Chinook celebrated at the record Opatija Cro Melges 24 Cup

After Biograd na Moru, which brought together 18 sailing crews, the third edition of the Opatija CRO Melges 24 Cup, organized by Yacht Club Croatia, with 24 crews broke the record for the number of boats in one cup regatta.

A wonderful weekend attracted to Kvarner 13 Croatian, nine Italian, one Hungarian and one Slovenian boat each, who sang a real sailing serenade to Opatija, and the overall winner of the regatta in both competitions, including the Corinthian, was the Hungarian Chinook crew, the current winner of the European Melgesa series 24 in the Corinthian division. The best placed Croatian crews were Panjić (Luka Šangulin) in second place in the overall order and Zen (Kolja Dumanić) who was in the Corinthian division, also won second place.

"Opatija CRO Melges 24 Cup in its third edition was a real sailing spectacle. Melges 24, as one of the world's most popular one-design classes, attracts numerous foreign crews and promotes the Croatian Riviera in a beautiful way," emphasized Davor Jelača, one of the organizers from YC Croatia.

During the two days of the regatta, five sailings were held, and a special sailing treat was the early morning departure due to the Vološća Tramuntana, when the Melges fleet from ACI Marina Opatija set sail at 6:30 am.

"The sports part of the regatta was phenomenal. From the competition, the race committee to the weather conditions, everything worked perfectly, and I think that sailing at the crack of dawn was an absolute experience. As a sailor, I am particularly pleased that Croatia has begun to exploit its potential for organizing top regattas," said Tomislav Bašić, a member of Panjić's crew.

Source: HINA

Photo: regate.com.hr