Ante Ćesić and the Razjaren Crew Clinched Victory in the Mornar CRO Melges 24 Cup
October 8, 2023 - Mornar, Split, Croatia - The crew of RAZJAREN (CRO 867), led by helmsman Ante Ćesić, emerged victorious in the Mornar CRO Melges 24 Cup, the first regatta of the autumn season of the CRO Melges 24 Cup, which was organized by the Mornar Sailing Club in Split on October 7-8, in partnership with NatureSafe Marine. Second place overall went to the MATARAN 24 (CRO 649) crew with helmsman Ante Botica, while third place was secured by POINT ONE (CRO 759) with helmsman Karlo Kuret. In the Corinthian competition, the top spot was claimed by ZEN (CRO 561) of Kolja Dumanić, followed by TUTTA FORZA (CRO 643) of Jakov Šokota and BLUE LABEL (CRO 827) of Davor Jelača and Petar Smojver.
As the newest addition to the fleet, RAZJAREN team made a furious start in the Mornar regatta. In Saturday's program, with light to moderate sea breeze, Ante Ćesić's crew faced no competition. They achieved a hat-trick in three races, securing three clean victories with a speed that appeared unbeatable for the other 11 crews. Since Sunday's racing was cancelled due to a lack of wind, the RAZJAREN notched their second victory of the year in the CRO Melges 24 Cup after the Biograd event.
"The Mornar CRO Melges 24 Cup was a dream debut for us as we sailed in Split with a new boat and a new crew. The starts were excellently executed, and tactical decisions were timely, but the key to our triple victory was the excellent teamwork of the crew - Lukasz Podniesinskii, Andela De Micheli, Tonci Knezovic and Ljubo Jercic. They have my full praise," said Ante Ćesić, helmsman of Razjaren.
After a long time, POINT ONE team also found itself on the podium. With three third-place finishes, Karlo Kuret's crew secured the bronze medal in the overall competition.
"Without false modesty, the POINT ONE aims for at least a podium finish in every regatta. I am very pleased that we achieved this in Split, competing against crews like MATARAN, RAZJAREN, and PANJIC, which undoubtedly belong to the top tier of Melges 24 at the international level. When you beat one of them, it means you sailed exceptionally well. Along with the superbly organized tour and regattas, this is what makes the Melges 24 class in Croatia highly attractive and challenging," emphasized Karlo Kuret, helmsman of POINT ONE.
The CRO Melges 24 Cup is held in partnership with Angelina Yacht Charter, Sailing Point, North Sails, One Sails, the digital studio Akvarij, digital agency Raiser, regate.com.hr, and EmergenSea.
The next Melges 24 regatta in Croatia will be part of the 2023 Melges 24 European Sailing Series, hosted by the Sailing Club Split from October 26 to 29. This club will host also 2024 Melges 24 European Championship next September - so it is also a good opportunity to get familiar with the conditions, surroundings and necessary information. All Melges 24 teams are very welcome to come and race in Croatia - for more information about the regatta is available HERE.
From November 16th to 19th, the Grand Final of the CRO Melges 24 Cup season 2023 as the Open Croatian Championship will be held in Trogir (small town near Split) – the hometown of this year's Corinthian World Champions on Mataran 24. All details can be found at this link: https://cromelges24.hr/kalendar/oph-cro-melges-24-cup-2023-2/
From November 16th to 19th, the Grand Final of the CRO Melges 24 Cup season 2023 as the Open Croatian Championship will be held in Trogir (a small town near Split) – the hometown of this year's Corinthian World Champions on Mataran 24. All details can be found at this link: https://cromelges24.hr/kalendar/oph-cro-melges-24-cup-2023-2/
Boat storage to stay between these two events in Trogir is free of charge. Contact person: Ivo Matic, email: im1312@yahoo.com
If you are interested in staying over winter in Croatia and starting your next season there early, there storage options can be easily arranged:
Option 1: Indoor storage (location Split)
Max. number of boats is 6
Price: 180 euros per boat per month
Contact person: Kolja Dumanic, email: kolja.dumanic@gmail.com
Option 2: Outdoor storage with video surveillance 24/7 (location Trogir) - this option is free of charge between the two last events in autumn.
Unlimited number of boats.
Price: 150 euro per boat per month
Contact person: Ivo Matic, email: im1312@yahoo.com
Both locations are very close to Split Airport
Mornar CRO Melges 24 Cup results:
1. CRO867 Razjaren - Ante Cesic - 3,
2. CRO649 Mataran 24 - Ante Botica - 9
3. CRO759 Point One - Karlo Kuret - 9
4. CRO739 Panjić - Luka Sangulin - 13
5. CRO383 Makako 24 - Marko Matic - 16
6. CRO840 Sugar Daddy - Andrej Soos Maceljski - 18
7. CRO561 Zen (COR) - Kolja Dumanic - 24
8. CRO643 Tutta Forza (COR) - Niko Jakovcev - 25
9. CRO792 Joyrunner - Boris Tomic - 27
10. CRO827 Blue Label (COR) - Petar Smojver - 27
11. CRO567 Palmina (COR) - Bojan Vrscaj - 29
12. CRO166 Orage (COR) - Fran Borna Urban - 34
