Melges 24 European Championship 2021 - #roadtoportoroz - SEVEN_FIVE_NINE HUN759

September 5, 2021 - Portoroz, Slovenia - With the Melges 24 European Championship 2021 starting in Portoroz, Slovenia this upcoming weekend, we have been asking about the expectations to the event from several sailors.

MEET & GREET ON #ROADTOPORTOROZ

AKOS CSOLTO - the owner and helmsman of SEVEN_FIVE_NINE HUN759, and the President of the Hungarian Melges 24 Class Association

"After 3 years of waiting the Melges continental championship is ON again … Just what we have been waiting for…

2 years have passed since the last World Championship and 3 years since the last European Championship… a quite longtime… this “damn” COVID has unfortunately had to teach us a lot of new things in all areas of life.

But in 3 days we have the European Championships starting in Portoroz… and 759 is very happy about it… our boat is already on site, the team, the bus is ready, we will arrive on Saturday morning…

I remember clearly the day 10 years ago when we arrived with our new Melges24 boat from Lake Balaton, filled with high expectations for our first foreign race… we stopped in the parking lot… we were fascinated by the huge port, the wonderful sea and started unpacking our boat. … that parking lot was the one of the port of Portoroz.

We have been loving this place ever since and we are back whenever we can.  Huge port, complete, fair infrastructure, fair accommodation, fair berths and of course the most important:  BRANKO.  We haven't been able to ask a thing from Branco through the past 10 years that he wouldn't have done for us….  He is an incredible guy, and is the MVP “engine” for the the region’s Melges family.

We also love the sailing area… which can show many of its faces… and many times requires very cunning, thoughtful, tactical sailing from sailors.

At the last European Championships, we “got up” on the podium in the Corinthian category. Then we were very happy about it, we traveled home incredibly happily from Lake Garda. We still want to repeat this result, but we are aware that at least 6 other boats think similarly and deserve the podium.

It will be a long regatta is various wind conditions, such we consider it important to bring balanced, good results thourghout the races all the way… this is the only way to get on the podium.

Read more about Akos at https://www.melges24.com/akos-csolto