“We came for the lamb, so when you have that savoury goal in mind, it’s easy to defend the title and be first for the third time,” said Krešimir Nazor and Ivan Zemunik Perica light-heartedly, as if winning a competition in rowing tenders held in Krilo Jesenice was easy as saying hello
The boys recorded a hat-trick in their wooden tender named “Father Duje,” proving they have no equal in rowing the two miles, from Krilo Jesenice port to the buoy outside Suhi Potok, and then back to the seafront where the gathered crowd welcomed them, celebrating together with them their new triumph at the fifth edition of the “Tender Race,” with 18 crews of two rowers each. And they won in the end, paddling some 15 minutes, a good 50 meters ahead of everyone else, using their muscles to give speed to the boat whose wooden ribs are a full 60 years old, as Sandra Barčot reported for Slobodna Dalmacija on April 2, 2018.
Preparation and the secret to the new victory? “There is none, we lowered the tender from the big boat this morning and straight to sea and row. It leaks a bit too, but we don’t mind,” explained the 33-year-old Ivan, while his rowing partner Krešo is two years older, both of them seamen.
Ivan is from Suhi Potok, Krešo from Sumpetar where the final feast will take place, the one with the winner’s prize – an entire lamb. “The prizes are still alive, the first crew gets the lamb, the second gets piglet, the third a rooster. They are still in the Krilo butchery, so when the winners decide to have the feast, the prize will arrive directly to their table,” explains through laughter Karlo Ercegović the main motivation of this unusual event taking place in the beginning of April.
Karlo and Jure Naranča are the organizer duo of this event which ends the winter respite, ahead of the sailing of the magnificent fleet of tourist boats from ports. Through their direction and the aid of other members of the Krilo Youth Club, everyone has fun, with a tombola and performance by the Dalmatino band, and everything begins with – rowing. Older sailors chip in, the younger ones row. But as their practice is not exactly Spartan, even before the start we noticed oars breaking on the “Mother Anka” and “Perica” tenders, as moisture got into them during winter. But the fastest ones were not distracted by anything – the already mentioned Ivan and Krešo, second-placed Bono Ercegović and Deni Ivanišević and the third-placed brothers, Tomo and Stipe Ercegović.
And as for the prizes, in a few days there will be a big feast on the Sumpetar seafront. “Last year we grilled the winning lamb on spit, and four more arrived. And how many there will be this year depends on donors. We are first for the third time, so we’ll see. It’s important to celebrate before the summer, before the season and all the work in store for the sailors,” said Krešo, sending out an invitation for the new feast.
Translated from Slobodna Dalmacija, click here for the original.
