Croatian marinas will host three international regattas of the best world sailboats in classes Melges 20 and Melges 32
This year, the D-Marin marinas will organise attractive regattas of the European Championship and European League in classes Melges 20 and Melges 32. D-Marin Dalmatia, located near Zadar, will be the host of the European League regatta in the Melges 20 class, to be held from the 9th to the 11th of June in Zadar’s waters. Among the 32 registered boats are competitors from Italy, Germany, Monaco, Switzerland, Russia, the Czech Republic, Poland, as well as from more distant nations like Australia, Japan and South Africa.
“By organising the Melges regattas, D-Marin marinas have joined the club of the most prestigious global destinations for sailors and we are very proud of this. The arrival of European League and Championship regattas in two classes is the confirmation of the quality of our infrastructure and the services we offer. Once again, we have shown Croatia has high potential in nautical tourism, increasingly recognised by organisers of prominent global competitions,” said Božidar Duka, regional director of D-Marin.
After the European League, Melges regattas continue in Šibenik, with races of the European Championship in the Melges 20 class from the 12th to the 15th of July, and Melges 32 class from the 20th to the 22nd of July, 2017. The host of these regattas will be the D-Marin Mandalina marina in Šibenik, with the races taking places in the waters around Zlarin island.
The current leader of the Melges 20 league is helmsman Igor Rytov of Russia, with his Russian Bogatyrs boat. Another Russian team led by Vladimir Prosikhin on the Nika boat, which is second, while third place is currently occupied by Drew Freides and his team on the Pacific Yankee boat. There are no Croatian teams competing in this league.
Leading the Melges 32 league is Italian helmsman Matteo Balestrero in the Giogi boat, trailed in second place by the team of Giangiacomo Serena di Lapigio, sailing on the G-Spot boat under the Polish flag. Third place is currently held by Andrea Lacorte, sailing on the Vitamina Amerikana boat under the Italian flag.
The nearly 70 years of history of Melges sailboats speak of their quality and popularity among sports sailing lovers, as well as the constant increase of the number of regatta participants in this international class. In the world of sailing, Melges is a synonym for superior design and usage of new technologies and materials which make sailing a unique experience. Melges 20 is a compact and fast sailboat, made from the highest quality materials. Melges 32 brings the best of sailing in one-design sailboats. An elegant hull, simple and clean deck design and special arrangement of equipment make sailing even more simple and competitive. The design of both models is authored by Reichel Pugh, one of the famous global companies for sailboat design.
Check out a taste of the atmosphere below!
