Ante Ćesić and Razjaren crew defend the Melges 24 Croatian title
4 May 2026 - Biograd, Croatia - From May 1-3 in Biograd na Moru, the 2026 Melges 24 Croatian Championship regatta was held, marking the final event of the sixth season of the CRO M24 Cup. The regatta was organised by Sailing Club Briva and took place from Friday to Sunday, with 20 crews from six countries on the starting list.
Sailing conditions off Biograd were excellent, allowing the full schedule of nine races to be completed over three days. The Italian team Melgina, helmed by Paolo Brescia, opened the regatta strongly, but by the second day, Ante Ćesić and his crew on Razjaren took the lead and ultimately secured a convincing overall victory, pushing Melgina team with Andrea Racchelli, Lorenzo Centuori, Filippo Vulcanile and Jas Farneti, to second place.
Ante Ćesić and the Razjaren crew from JK Split have thus claimed their fourth consecutive Croatian Championship title in the Melges 24 class. Ćesić and Razjaren also won the sixth season of the CRO M24 Cup. The team in Biograd consisted of Ante Ćesić, Anđela De Micheli Vitturi, Tonči Knezović, Ljubo Jerčić. Regular crew member and boat owner Lukasz Podniesinski did not compete in this regatta and was replaced by Boris Bakotić.
The overall podium was completed by Italian Michele Paoletti’s Strambapapa-MPSailing with Giovanna Micol, Pietro Perelli, Giulia Pignolo and Alexander Harey.
The new Corinthian division Croatian champions and CRO M24 Cup winners are the crew of Melges Little A, sailing under the flag of Sailing Club Zvir and led by Stjepan Ćesić. The crew also included Domagoj Jaklin, Ivan Kunić, Ivan Jurić, and Ana Petričić.
In the U25 category, the Croatian Open Championship title went to the Cro-a-sail team from Sailing Club Opatija, sailing with Roko Stipanović, Matija Reljanović, Antonio Lukšić, Dino Kinkela, and Stjepan Vitaljić. The winner of the sixth CRO M24 Cup season in the U25 category is the Panjić Jr. team from Sailing Club Briva, with Lucijan Jakovljev, Noa Šangulin, Luka Dokoza, Luce Šimić, and Pavle Mandić.
Marko Mišura, manager of the Croatian Melges 24 class, commented on the Biograd regatta:
“On the first day, we completed three races relatively quickly in strong northeasterly wind conditions. The racing was intense and challenging due to the strong wind. On the second day, we had a morning tramontana of 10 to 12 knots with a strong current, and again completed the scheduled three races efficiently. On Sunday, the wind came from 310 degrees with similar strength. The first start was around noon, and we sailed in ideal conditions once again. We are pleased that 20 boats participated in the national championship regatta, which is a record for this year, and that Melgina and Strambapapa returned. For the first time, a strong British team joined us with Melges Adrenaline, previously known as Black Seal. The final results show that these are all very serious teams.”
Mišura also commented on the overall CRO M24 Cup season:
“We are pleasantly surprised by the number of participants this season. We expected around 15 crews per regatta, but in the end, almost all events gathered between 18 and 20 crews. Strong teams such as Melgina and Strambapapa were regular participants this year, which is a recognition of our work. These teams previously sailed in Miami with the American fleet but have now chosen to join the Croatian fleet. This confirms that the CRO M24 Cup is currently the strongest series in Europe, with top-level competition. We have already received inquiries from international teams about next year’s calendar, as they intend to continue racing in Croatia. We hope to attract new Croatian teams next season, culminating in the World Championship in Pula. It is particularly important for us to encourage new young U25 teams to join the class, as Melges 24 represents the pinnacle of sailing in Croatia today.”
Two regattas of the seventh CRO M24 Cup season 2026-2027 will take place this autumn. From September 24–27, a regatta will be held in Pula, also serving as the final event of this season’s European Sailing Series. This will be followed by a regatta in Trogir from November 6–8. The Melges 24 World Championship will take place in Pula from May 29 to June 5 next year. Ahead of that event, three to four CRO M24 Cup regattas are planned.
Ante Ćesić, helmsman of Razjaren, said after securing another Croatian title:
“It was a fantastic regatta, with excellent organisation both on and off the water, and truly perfect sailing conditions. We sailed well in the first two days, although we had some minor technical mistakes due to team changes. On the third day, everything came together, and we performed exceptionally well. We have been dominant in the CRO M24 Cup for some time, and it is especially rewarding that two top Italian teams, Melgina and Strambapapa, competed regularly this year. Such competition helps us maintain the level required for major events like the European and World Championships. We plan to compete at the European Championship in Norway at the end of August, followed by the first regatta of the new CRO M24 Cup season in Pula, which is important for assessing conditions ahead of next year’s World Championship there.”
The CRO Melges 24 Cup is held in partnership with: Luki Baustoffe, Angelina Yacht Charter, Sailing Point Croatia, North Sails, One Sails, digital studio Akvarij, Raiser digital agency, ProMarine, Dustom Sails, and Smartmotion.
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