International Competition Heats Up at Opatija: Croatian Team PointOne Wins Opatija CRO Melges 24 Cup 2024
April 8, 2024 - Opatija, Croatia - Well-known Croatian sailor Karlo Kuret and his team PointOne (Stjepan Vitaljić, Pave Pleslić, Emil Peloza, and Antonio Milišić) are the winners of the Opatija CRO Melges 24 Cup, the third regatta of this year's strongest Croatian sailing competition, hosted by the Yacht Club Croatia.
The Kvarner Gulf transformed into a stage for a thrilling spectacle as 27 crews from Croatia, Italy, Hungary, Slovenia, and Great Britain converged on ACI Marina Opatija. Throughout the weekend, teams fiercely competed in Melges 24s, once again demonstrating why this class is a favorite among one-design racers worldwide.
"Opatija has established itself as a recognizable CRO Melges 24 Cup event that attracts many foreign crews. Our Yacht Club Croatia, a small club with a big heart, is happy to be able to host such a powerful fleet in Kvarner with the support of numerous partners," said Petar Smojver, a member of the organizing committee of the Opatija CRO Melges 24 Cup.
Sailing, a sport at the mercy of the wind, saw a 1:1 draw in the duel between Melges and Aeolus. Saturday proceeded as planned, with the organisers executing the scheduled program flawlessly. However, Sunday dawned with windless conditions, leading to the declaration of a winner after three completed races.
A neck-and-neck race ensued between PointOne and Panjić of Luka Sangulin, but PointOne clinched victory due to their win in the first race.
'We cherish our sailing experiences in Opatija, thanks to the excellent organization by YC Croatia and the enthusiastic participation of foreign sailors on the Kvarner. Despite the wind not being in our favor on Sunday, we embraced this as part of our sport. As a team, we seized the opportunity to triumph in a fiercely competitive field,” highlighted Karlo Kuret.
TOP 3 OVERALL
- CRO 803 POINTONE - Karlo Kuret
- CRO 739 PANJIĆ - Luka Šangulin
- ITA 809 ARKANOE - Sergio Caramel
TOP 3 CORINTHIAN
- ITA 809 ARKANOE - Sergio Caramel
- GBR 694 ZHIK RACE TEAM - Geoff Carveth / Miles Quinton
- HUN 850 CHINOOK - Akos Csolto
The CRO Melges 24 Cup is sailed in partnership with Angelina Yacht Charter, Sailing Point, North Sails, One Sails, digital studio Akvarij, regate.com.hr, Raiser digital agency, EmergenSea and Dustom Sails.