Interviews - Opatija CRO Melges 24 Cup 2026
Day 1
STIPE VITALJIĆ - CRO-A-SAIL CRO782
The leader after 3 races, interviewed after Race 1
Hey there, I’m Stipe Vitaljić, and I’m sailing on Cro A Sail with four young guys. We’re technically an "Under 25" crew, though I’m a bit older than that... I’m the one bringing the average age up. The rules are set up so you can have a more experienced sailor on board, so I’m basically the guys' coach—and I’m constantly pushing them hard.
We did our training sessions this past winter and really put in the work. Our main goal is the World Championship in Pula next year, but that winter grind is already paying off because we showed progress back in Zadar. With a good start today and picking the right side early on, we patiently built our position. The conditions were tricky—this fading tramuntana is unpredictable and tough to handle—but we held our ground. We rounded the windward mark in first, held it at the second mark, and kept it till the end. Everyone was pressing us hard at the finish, but we managed to defend our lead, which is really great to see for such a young crew. The guys are doing a fantastic job out there.
We’re used to the conditions here; we all know that when you come to Opatija, you’ll likely have that early tramuntana. You have to get out there early—maybe we were a tiny bit late today, but that’s just how it went. Our second race was abandoned, which was the right call because the conditions became inconsistent by the end. We know that the only thing we might get in the afternoon is the maestral, so we motored out here and now we’re just waiting.
Long days, long days... but that’s sailing. That’s where we are for now.
CORINTHIAN: LITTLE A CRO728
I’m Stjepan Ćesić, helmsman on the boat Little A. Today we had some solid sailing. This morning, under the Tramuntana wind, we weren't at our best and finished tenth. However, in the afternoon, we corrected some mistakes, gave it our all, and secured a solid third and fourth place. We are very satisfied with the results.
We’ve been starting relatively well, especially lately. We’ve studied our starts quite a bit and improved that segment. We’re also getting better and better at sailing upwind. Everyone is improving, but our goal is to progress just a bit more than the others. We’re working hard and the results are showing.
Opatija is famous for early morning starts, sometimes even in the dark. Compared to previous years and what usually happens, today was actually a relatively late start. We are used to the conditions here; it has its own special charm and excitement, which is why we keep coming back every year.
It’s an early start again tomorrow. We’ll try to get to bed as early as possible tonight to rest up and stay fresh for the morning.
The competition is incredibly strong, especially among the Corinthians. The best in the world are here—the British, the Italians, and so on. It’s going to be a real fight, and we’ll give it our all and see what happens.
OVERALL: CRO-A-SAIL CRO782
Roko Stipanović, helm on Cro-A-Sail
My name is Roko Stipanović, and I am sailing on the boat Cro-A-Sail. I believe everything has fallen into place for this regatta, allowing us to achieve the results we demonstrated today.
I am 23 years old and part of this crew under 25. Regarding our preparations, we managed to complete several winter training sessions, but we actually spent a great deal of time on the assembly of the boat and the preparation of all the equipment, with only a few training sessions out at sea. Nevertheless, I am satisfied because we successfully completed several races today under very changeable conditions—ranging from medium winds to the lighter breeze we saw in the final race, involving completely different wind directions and positions on the water.
I am very pleased with how today went; the team did a superb job, and the boat is so well-equipped that it feels as if it’s moving on its own. We opened the day with an early morning race that we finished in second place overall, and we remained at the very top during the two afternoon races as well.
Although we have two more days of racing ahead of us, we don't have a specific tactic. We have very good speed, so our main goal was to sail calmly and 'cleanly,' without unnecessary technical errors. Tomorrow is an early start, so our priority now is to get a good night's sleep and gather our energy. We need to keep a cool head because today’s performance isn't the final result—it’s only the first day. We must stay ready for everything that follows.
Day 2
BOAT OF THE DAY OVERALL - RAZJAREN CRO867
Antonio: I’m Antonio Milišić. I usually sail with the "One 4 Fun" crew, but I’m here now with the "Razjaren" crew. I’m often on a Melges, but regardless of the boat, I usually work the bow (bowman) and sometimes the pit. My job basically covers everything forward of the mast. Specifically on the Melges, that means hoisting and dropping the gennaker and making sure all the maneuvers go smoothly. We’re here in Opatija now—it’s an excellent regatta, 16 boats, and top-tier competition. This morning we completed four races in shifty conditions. It was really tough, but we’re enjoying it; it’s a beautiful day.
Yesterday, the "Razjaren" crew took on two new members—Boris and myself—so things didn't go quite as planned at first; we were a bit out of sync. But today, we managed to find our rhythm, got sorted out, and things are running much better now.
We had some good finishes today, much better than yesterday. I think we were in the top three for all of this morning’s races, if I’m not mistaken. A huge improvement over yesterday.
There will likely be two more races tomorrow morning, which would be ideal—we finish those and then go straight to the crane (to haul out), and then back to Split.
I think this is my fourth or fifth time in Opatija. This year turned out great, surprisingly. We were just commenting this morning that we probably wouldn’t even head out because there would be no wind. In the end, we got four races in, totaling seven races over two days. Last year, we only had about one and a half or two races over a three-to-four-day regatta. So, we’re really glad the regatta has been a success.
Day 3
CRO-A-SAIL CRO782 retirement in Opatija - Stipe Vitaljić
Interviewer: Stipe, can you explain what happened out there? We saw you had to pull out during the sixth race yesterday.
Stipe Vitaljić: Yes, it was a very unusual situation. During the sixth race, the bulkhead—the internal partition where the blocks for the gennaker retrieval are attached—simply failed. It detached from the hull and snapped clean in half. Because it broke right down the middle, there was no way for us to glue it back or perform any kind of temporary fix while at sea.
Interviewer: Was there any consideration to try and keep going?
Stipe Vitaljić: We thought about it, but by that point, we had already lost four legs of the race. From a results standpoint, it no longer made sense to continue. More importantly, we have the National Championships coming up in just three weeks. Instead of improvising a weak repair, we decided the best move was to get the boat to a shipyard immediately to have it fixed properly.
Interviewer: This sounds like a very rare technical failure. Have you seen this happen before?
Stipe Vitaljić: Not at all. It was a shock for the whole crew. However, we are taking it as a step forward. We are going to repair it, make the structure even stronger than before, and we’ll be ready for the next race in Biograd.
Interview with Niccolò Bertola - TAKI 4 ITA
Interviewer: To start us off, could you give us a quick introduction? Tell us your name, your crew, and the boat you’re racing.
Niccolò: My name is Niccolò Bertola, and I’m the helmsman of Taki 4. We are an Italian crew that started sailing together about ten years ago. The team consists of Marco (the owner), Giacomo (tactician), Giovanni (sail trimmer), and Pietro (bowman). We’ve gained a lot of experience in the Melges 24 class—we’ve won the Corinthian World Championship four times and finished 5th overall twice. We truly enjoy this class, which is why we’re still here competing and looking forward to our new boat arriving later this year.
Interviewer: That’s exciting! Today you are the winners in the Corinthian group.
Niccolò Bertola: Yes, that’s right. We came back to Opatija this year; last year was a bit tricky due to the weather forecast. This year, we managed to complete eight races, which is great. It gave us the chance to really get back into it. We’re very happy with the event—we finished 3rd overall and 1st in the Corinthian division. It’s a strong start to the year as we point toward our main goal: the 2026 European Championship.
Interviewer: What’s the rest of the plan for this year? Will you be returning to Croatia?
Niccolò Bertola: Unfortunately, we don’t have much more time in the schedule for Croatia this year. After this event, we’ll be racing in Trieste in May, and then we go straight to the Europeans in Norway at the end of August.
Interviewer: Looking back at the last three days here—it seemed quite intense, especially yesterday with four races early in the morning. Any thoughts on the conditions?
Niccolò Bertola: Well, the wake-up call was definitely intense! But the wind turned out to be good in the end. Even though offshore winds can be a little tricky, it was good, fair racing. Overall, it was a very successful weekend.
Interviewer: There were 17 boats in total. How would you describe the level of competition this year?
Niccolò Bertola: The level was very high. The Croatian fleet has grown significantly over the last few years, and we also had many strong crews from all over Europe, including Italy. It was a great challenge for the first event of the year.
Interviewer: Also Italian, Melgina crew, took 1st place overall. How was it racing against them?
Niccolò Bertola: We’ve known them for a long time. They’ve improved immensely—I think they finished in the top five at the Worlds recently. It was a tough but great battle with them on the water. Huge congratulations to them on the win.
Interview with Andrea Racchelli - Tactician on MELGINA ITA
Interviewer: To start us off, could you give us a quick introduction? Tell us about yourself, your boat, and your crew.
Andrea: I am Andrea Rachelli, the tactician aboard Melgina, owned by Paolo Brescia. This is my first time sailing with this specific team, and it’s been a great pleasure. The crew is very experienced: we have Paolo as the owner and driver, Jaš Farneti as the trimmer, Lorenzo Centuori as the bowman, and Alexander Harej as the mid-bow.
Interviewer: How would you comment on these past three days of racing here in Opatija, considering the weather and the overall conditions?
Andrea Racchelli: The conditions were quite tricky. We had a very narrow window for wind, mostly in the early morning between 7:00 and 10:00 AM. The race committee did a fantastic job finding a solution despite the weather. The racing itself was intense and very interesting—the courses were short with a lot of shifts and gusts, which made it tactically very tough.
Interviewer: You mentioned a very close battle with the Croatian crew, Razjaren. How did that play out?
Andrea Racchelli: It was a big fight! Especially this morning in the first race where we had a very bad start and had to recover. The Croatians finished second and we were fifth, which put us on equal points in the overall standings. Unfortunately, the conditions didn't allow for a final race, which would have been a massive "match race" between us. Luckily for us, the rankings stayed as they were, and we took the overall win.
Interviewer: Since you missed out on one race today, do you feel you got a bit lucky?
Andrea Racchelli: A little bit, yes! But that’s sailing. On the first day, they had to cancel a race where we were leading in first place, so in the end, it all balances out.
Interviewer: What is the plan for Melgina for the rest of the year? Will you be returning to Croatia?
Andrea Racchelli: Yes, the plan is to return for the Croatian National Championship in Biograd next month. After that, Melgina will compete in the Italian Nationals on Lake Garda and the European Championship in Norway. I won't be with the crew for those later events as I’ll be back with my own team, Altea, but I wish Paolo and the rest of the Melgina crew the best of luck!
Interview with Paolo Brescia - owner of MELGINA ITA
Interviewer: To get us started, could you give us a quick introduction? Tell us about yourself, your boat, and your crew.
Paolo Brescia: I am Paolo from Melgina. Sailing with me on the boat, we have Andrea Racchelli, Jaš Farneti, Alexander Harej, and our newest member, Lorenzo Centuori. Lorenzo is a World Champion in the 420 class in the mixed team category. He is from Trieste, very passionate, and we are very happy to have him on board.
Interviewer: How would you comment on these past three days of racing? What are your thoughts on the regatta and the conditions here in Opatija?
Paolo Brescia: I think it was a great event. The race committee was excellent and made the right decisions throughout the weekend. We had the best conditions possible, especially by sailing early in the morning, which is the best time for wind in Opatija. We managed the beginning of the event very well. Even though yesterday wasn’t our best day, we were quite lucky in the end. We finished with the same score as the Croatian team, Ante Ćesić (Razjaren), and it was a very interesting competition.
Interviewer: Your crew member mentioned that if there had been a final race today, it would have been a very tough fight. What’s your take on that?
Paolo Brescia: Yes, it would have been a great battle. You never know in sailing; it’s often a matter of how many boats end up between you and your rival. But that’s the beauty of the sport—you never know until it’s over.
Interviewer: Congratulations on the overall victory today! Was this result expected?
Paolo Brescia: To be honest, it wasn’t expected. The level of competition here is so high and the competitors are very talented. The final scores really reflect that, especially with the first and second place finishing on the same points.
Interviewer: Your fellow Italians, Team Taki 4, also took first place in the Corinthian category. Any words for them?
Paolo Brescia: They had a great event! They really came through in the final races, showed great speed, and were always in the right position. Huge congratulations to them.
Interviewer: What is the plan for Melgina for the rest of the year? Will you be returning to Croatia?
Paolo Brescia: Yes, we definitely want to come back for your National Championship in Biograd next month. We chose to compete here because we believe the best Melges 24 fleet in Europe is currently here in Croatia. That’s the main reason we decided to join this great fleet.
Interviewer: There were 17 boats from all over Europe this weekend. How did you like the atmosphere and the competition?
Paolo Brescia: This is definitely the right place to be. Between the high level of racing and the number of boats, it’s the best way to prepare for the season. We love the place and we love the people, so we are very happy.
Interviewer: Thank you very much, Paolo. Congratulations again and good luck with the rest of the season!
Paolo Brescia: Thank you so much!
OTAVIC crew - Tin Fike and Barbara Perusic
Interviewer: We’re here with Tin and Barbara to talk about their recent experiences on the water and what’s next for the team. Barbara, let's start with you—what are the immediate plans moving forward?
Barbara: Our next step is to head back to Kostrena to get the boat back in top shape. As always with boats, there’s a list of things that need fixing or "popped" during the last run. We need to address the maintenance we had planned before, as well as the new wear and tear. On a boat, there’s always something to work on; it’s just like anything else you want to keep in peak condition.
Interviewer: And after the repairs are finished?
Barbara: Then it’s all about training. We’ll be focused on intense practice sessions for the next two weeks leading up to the regatta in Biograd. Once we get there, we’ll see what else decides to break ha ha!
Interviewer: Tin, I’ve heard from other teams that this year’s conditions in Opatija were a bit unusual. Some years, you’re lucky to get even one or two races in. How did this year compare?
Tin: We actually got quite lucky this time because of the Tramuntana wind. Honestly, if the race committee hadn’t made the call to start as early as they did, we wouldn’t have been able to sail at all. In these waters, catching that morning wind is the only way to ensure a successful regatta.
Interviewer: It sounds like early starts are becoming a bit of a tradition here.
Barbara: Exactly. It’s well known among the different classes—whether it’s the Optimist or the 420—that if you’re racing in Opatija, you’re waking up at 4:00 AM. The organizers often schedule these events in the autumn when the Jugo wind can be a factor, but often you’re left with either a heavy storm or absolutely nothing at all.
Tin: Today was a perfect example of how quickly things change. The last two days were cloudy, which kept the Tramuntana blowing until about 10:00 AM. But today, the sky cleared up, and the wind died down in a matter of seconds. It just vanished.
Interviewer: Well, it sounds like you made the most of the wind while it lasted. Good luck with the repairs and we’ll see you in Biograd!
Tin & Barbara: Thank you! See you there.
