Melges 24 Open Croatian Championship / CRO M24 Cup Biograd - Preview
by CRO Melges Press 29 Apr 10:07 BST
30 April 30 - 3 May 2026
This weekend, Biograd na Moru will host the final regatta of the sixth CRO M24 Cup season, organized by Sailing Club Briva. The event will also serve as the Open Croatian Championship for the Melges 24 class.
The level of competition in Biograd is expected to be exceptionally high, with around 20 crews from six European countries. In addition to Croatia's top teams, entries include crews from Italy, Greece, Norway, Austria and Great Britain.
"We have a new British team racing on Adrenalin, a boat previously known as Black Seal, which has won numerous Melges 24 regattas and now has a new owner. As a British crew, we expect them to be strong contenders and to further raise the level of competition. We are also welcoming an Austrian team on Ela, featuring Chris Rast, a former Melges 24 World Champion, and Nikolaus Resch, a multiple Olympic campaigner in the 49er class. Ela has competed at our events before, but they have significantly strengthened their lineup. The entry list includes Melgina, while Strambapapa—another of the top Italian teams—has also announced its participation. Four U25 teams will compete, one more than at previous CRO M24 Cup events, which is particularly encouraging. A new U25 team will race on Joyrunner, now reinforced by young sailors from Rijeka. Greek and Norwegian crews are returning to Biograd, making the fleet at the Open Croatian Championship highly international. Of course, all the leading Croatian teams will also be on the start line," said Marko Mišura, Manager of the Croatian Melges 24 Class.
The Biograd regatta is the concluding event of the sixth CRO M24 Cup season, which began last November with a regatta organized by Sailing Club Špinut in Split and comprises a total of six events. Heading into the final regatta, the overall standings appear largely decided, with Razjaren holding a 10-point lead over Panjic.
Little A leads the Corinthian division convincingly ahead of Blue Label and sits third overall. The reigning Croatian champions for the past three years are Ante Cesic and his crew on Razjaren. Cesic previously spent many years competing in the 470 class with Ante Kujundžic as a crew, alongside Šime Fantela and Igor Marenic, who won Olympic gold at the Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016.
Reflecting on the sixth CRO M24 Cup season, Mišura added:
"We have raised the overall quality and attracted strong international teams to the CRO M24 Cup. It has been particularly encouraging to see around 20 crews at almost every regatta this season, which marks a clear step forward compared to previous years. It is also a great validation to hear foreign teams say that our series has become the strongest Melges 24 circuit in Europe. A key development this season has been the introduction of the Vakaros RaceSense system and SmartMotion electronic marks as a standard at all regattas—we were the first in Europe to implement this. Teams that have competed here are now advocating for these systems to become standard across the European Sailing Series. Class officials have recognized the value of RaceSense, and it will also be used at this year's European Championship in Norway. The system saves time, is highly reliable, and significantly simplifies starting procedures."
The reigning Croatian champions, Razjaren, will defend their national title in Biograd. Helmsman Ante Cesic commented:
"It has been a very good year for us, even though we rotated the crew quite a bit. As for the national championship, we have won it three years in a row, but we remain fully motivated for Biograd. We will arrive two days early to get some training in and prepare as well as possible. The competition will be strong, with Melgina, Strambapapa and a new British team, which is still something of an unknown for us. The weather forecast is also promising—bora winds initially, followed by maestral—so all the conditions are in place for a great regatta."
Luka Šangulin, President of the Croatian Melges 24 Class Association, added:
"On behalf of the Croatian Melges 24 Class, where I serve as president, and Sailing Club Briva, where I am vice president, I can say that we are very satisfied with a highly successful season. Alongside our established Croatian teams, we have consistently welcomed a strong international presence at our regattas. We have built new friendships with crews who recognize the quality of the Croatian fleet and the high organizational standards of the CRO M24 Cup. This regatta is being held in the very center of Biograd, with the fleet based in the Ilirija marina, so the regatta atmosphere will be felt throughout the town. The entry list is not yet closed, but we expect at least 20 boats. If the next European Series event in Trieste were not just 20 days away, we would likely have even more international entries. The upcoming season should be the highlight of our Croatian Melges story, as we will host the Melges 24 World Championship in Pula. By the end of this year, we plan to organize the first Croatian U25 Championship, followed by the inaugural U25 World Championship next year. Sailors transitioning from youth classes are recognizing the Melges 24 and moving into keelboat sailing through this class, which is also a strong endorsement of everyone involved in organizing the CRO M24 Cup."
The CRO M24 regatta in Biograd starts on Friday, with the first warning signal scheduled for 11:00. The event will run over three days, with nine races planned. The forecast looks excellent, and a full racing schedule is expected.
The CRO Melges 24 Cup is supported by partners: Luki Baustoffe, Angelina Yacht Charter, Sailing Point Croatia, North Sails, One Sails, digital studio Akvarij, Raiser digital agency, ProMarine, Dustom Sails and SmartMotion.