With the jubilee edition of the Rogoznica Cup now behind us, it is time to look back at another memorable event and reflect on what made this year's regatta so special.
The 20th edition attracted a record-breaking number of competitors, exceeding even the organisers' expectations and, I believe, surprising the sailors themselves. Alongside the many familiar faces who have become regular visitors to Rogoznica over the years, numerous newcomers joined the fleet. One particularly pleasant surprise was the arrival of seven sailors from faraway China, adding an extra international flavour to this special anniversary edition.
As tradition dictates, the event kicked off with a navigation race around the peninsula, followed by four days of classic windward-leeward racing.
The championship began with a light and pleasant bura (northeasterly wind), providing excellent racing conditions off the peninsula for the first three days. It was only on the final day that the fleet moved to the usual racing area, where the course was set to suit the southerly jugo wind.
This year's event also marked an important technical milestone. For the first time at a regatta in Croatia, robotic racing marks were used in Rogoznica. The new technology proved highly successful, making the Race Committee's job considerably easier and allowing the racecourse to be set and adjusted much more quickly and efficiently.
Plenty of new faces, great sailing conditions and, perhaps most importantly, happy and satisfied sailors at the end of the championship – all of this once again demonstrated why Rogoznica has become such a popular and welcoming venue for IOM sailing.
And one more thing worth mentioning: all four days of championship racing were broadcast live on YouTube, allowing sailing enthusiasts around the world to follow the action as it happened. This was yet another detail that helped take what might otherwise have been just another regatta to a whole new level.
All in all, the 20th Rogoznica Cup was a fitting celebration of two decades of racing, bringing together great competition, new technology, international friendships and the relaxed atmosphere that has become a trademark of sailing in Rogoznica.
Final results can be found on this link.
