The third stage of the Melges 24 Cup brought crowds out to the Opatija shoreline this weekend to cheer on the eventual winner, Croatia’s Karlo Kuret.
After the fourth stage in Trogir next month, Kuret and his crew will be building up to the European Championship in Split this September.
Races involving the high-tech, high-spec, superfast yacht, created by America’s Cup winner Buddy Melges in 1992-93, are taking place across Europe and the States. The revolutionary design of the new craft earned it immediate recognition by Sailing World magazine, which named it Boat of the Year in 1994. Four years later, it held its first world championship in the UK.
With a crew of four, the light, easy-to-rig yacht soared in popularity, and now some 900 boats are sailing competitively around the world.
See here for the full schedule of regattas around Croatia this year.