7th CRO M24 Cup - Convincing victory for Razjaren in Pula
by CRO Melges Press 28 Sep 06:15 PDT
25-27 September 2026
The opening regatta of the seventh season of the CRO M24 Cup was held in Pula last weekend and also marked the final event of this year's European Sailing Series.
Eighteen crews had entered the event, but Joyrunner and the Italian Melgina did not make it to Pula, leaving a fleet of 16 teams on the starting line.
Ante Cesic and his crew aboard Razjaren once again demonstrated their quality in Pula. After finishing third in the opening race, they went on to win each of the following six races. Razjaren was therefore declared the winner of the CRO M24 Cup regatta in Pula, as well as the overall winner of this year's Melges 24 European Sailing Series.
The crew of Panjic, led by Luka Šangulin, finished second in Pula, while third place went to Cezibordo, helmed by Enio Nincevic Dujmovic. Fourth place went to Tonci Stipanovic, returning to the Melges 24 class, at the helm of Yikes.
In the Corinthian division, the best-performing crew was the Italian team aboard Akua, led by Sergio Caramel.
On the first day of racing, the fleet sailed in a morning bora reaching 22 knots, completing two races. Another race was held in the afternoon in a maestral breeze. On Saturday, the fleet went out on the water at 10 a.m., but the expected bora failed to materialize and conditions were not suitable for fair racing, so the Race Committee sent the sailors back ashore. Two races were subsequently held in the afternoon in a maestral breeze.
On Sunday, the final day of the regatta, the first race started as early as 8:30 a.m. Two more races were completed in a 7-8 knot bora. The wind then dropped, bringing the regatta to a close after seven of the scheduled nine races had been completed.
This was the first CRO M24 Cup regatta to be sailed in Pula, and the same racecourse will host the Melges 24 World Championship next May. Between 70 and 80 of the world's top crews are expected to compete at the event. Pula was selected as the host venue because of its location, as well as the excellent infrastructure offered by the new Marina Polesana.
"Marina Polesana is a completely new marina. Construction is still under way on some of the facilities, but I believe it will be in full splendour by the time of the World Championship. The sailors are pleased with the infrastructure, as there is plenty of space both on the water and ashore, and it is also a great advantage that the new Monumenti Heritage Hotel & Resort is located nearby. The racecourse is 3.5 nautical miles from the marina, but that is nothing unusual for Melges 24 events," said Marko Mišura, manager of the Croatian M24 Class.
The CRO Melges 24 Cup is held in partnership with Luki Baustoffe, Angelina Yacht Charter, Sailing Point Croatia, North Sails, One Sails, digital studio Akvarij, Raiser digital agency, ProMarine, Dustom Sails and Smartmotion.
Full results here