Melges 24: Melgina Secures Opatija Win After Three Days of Early Starts and Tight Racing

The 2026 Melges 24 European Sailing Series opened in Opatija with a regatta defined by early starts, narrow wind windows, and tightly contested racing, ultimately decided after a single final race on Sunday morning.

Once again, the Race Committee called the fleet to the water shortly after 07:30, capturing the last available breeze to complete the eighth race of the series. As on previous days, the wind quickly faded, leaving no opportunity to start the ninth race. “Sailing early in the morning was key,” explained Paolo Brescia of MELGINA. “We had the best conditions possible at that time, and the Race Committee made the right decisions throughout the weekend.”

That final race proved decisive. Croatia’s PANJIC, helmed by Luka Šangulin, took the win, while RAZJAREN by Ante Cesic and TAKI 4 by Niccolo Bertola, followed closely behind. MELGINA crossed the line in fifth–just enough to secure the overall victory on countback, finishing tied on 22 points with RAZJAREN after eight races.

“It was a great battle,” said MELGINA tactician Andrea Racchelli. “This morning we had a very bad start and had to recover, while Razjaren sailed a strong race. We ended up tied on points, and if there had been one more race, it would have been like a match race between us.”

For Brescia, the result came as a surprise. “To be honest, we didn’t expect to win. The level here is very high, and the competitors are extremely strong. Finishing on equal points really shows how close the racing was. In the end, maybe we were a bit lucky, but that’s sailing.”

RAZJAREN, which had steadily built momentum after a challenging start to the regatta, closed the gap with a strong final day performance. Crew member Antonio Milišić highlighted the team’s turnaround: “Yesterday we had two new crew members and needed time to get in sync. But today everything came together. We found our rhythm, and the results improved immediately. It was really tough out there–very shifty conditions–but we managed to stay consistent.”

Behind the leading duo, Italy’s TAKI 4 not only secured third place overall, but also claimed the Corinthian victory, continuing their strong track record in the class. “We’ve been sailing together for about ten years, and this class still challenges us,” said helmsman Niccolò Bertola. “Winning the Corinthian division and finishing third overall is a great way to start the season. The level of competition was very high, especially with the strong Croatian fleet—it was a great weekend of racing.”

The Corinthian fleet once again proved its strength, placing three teams inside the overall Top 5, led by Italy’s TAKI 4 (Niccolò Bertola) in third overall, followed by Hungary’s CHINOOK (Ákos Csoltó) in fourth and Croatia’s LITTLE A (Stjepan Cesić) in fifth–these three teams also completing the Corinthian podium of the event and underlined the depth and competitiveness of amateur sailing within the Melges 24 class.

While the leaders celebrated, the regatta also saw an unfortunate early exit for Day 1 leaders CRO-A-SAIL. A rare technical failure during racing forced the young U25 team to retire. “The bulkhead where the gennaker system is attached simply broke in half,” explained Stipe Vitaljić. “There was no way to fix it at sea. We had to decide to stop and take the boat ashore. It was a shock, but we’ll repair it properly and come back stronger.”

Across the fleet, sailors agreed that success in Opatija once again depended on one key factor: timing. “If you don’t catch that early morning wind, you don’t race,” noted Tin Fike from the OTAVIC team. “Today was a perfect example—the wind disappeared almost instantly once the sky cleared. The Race Committee did a great job making sure we got racing in.”

With eight races completed over three days, the opening event delivered both intensity and unpredictability, setting a strong tone for the 2026 season ahead. Hosted by Yacht Club Croatia in cooperation with the Croatian Melges 24 Class, the opening regatta marked the first of ten events across five countries: Croatia, Italy, Austria, Denmark, and Norway.

The 2026 Melges 24 European Sailing Series continues next with the Italian Trofeo Gaudi 2026, taking place May 22–25 in Trieste, hosted by Yacht Club Adriaco. Before that, the CRO Melges 24 Cup will continue with the Croatian Open Nationals, scheduled from April 30 to May 3 in Biograd na Moru at Sailing Club Briva.

Results after 8 races (1 discard)

Overall Top 5

ITA854 MELGINA Paolo Brescia (1-2-2-7-1-4-(8)-5) 22
CRO867 RAZJAREN Ante Cesić (6-5-1-3-3-2-(7)-2) 22
ITA778 TAKI 4 Niccolò Bertola (Corinthian) (6-5-(11)-6-4-2-1-3) 27
HUN850 CHINOOK Akos Csolto (Corinthian) (5-(8)-4-2-6-1-7-4) 29
CRO728 LITTLE A Stjepan Cesić (Corinthian) ((10)-4-3-4-8-5-9-6) 39

Corinthian Top 5

ITA778 TAKI 4 Niccolò Bertola (6-5-(11)-6-4-2-1-3) 27
HUN850 CHINOOK Akos Csolto (5-(8)-4-2-6-1-7-4) 29
CRO728 LITTLE A Stjepan Cesić ((10)-4-3-4-8-5-9-6) 39
GBR694 ZHIK RACE TEAM Geoff Carveth (3-9-8-5-9-(12)-4-10) 48
GER677 WHITE ROOM Luis Tarabochia ((15)-7-6-9-10-6-3-8) 49