Razjaren Defends the Melges 24 European Championship Title with a Race to Spare

Ante Cesic and the crew of CRO 867 Razjaren, with the owner Lukasz Podniesinski, have successfully defended their Melges 24 European Championship title. Two race wins on Day 4 gave the Croatian team an unbeatable lead with one race still to sail, two years after winning the 2024 championship on home waters in Split. The Overall champion is confirmed, but the battles for the remaining podium places and the Corinthian title continue.

After the demanding heavy-weather racing on Wednesday, the international Melges 24 fleet returned to the water for three races in lighter, more stable conditions.

During the morning briefing, the sailors and officials reviewed the equipment failures and incidents from the previous day. Despite the damage, the general feeling was that the extreme conditions had delivered an unforgettable day of challenging and exciting Melges 24 racing.

Another sunny afternoon greeted the fleet as Race 7 started at 13:05. Races 7 and 8 were sailed over 4.2 nautical miles in a south-southwesterly breeze of about nine knots. The wind eased to around seven knots for Race 9, which covered four nautical miles in a southerly breeze.

Razjaren Secures the Championship

Razjaren opened the day with two consecutive victories in Races 7 and 8. A fifth place in Race 9 completed a scoreline of 1-1-5, making the Croatian team the Overall Boat of the Day and giving it an unbeatable championship lead.

“We are European Champions with one day to spare,” said Ante Cesic . “At the beginning, I told the crew that it would not be easy because there are so many strong teams here.

“We decided to fight for every place and every metre, and that is exactly what we have done from the start. After the first day we were third overall, after the next racing day we were second, and now, before the final day, we are first.

“We are very happy to become European Champions for the second time.”

Cesic also highlighted the unfamiliar conditions and the strength of the Norwegian fleet.

“The conditions in the northern countries are quite different from what we are used to in the Mediterranean. There are much bigger waves here, and we were surprised by how strong the Norwegian fleet is. Winning this championship was not easy, but we fought for every metre and every place.”

Hear comments from Ante

Razjaren leads with 22 points and can now look forward to officially receiving the European Championship trophy at Friday’s prize-giving ceremony.

The Battle for the Overall Podium

Although the title has been secured, the fight for silver and bronze remains open ahead of the final race. Paolo Brescia’s Melgina (ITA 854) is currently second with 36 points. After leading the championship following six races, the Italian team added scores of 4-9-10 today. Vladimir Prosikhin’s Nika (MON 860) enjoyed a consistent day with scores of 11-3-3 and moved into third overall with 44 points.

The chasing Corinthian teams are also within reach of the Overall podium. Storm Capital (NOR 751) is fourth with 48 points, followed by TAKI 5 (ITA 878) with 51 points and Helly Hansen II Lisa (NOR 697) with 57 points.

Helly Hansen II Lisa Leads the Corinthian Charge on Day 4

Kristoffer Spone and Helly Hansen II Lisa produced a strong comeback after a difficult heavy-weather day. The team recovered from 17th place in Race 7 to finish second in Race 8, then won Race 9 in both the Overall and Corinthian divisions. With two Corinthian race victories, Helly Hansen II Lisa was named the Corinthian Boat of the Day.

“Yesterday it was really blowing,” said Spone. “We are normally fast in heavy winds, but it was extremely strong and we had a very tough day.

“Today, we were on the wrong side of the shift during the first upwind leg of the opening race, but we fought our way back. We then finished second in the next race and won the final race, making us the top Corinthian team of the day.

“We congratulated Razjaren because they have sailed a great championship. Now we will fight for every place in the final race tomorrow.”

Hear comments from Kristoffer

SWE 715, helmed by Jonas Berntsson, won the Corinthian division in Race 7. Helly Hansen II Lisa followed with Corinthian victories in Races 8 and 9.

Corinthian Championship Open Until the Final Race

Only nine points separate the leading three Corinthian teams, leaving the championship open ahead of Friday’s final race. Storm Capital, helmed by Peder Jahre, continues to lead with 48 points. Niccolò Bertola’s TAKI 5 is only three points behind on 51, while Helly Hansen II Lisa has moved into third with 57 points.

The final race will decide which team becomes the 2026 Melges 24 Corinthian European Champion. 

Three Quality Races in Stable Conditions

Race Officer Eirik Brekke was pleased with the quality of the racing and the performance of the technology supporting the Race Committee.

“We are very happy with the day,” said Brekke. “We completed three high-quality races in lighter winds, with very stable conditions across the course. “The combination of GPS buoys and the Vakaros system gives us excellent control of the course. We can make quick adjustments immediately before the start and also during a race. Both systems provide us with valuable information, and we are very pleased with how they are working.

“Without this technology, we would not have been able to complete nine races by the end of today.”

One Final Race Remains

One race remains on Friday to complete the full ten-race championship schedule. The Competitors’ Briefing is scheduled for 09:00, followed by the first warning signal at 11:00.

Razjaren has secured the Overall title, but the remaining Overall podium positions and the Corinthian championship will be decided on the final day.

The 2026 Melges 24 European Overall and Corinthian champions will be celebrated on Friday afternoon at Tønsberg Sailing Club. The Overall champions will add their names to the Giorgio Zuccoli Trophy, while the Corinthian champions will be recorded on the Menno Meyer Corinthian European Trophy, continuing the class's history and legacy.

Top 10 Overall After Nine Races (One Discard)

CRO 867 - Razjaren - Ante Cesic - 22
ITA 854 - Melgina - Paolo Brescia - 36
MON 860 - Nika - Vladimir Prosikhin - 44
NOR 751 - Storm Capital (Corinthian) - Peder Jahre - 48
ITA 878 - TAKI 5 (Corinthian) - Niccolò Bertola - 51
NOR 697 - Helly Hansen II Lisa (Corinthian) - Kristoffer Spone - 57
CRO 649 - Mataran 24 (Corinthian) - Ante Botica - 58
GBR 822 - Adrenaline - Darren Wright - 63
NOR 600 - Bagdad Prospects (Corinthian) - Tomas Mathisen - 73
NOR 152 - Bagdad Prospects Youth (Corinthian) - Anders Hylen Klippenberg - 89

Melges 24 European Championship is hosted from 29 August to 4 September by Tønsberg Seilforening, in cooperation with the Norwegian Melges 24 Class Association and the International Melges 24 Class Association (IM24CA).