Since this year have been united within a unique Festival that celebrates the sea and the Mediterranean lifestyle - Split Sailing Festival.
With this project, the regattas organized by JK Labud from Split - Labud Classic, Mala Mrduja, Mrduja, Startup Europa and Viška regata - received a new boost, paying tribute to the past tradition. The most significant and massive regattas in Croatia, Mrduja and Viška regattas, brought together more than 3,000 participants, with about two hundred boats in each.
Mrdujska regata has been winning the hearts of sea, sail and wind lovers for 92 years. It is the oldest regatta in the Mediterranean, which brings together “colorful” crews. From fast racing boats to family ones, whole families sail towards Mrduja, continuing the tradition year after year.
Next year, Viška regata celebrates its 80th anniversary, known as a regatta for connoisseurs sailing buffs who enjoy it to the fullest. It brings together the best of Croatian and European sailing, whether people eager to compete or those who simply enjoy coexistence with nature. For the city of Vis, the regatta also means the unofficial end of the season, when the summer rush briefly returns to the town.
All five regattas have outgrown their local character, so Pro media group and JK Labud, which celebrates its 100th anniversary next year, have decided to give them greater importance. By uniting the regattas into a “spectacle of wind and sea” that lasted for a month, the people of Split, Brač, Vis and their guests could also enjoy additional content, such as a photo exhibition entitled “Croatia: a place where sails tell stories” organized by the Association for the Promotion of Croatian maritime heritage “Cronaves”, promotion of books about sailing by Labud members Sanio Delic and Leo Lemešić, and a culinary competition called Ship's Kitchen, as well as a two-day celebration in the port of Vis.
The organizers have announced that next autumn's program will be even better, accompanied by cultural, gastronomic and entertainment content for all residents and guests of Split and Vis, as well as regatta participants.
Sailing has a centuries-old tradition in our region, the preservation of which is not only a matter of the past, but is also of great importance for the next generations, to whom we want to pass on our love for this sport, the sea and nature. It is one of the oldest sports that marks a centuries-old tradition of organized activity, generating numerous economic, touristic and social benefits for the entire region of Dalmatia.