September 5, 2019 - The 52nd Balkan Sailing Championship begins Friday in Tivat, the first major international competition in this sport in Montenegro. More than 250 competitors from the countries of the Balkan Sailing Federation and surrounding states arrived in Tivat. The regatta will be inaugurated at 7 pm on the Pine waterfront, officially opened by the Minister of Sport of the Government of Montenegro, Nikola Janovic.
The opening ceremony of the first international regatta in our country will precede a parade of participants, led by the Tivat Music and Education Society orchestra.
The competition is organized for the Olympic Laser class and the Optimist class, with national teams from the Balkan countries - Montenegro, Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Northern Macedonia, and Turkey participating. The competition is open, so sailors from Croatia, Slovenia, and Italy have arrived to compete. According to the president of YC Delfin, Frano Tripovic, even one Canadian is among the competitors.
The Delfin's team is more than excited, giving the youngest competitors in the Optimist class the opportunity to host their Balkan rivals and beyond is a valuable experience. President Frano Tripovic points out:
"The opportunity to compete in a major international regatta is very significant for young sailors. For many of them, this will be the first appearance in an international competition. They will be able to compare their skills to their peers, but also to socialize and exchange experiences. Also, especially when you are very young, the places your regattas take you to are remembered differently. Years after performing at the Balkan Championship in Turkey, he brought me back to that country again. Although I was not, by the way, I stopped by to visit the city whereas a boy I sailed and hung out with peers. Maybe some of the contestants who are here with us later for similar reasons will want to come back to Tivat," says Frano.
Delfin received the honor of being offered to host the Balkan Championships last year, but then there was no understanding of the importance and potential of such a sporting event by locally and nationally competent institutions. However, the Tivat's club was again given an opportunity by the Steering Board of the Balkan Championship for 2019. The Municipality of Tivat recognized this year not only as a significant sporting event but also an opportunity for quality promotion of the destination. In addition, given the data of specialized agencies dealing with development policies, sailing has great potential in terms of well-being for the local community. After all, the sailing professionals, after the golf community, represent the niche of sports tourism that with the smallest carbon footprint brings the greatest economic benefits to the destination that organizes the international regattas.
The Municipality of Tivat has formed an Organizing Committee for the needs of the regatta, headed by the Mayor Dr. Siniša Kusovac. The president of the competition is Ilko Klakor, coach of JK Dolphin and coach of the national team of Montenegro, who says with undeniable pleasure:
"Of course, I am proud of what we have achieved so far and that we have been allowed to organize the Balkan Championship. It is a great pleasure for all the hard work, effort and renunciation that we put into it, which is not hard for us because we love sailing and the club. With the advice of people who have preserved the tradition and existence of the club, with a team of enthusiasts who are small but selected. We have been able to improve the sports activities of the club, put it on healthy feet, achieve great results, and be able to organize a sporting event of great international importance today," said Ilko Klakor, thanking the Sailing Federation of Montenegro, the Ministry of Sport, the Montenegrin Olympic Committee and especially the Municipality of Tivat," for helping us print a new page in the history of Tivat, the Dolphin Club, sailing in Montenegro and Montenegro itself."
During the Balkan Championship, it will sail on two regatta courses in the Bay of Tivat, a total of 11 regattas for four classes in four competition days. The national team of Montenegro uses the right to participate in the extended squad and will sail 37 sailors. Frano Tripović especially wishes to thank the coaches from the other Bokelian yachts' clubs, who have given their full support in the organization and will provide it in the realization of the competition itself.
The Balkan Sailing Championship was launched in 1967 to ensure the future of sustainability of sailing as a traditional sport, to strengthen co-operation between sailing clubs and federations of the Balkan countries, and to stimulate the empowerment of young athletes to play sports. The regatta is being organized annually in one of the countries member.
The tradition of organized work of sailing clubs in Montenegro has been going on since 1947. In recent years, our country has taken a prominent place in the world sailing map of the results of its competitors. It is also expected to succeed soon in the context of ideal destinations, especially with Boke Bay, which offers sailing conditions in challenging, yet comfortable and safe conditions throughout the 12 months.
What the Delfin can boast of for now is the already awarded Eurocup Regatta for the Junior Olympic classes, which is expected for us next year. 52. The Balkan Championship is certainly a proper preparation in this context
