October 14, 2019 - MM Shining sailing team led by skipper Milos Radonjic from JK "Lahor" Kotor completed this year's prestigious Barcolana Regatta in Trieste as first in class and second in the overall standings.
The winner of the 51st edition of Barcolana's longest-running international sailing regatta in the Gulf of Trieste is the crew of the Slovenian sailboat "Way of Life" by Slovenian Gasper Vincec.
Way of Life hit the finish in an hour and 54 minutes. The Slovenes beat the epic calm of the wind thanks to the extraordinary start. The "Shining" of Milos Radonjic's ultra-light hull made a remarkable result for the second day in a row, followed by Iskor Krumpak with the RC44 Scorpio.
Namely, on Saturday, the Montenegrin team triumphed at the Go to Barcolana regatta, from Portorož to Trieste, with 60 teams participating, which was the main sailing event, the 51st Balcolan, sailed by more than 2,600 sailboats.
It was sailed in almost windless conditions, so the final line of the regatta was shortened at the second buoy.
"World media commentators who have been monitoring the event throughout the day say that this success will surely be one of the most important news in small Montenegro, which ends this fantastic regatta behind the Slovenian ship Way of Life!" Iva Malešević.
The Shining crew's return to Montenegro is expected on Monday evening when a welcome party will be held in Kotor.
The Barcolana is a historic international sailing regatta taking place every year at the Gulf of Trieste on the second Sunday of October. The Barcolana is one of the busiest races in the world, which draws in the record number of participants - 2689 - in 2018. Thanks to its particular formula, the Barcolana is a unique event on the international sailing stage: on the very beginning line, expert sailors and sailing lovers race side by side on boats of different sizes divided into several divisions according to their overall length.
The Barcolana was founded in 1969 thanks to the initiative of the yacht club Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano. It has always taken place on the second Sunday of October to end the season of the yacht club, and therefore its full name is Barcolana Autumn Cup Regatta. During the first edition of the regatta, only 51 sailing boats from the yacht clubs of Trieste took part in the race. Year after year, the Barcolana has become more and more popular, attracting international crews and world-renowned sailors.
The Barcolana is not an event for sailors only, but it attracts the entire city of Trieste, attracting tourists from abroad. Every year about 25,000 sailors take part in the race, and more than 250,000 spectators watch the Barcolana from the Trieste seafront, known as the Riva, and from the Karst highland.
So, Shinning Team's success at the 51st Barcolana edition is an excellent promotion of Montenegro as a sailing country. Congrats to our sailors headed by Milos Radonjic!
