Croatia · Travel notebook

Calendar Of Dalmatian Sailing Events 2007

Historical programme (2007). This is an archive, not a current events calendar.

February / 2007

23/Feb-27/Feb - International Carnival Cup
Opatija, Croatia

March / 2007

06/Mar-11/Mar - Split Olympic Sailing Week
Split, Croatia

17/Mar-18/Mar - International Rijeka's RC regatta
Rijeka, Croatia

June / 2007

08/Jun-10/Jun - Fiumanka 2007
Rijeka, Croatia

16/Jun-23/Jun - Gp42 Grand Prix & IMS European Championship
Rijeka, Croatia

20/Jun-23/Jun - Croatian Grand Prix
Rijeka, Croatia

August / 2007

31/Aug-18/Sep - Croatia Yacht Rally
Split to Dubrovnik, Croatia

September / 2007

18/Sep-22/Sep - ACI H1 Match Race Cup - World Match Racing Tour
Rovinj, Croatia


The 9th International
Croatia Boat Show

Split, April 14th - 22nd, 2007

Croatia Boat Show

Since its first edition in 1999, the Croatia Boat Show's consistent and
rapid growth has made it the leader in the Eastern and South-Eastern
European nautical industry, making it the region's premier event for
business contacts.

All major boat, nautical equipment and accessory manufacturers and
dealers exhibit their products at the Croatia Boat Show, as well as
providers of various nautical and tourist services. Your participation
in the 2007 Croatia Boat Show will open the doors to the ever-growing
nautical market in the region and offer you an opportunity to be a part
of the European and international nautical industry.

Sailing in Croatia:

Croatia is one of the best sailing spots in the Mediterranean. It features various pleasant winds - Maestral( Mistral) , Bura (Bora) , Jugo - ideal for sailing experiences, as well as numerous islands, beaches and channels where one can do sail and enjoy almost untouched nature in the heart of Europe. Somebody said that cruising around the Kornati, for example, is the closest Europe gets to a Thor Heyerdahl experience. For those who like their sailing to have a social dimension, there are no fewer than 500 harbours and 50 fully serviced marinas, each with restaurants, hot showers, mini-marts and weather charts.

Bura
The bura is an unpredictable wind that blows from the mainland towards the sea in gushes. It is relatively cold and dry, reaches moderate strength and can last several hours. It cleans and clears up the atmosphere, therefore visibility after the bura wind is excellent and the weather is sunny and clear.

Although the bura wind is generally a winter wind, it is present year round and mostly in the morning, reaching an average speed of 11 m/s. Given that it gushes from mountain slopes towards the sea, it comes most often from the northeast, that is from the NNE, NE or ENE directions. On the open sea, the bura often changes into the northwestern wind.

The bura is known for its "capriciousness", that is, its blowing in gushes, as well as sudden and often unexpected beginning. The gushes of wind can be accompanied by rumbling and exchange with calm or weak wind in periods of one or more minutes.

The summer bura appears mostly in the northern Adriatic in the area where the mountains are narrowest (Velebit). The coming of the bura can be recognized by the cloud cap that covers the top of Velebit or Biokovo Mountains before the beginning of the wind. The waves that are created by the bura are short and move away quickly from the mainland, while their broken tops are transformed into white sea foam. Strong gushes can temporarily lift drops of water into the air creating a "sea dust".

Here's some practical advice when it comes to the bura: if sailing along the coast of an island that is facing the mainland you run into a zone without vegetation, this is a sign that a strong bura blows there. If you are sailing during the bura, excitement will abound because it is a great challenge that requires caution with regards to the preparation of both boat and crew. Along with avoiding sailing close to windy coastlines, prepare yourself for possible maneuvering and arm yourself with patience, since you will probably have to change the combination of sails several times. Do not forget to put safety first. Sailing in small sailboats is recommended to top notch yachtsmen only.


Jugo
Jugo is a southwestern wind of moderate strength that blows from the sea towards the coast, and is present along the entire coastline, blowing in the ESE, SE or SSE directions. Generally, you will run into it more often when sailing south of the northern Adriatic and, as it belongs to the group of spring-fall winds that are accompanied by rain and humidity, the jugo does not blow often in the summer. When it does, you can recognize it by the following characteristics: the wind blows with a gradual increase without interruptions, creating very beautiful, long waves without noise and foam. Only when a strong jugo blows do the waves pound against the shoreline, retreating towards the open sea with a rumble.

Seeing as its wave are equal, and its constant strength and wind direction are its greatest challenge, the jugo allows for dynamic sailing with sails taut with constant wind that allows the sailboat to achieve great speed.


Maestral
Maestral is a typical Adriatic summer northwestern wind and one of those winds that are characteristic for beautiful and stable weather. After the morning calm, almost always around noon during summer begins its pleasant circulation that can last, with increases, to dusk. The maestral can reach force 5 to 6 winds, while areas where this wind is most common are the Zadar and Korcula channels.

It is almost as though the maestral was created for pleasant and carefree sailing without maneuvering because its force is constant and its nature is predictable and mild. While the bura and jugo, each in their own way, offer yachtsmen excitement and challenge, the maestral guarantees pure pleasure during which you can enjoy in the sea without any worries. Due to the fact that, at sunset, the necessary conditions for the creation of the maestral disappear, at the first sign of darkness, a gentle night force 3 breeze starts to blow from the mainland to give way at sunrise to a calm sea that will, on a regular basis, once again around noon be replaced by the refreshing maestral.

Even though the Adriatic sea does not belong to seas that are dangerous and unpredictable, and sailing can take place all year round, nevertheless, the most favorable conditions are from mid-June to mid-October when even those with little experience can enjoy in sea adventures.

We welcome you and wish you calm seas!

For all other information call:

HJS
- Croatian Sailing Federation
tel. ++385 (0) 21 345 788 , 21 344 334
e-mail: hjs@hjs.hr
Web: www.hjs.hr