Belt & Road Intenational Regatta at Punat, Croatia brings 11 nations together
by Jedrilicarski savez PG 13 Nov 13:11 UTC
15-17 November 2024
Belt & Road Intenational Regatta © BRR CRO 2024
From November 15 to 17, 2024, the European stage of the "Belt & Road International Regatta" will be held in the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, Croatia organized by the Sailing Association of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County and the Guangxi Sailing Association in cooperation with the Guangxi Sports Culture Development Company Arthur.
This initiative emphasizes connecting countries through sports, culture, infrastructure and trade. This year's first stage of the regatta was held in Beihai, Guangxi from October 8 to 13, at the starting point of the "Maritime Silk Road", making the regatta an important tool in promoting China's cultural and commercial ties with Southeast Asia.
The regatta, established in 2019, gathers sailors from all over the world, and thanks to the support of the Chinese government, it has become internationally recognized as a leading sailing event promoted by the international sailing association (World Sailing) and helps in the development of cultural and economic relations between China and its partners, the crew of clubs from our county took part in the regatta and as the best placed crew from Europe took 10th place among 30 participants.The Belt & Road International Regatta will also be held this year in Malaysia and Turkey.
After the success in Southeast Asia, the intention is to raise the Belt & Road to the international level, and its European journey will begin in Punat, which will host the competitive part and the closing ceremony of the regatta, while the opening ceremony will be held in Rijeka - the administrative center of the county.
14 crews from Austria, Finland, Italy, Croatia, China, Norway, Germany, Poland, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom will take part in the regatta, and the organizers provided them with identical J-70 sailboats.
Participant registration and training will begin on November 14, and the official program of the regatta will begin with the official opening on November 15, 2024 at the Bonavia Hotel in Rijeka, while the regattas will be held in Punat on the 16th and 17th. Six races are planned, and at least one must be held for the competition to be valid. The event will conclude with an award ceremony that will take place in Marina Punat.
This initiative came to Croatia thanks to Mrs. Ana Miškulin and her company ARI International, which for many years through its business cooperation has been systematically working on deepening cooperation in culture, tourism and sports between her two homelands and Neven Baran, president of the Sailing Association of Primorje-Gorski Kotar county with associates who accepted the challenge and signed a five-year cooperation.
The Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, as a strategic area at the intersection of Asia and Europe, provides the perfect environment for further strengthening of ties between China and European countries. The Belt & Road International Regatta offers an excellent opportunity for cooperation and networking to non-governmental organizations, businesses and other institutions in their efforts for cultural exchange and strengthening relations between different regions.
The aim of the regatta is not only to promote sailing, but also to encourage business, cultural and tourist initiatives, creating a platform for long-term cooperation and exchange of experiences between participants from all over the world.