The famous skier and one of the greatest Croatian athletes won the title of the champion of the Mediterranean in the 40 class, with a great welcome party in the ACI marina Split

Ivica Kostelić, the most decorated Croatian skier, decorated Olympian and one of the greatest Croatian athletes of all time, once again rewrote the sports history of Lijepa naše, winning the Mediterranean sailing championship in class 40. At the Mediterranean championship, Ivica represented the Croatian colors on a boat named ACI40 in honor of the jubilee the 40th anniversary of ACI’s activity, which he symbolically additionally crowned by winning the title of champion precisely in class 40. The new Mediterranean sailing champion was suitably welcomed in the ACI marina Split, where he was enthusiastically greeted by the members of the largest chain of marinas in the Mediterranean, ACI , led by the Chairman of the Management Board Kristijan Pavić and members of the Labud Sailing Club from Split, led by the Club President Žarko Dešković.

Joint creation of sailing history

Kostelić replaced his former skiing endeavors and great world successes with sailing, in which he successfully won new titles and once again created domestic sports history. In new challenges, he is supported by ACI, which has been a part of Ivica’s sailing journey for a long time. “First of all, many thanks to everyone for gathering in such a large number and for such a wonderful welcome. We opened the season by winning the first Roma per Due 600-mile regatta with a very nice lead, which was a good sign for the rest of the season. Unfortunately, one regatta was cancelled, so we sailed in five regattas, of which we recorded two wins and three second places, and therefore a victory in the overall standings. These successes are a completely different story compared to skiing, but every victory is a victory and I am very pleased that I have the opportunity to be successful in this story as well. Competition in the Mediterranean attracts top sailors from really great sailing destinations, and I am glad that Croatia is now among them. I would like to thank all the co-skippers who achieved these results together with me, and I especially thank ACI for the immense support it provides me in sailing. I am extremely proud that I had the opportunity to further enhance their 40th anniversary since the foundation with the title of Mediterranean champion right on board the ACI40,” said Ivica Kostelić upon his return to the ACI marina Split, from which he was escorted to the Mediterranean championship in April this year.

Jubilee season

Kostelić secured the title of champion by taking second place at the renowned Palermo-Monte Carlo regatta, a Mediterranean offshore classic that connects Palermo with Monaco on a 500-nautical-mile route every year at the end of August, and he finally confirmed the title of champion by winning the 44th Rolex Middle Sea Race. in, the last regatta of the season, 606 nautical miles long. That’s how he started his dream season and ended it with great victories. Kristijan Pavić, president of the Management Board of ACI, the largest chain of marinas in the Mediterranean and the leader of nautical tourism in Croatia, additionally emphasized that 40 is a really lucky number for domestic nautical.
“Ivica is a truly prominent member of our sailing family, whom we are extremely proud of and whom we faithfully follow in every nautical feat, on whatever world sea or ocean he sails. His winning of the Mediterranean championship in the 40 class, on a boat named ACI40, is the absolute crown of our celebratory 40th year of business, and on behalf of our entire community, I can confirm that we could not have received a more beautiful and symbolic gift than this. I congratulate Ivica from the bottom of my heart on behalf of the ACI Management Board and our entire chain, and I thank him for bringing our name and the colors of our country to the sailing peak of the Mediterranean and thus once again confirming where we always belong,” said the Chairman of the ACI d.d. Management Board, Kristijan Pavić.
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Cover photo: Paun Paunović / Cropix