The people of Hvar strongly oppose the decision of the Executive Committee of the Croatian Sailing Federation adopting changes to the competition system and setting different coefficients for the ranking regattas. Namely, the number of regattas with the highest coefficient of 1.6 has been cut from twelve to six, while the International New Year's Regatta Hvar will in future be scored with a coefficient of 1.5, which means that south of Split there will no longer be any top-level regattas in the Optimist class.
- We were the first in Europe to start sailing in winter, back in 1974, with 6 Optimists, 12 Lasers and 6-7 boards, and just three years ago we reached as many as 345 sailors from 27 countries. Now an insane idea is at work and no one will come to us any more; with decisions like this the HJS simply wants to destroy the cradle of Croatian sailors. That is why we have lodged an objection with the Executive Committee — because along with the sailors, their companions came to Hvar too, about 800 of them, so the town loses roughly a million kuna in revenue, which will certainly affect the sporting life of our young people as well - says Nikša Ive - Čane, tajnik JK “Zvir”.
Dubrovnik loses out too
In its objection, with the full support of mayor Pjerino Bebić, the club also opposes the way national team members are selected for the World and European Championships. It also objects to the disregard for procedure when it comes to decision-making. - We used to have an excellent system - six regattas north and six south of Zadar, after which the top five went to the Worlds, the next five to the Europeans, along with three girls.
So sporting results were what counted, and of course we do not agree that national team members should, by decision of the Executive Committee, be chosen by five coaches from among 24 sailors. And as for the change to the competition system, calendar and regatta scoring, it is a decision of the Executive Committee and of the HJS sporting director Marko Mišura. It was not proposed by the Competition Council, which is why the Council resigned, headed by its president Vladimir Barbić - said Ive.
The sailors from Lucić's town enjoy great support from the public and from numerous clubs, some of which are suffering similar damage, such as JK "Orsan" of Dubrovnik. The people of Hvar, however, feel that the one who has let them down most in this story is the Federation's president, prof. dr. Marijan Hanžeković.
- At the electoral assembly our delegate backed Hanžeković for president, because he promised that the International New Year's Regatta Hvar would not be touched and that things would be better for us with him. Yet we have been deceived, and if our next actions, together with those who want the best for Croatian sailing, do not bear fruit, we will call for an Extraordinary Assembly to remove him, as was the case with his predecessor Marin Lovrović - concluded Čane, the alpha and omega of island sailing in our beautiful Croatia.
Cold and expensive in Hvar?!
- From the HJS announcement it follows that the New Year's Regatta falls at a time of temperatures that are too low!? Also, that travelling to Hvar is expensive, even though JK "Zvir" made sure sailors get a 50 percent discount with Jadrolinija. The question arises: how is it that travelling to Pula will not be expensive for people from Split or Zadar, but travelling to Hvar is? And here is what the citizens say:
- I started sailing at "Zvir" in 1972 under barba Zdenko Roić. I wholeheartedly support my first club in its effort to bring the regatta back to Hvar - Miroslav Bjelajac, Zagreb.
- Does the HJS have its own Mamić too? Raise your voice against Hanžeković's destruction of the 35-year effort of many generations of Hvar people and the stamping out of Dalmatian sporting values - Boris Kragić, Split.
- I support everyone who opposes changing the coefficient of the New Year's Regatta - for the sake of the athletes, but also of the tradition and the joy it brings to Hvar in the middle of winter - Sanja Ćurin, Hvar.
MIRKO CRNČEVIĆ (Slobodna Dalmacija)
