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Why Go to Croatia on a Yacht Rally?The main square in Sibenik is alive with music, people, sounds of laughter and church bells. Saturday is obviously the day for weddings and several bridal groups are scattered along the quay complete with a donkey which is causing huge hilarity for one group of well wishers as the bride is encouraged to ride the beast around the circle of friends as part of the ritual. In the church square the famous sculptures of the townspeople from a by-gone era gaze down on the scene and a group of costumed traditional singers welcomes us to this fabulous medieval city. Of course the assumption is this is all to welcome the group of Australians here to begin the Croatia Yacht Rally! On a balmy evening we are welcomed to the pre-arranged restaurant where we are to have the first of seven organised dinners under a colonnade open to the square and the cathedral. What a spectacular setting. We are on a Mediterranean cruise, race/cruising through the islands and along the coast of Croatia with a fleet of 10 identical Dufour 44.5 charter yachts, accompanied by the Mariner Boating rally management team. Many of those present are sailing friends, so you know the parties are going to be brutal even if the racing is supposed to be friendly. The rally concept is designed to suit a wide range of abilities and often includes people with no yachting experience at all. The ability to mix a good salad and pour a glass of cold wine is enough talent to ensure a place with the crew on board. The program also provides ample time to do “your own thing” and really explore the destinations along the rally route. After the long journey from Sydney a night in an excellent hotel in Split revives the crews. The next day they transfer to the marina in Sibenik and board the selected yachts. By this time the crews have recovered the sense of humour which they lost somewhere in an airport on the way from Australia, cooled the drinks and stocked up in the local fresh food market with provisions to last for the next few days - so a short race is arranged to cover the miles to the first of around ten suggested “must do” places. Croatia boasts over one thousand islands and almost six thousand kilometres of coastline, countless bays and inlets, deep safe water, not much tide and some of the best preserved medieval cities in Europe. The most attractive way to approach these cities is by boat through the medieval harbours - as the fleets have done throughout history. Overnight rally stops include Korcula, Hvar, Mjlet, the less known islands of Vis and Lastovo (which have now become firm favourites) and last of all is in the UNESCO protected city Dubrovnik. Here recuperation (not that we needed it) is two nights in a six star hotel which cascades down a cliff face into the Adriatic Sea. The big attractions are easy to find and remarkable though they are it is the out of the way places that yachties seem to most enjoy. With eight years experience of these waters Mariner Boating Holidays has put together a great mixture of both. And our local technical support person was a bonus with ability to speak the language (especially when berthing), a wealth of knowledge of the area and the ability to sort out any malfunctions on board quickly and efficiently - most of which were ‘user error’ but were never the less annoying if not rectified.After each race which generally lasts about 2 hours and covers from eight to twelve nautical miles there is a pre-arranged and pre-paid dinner ashore where the race results are announced amongst the usual banter, a few drinks, lies and endless discussion about the handicapping system! Then it is lay day. Wander the old cities, swim in the warm clear waters discover your own favourite restaurants or shops. A newsletter is provided after each race with options and suggestions for your day at leisure. “Great value and the best holiday I have ever had” was the consensus as the crews dispersed to wander further afield or return to native shores. I have to say I could not agree more!
Written by Bronwyn Roebuck who sailed on the rally, had never sailed in her life before and cann
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