RIJEKA, Croatia, Sept. 28, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via PRWEB - At 1:18:57 AM CEST in the morning of September 27, Esimit Europa 2 achieved another line honors victory after 37 hours, 18 minutes and 57 seconds of demanding sailing in various wind conditions, among the islands of the Adriatic sea in the second leg of the Thousand Islands Race, which started at noon on September 25 from Tivat in Montenegro back to Rijeka in Croatia.
In the first leg of the race, which started on September 21 the other way around - from the historic harbor of Rijeka to the Porto Montenegro marina in Tivat - with elapsed time of 38 hours, 24 minutes and 8 seconds, it took the fastest European yacht one hour more to finish the same course than in the second leg. This approximately 280 nautical mile long course in each direction was set to leave on the starboard side the islands of Unije, Susak, Premuda, Dugi Otok, Kornat, Vis, Lastovo and St. Andrija in the first leg of the race and to return the same way in the second leg of the race, this time leaving the mentioned islands on the port side.
The Esimit Sailing Team, led by Jochen Schümann, experienced very light winds and variable wind conditions along the way of both legs: "Both legs of this race were very, very difficult, but also very scenic. We have not only seen a thousand islands, but also that many different winds. We had a lot of stops and probably also a thousand different manoeuvres to match these changing winds. We are the first to finish the race, but not close to a record - we expected a nice Bora today for that race, and finally we had only two to three hours of Bora conditions and even those very light ones, so I think we will have to come back for a better breeze," said Schümann after the spectacular night arrival among the city lights, which followed the team on both finishing lines.
This was the first participation of the Esimit Europa 2 yacht both in Croatia and in Montenegro.
In addition to both offshore races, the yachts participating in the Thousand Islands Race also took part in an eight-nautical-mile long coastal challenge, organized between both legs of the race in the stunning Boka Kotorska Bay, surrounded by the mountains of Orijen on the west and Lovćen on the east side, at which Esimit Europa 2 was the first to cross the finish line after 1 hour and 9 minutes. Before this coastal race, the Esimit Sailing Team welcomed the children from the children's home 'Mladost', an institution that provides care for children deprived of parental care, for a sailing adventure on board the fastest European racing yacht. Not only does this activity reflect the mission of the Esimit Europa project, which is connecting people without boundaries, it also enabled the children to spend one day out of their regular daily obligations and enjoy a sunny day in the pleasant shade of the sailing wings with one of the best sailing crews. This children's home is the only one of its type on the territory of Montenegro. The aim of the Esimit Europa project is also to raise awareness and call upon all people to do what is in their power to help such institutions, which are dedicated to such a noble cause.
This unique race, which connects two ports in two countries – Rijeka, with its historic harbor, in Croatia and Tivat, with Porto Montenegro, in Montenegro, was held under the auspices of the Croatian President Ivo Josipović. The Esimit Europa project has previously already been recognized with the official support from the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, dr. Vesna Pusić, in which she recognized its endeavors of connecting the European nations based on trust, mutual respect and dialogue. At the occasion of this race, the Prime Minister of Montenegro Milo Đukanović also expressed his support to the Esimit Europa project, which in his opinion in the best way testifies to the need for cooperation and unity in Europe, while respecting all the differences.
In this second edition of the Thousand Islands Race, which is organized by the Sailing Club of Rijeka in cooperation with the Porto Montenegro Yacht Club, the participants already doubled, and the organizers expect the race to grow in the following years.
About:
The Esimit Europa project, founded by Igor Simčič, aims to promote cooperation and to spread the sense of a common European identity through the unifying power of sports and to inspire through its numerous activities the sailing values of teamwork, solidarity, innovation and collaboration. It is represented by Esimit Europa 2 - the 100-foot Maxi yacht, which assembles on board 18 highly skilled sailors from 11 different nations, with Gazprom as its main sponsor and BMW as the official partner. Furthermore, the Esimit Europa project is under the patronage of the President of the European Commission and has the official support of the President of the European Parliament, which allows the yacht to officially fly the European flag.
Eldina Knez, Public Relations Consultant
E: eldina.knez(at)esimit(dot)com
GSM: +393371093756
http://www.esimit.com
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