Croatian cities of Sibenik and Zadar will host two races of the prestigious 52 Super Series yacht racing circuit in May and June, putting the country's scenic coastline on the map of high-performance sailing events.

The races will be hosted by marinas recently opened on the Croatian coast by the Turkish conglomerate Dogus Group, and will be contested by some 500 competitors from more than 20 countries. Other confirmed host cities for the 2018 season include Cascais in Portugal, and Valencia and Mallorca in Spain.

Organisers confirmed that the regattas would be attended by some of the biggest names in competitive sailing, including Britain’s Sir Ben Ainslie, and the Brazilian Robert Scheidt – who had won ten Olympic medals between them competing in Finn and Laser sailing classes.

“This is the most important sailing event of the year, which will bring to Croatia some of the most famous names of the sport, as well as prominent people from the world of business. We are very happy to host an event of this significance, and we feel it will serve as an excellent way to promote Sibenik and Zadar,” said CEO of D-Marin Group, Burak Baykan, in a press release.

The 13 teams visiting Croatia’s Adriatic coast this summer will also include past winners of the world famous America’s Cup and the Volvo Ocean Race events, as well as businessmen with a passion for sailing such as the CEO of Prada fashion group, Patrizio Bertelli, and the president of the multi-level marketing giant Amway, Doug DeVos.

The 52 Super Series circuit is contested by Transpac 52 class yachts which are a maximum of 52 feet (15.85 metres) in length. They are manned by a crew of 14 sailors and are capable of reaching speeds of 25-30 knots or more. The circuit was established in 2012 and the previous six editions were all won by either the Italian team Azzurra sailing out of Porto Cervo in Sardinia, or the Michigan-based American team Quantum Racing, with each winning the competition three times.

The regattas will take place on May 23 in Sibenik, and on June 20 in Zadar.

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