Ariane’s Cup: ‘Troop’ with over 900 members of the European space industry arrives in Croatia

For the first time in Croatian history, the traditional sailing regatta of the European space industry, Ariane’s Cup, is coming to the Croatian coast of the Adriatic. From October 6 to 9, 2018, Trogir and Hvar, along with the surrounding waters, will host over 900 members of the European space industry who will gather on more than 110 boats. The 39th Ariane’s Cup will become the largest multi-day regatta in the history of Croatia.

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The starting point of the regatta is the Trogir marina Baotić, from where the boats will sail towards Hvar and to Palmižana, which will be the furthest point of the journey. After Palmižana, the sailboats will turn around and return to marina Baotić. In addition to five regatta races, participants will enjoy a supporting program in the base marinas and get acquainted with Croatian historical and natural features.

Ariane’s Cup is organized by the non-profit organization OSCAR, which has chosen the Croatian agency Business Sailing Experience Agency to organize the regatta this year.

BSE Agency specializes in organizing corporate sailing through industrial regattas, sailing seminars, and corporate team building.

– The organizers of the Ariane’s Cup have been trying for years to bring the regatta to Croatia because they are captivated by the beauty of our sea. Last year, they entrusted us with the organization of their regatta, and thanks to the professionalism of people in Croatian nautical, we quickly secured all the necessary conditions for the Ariane’s Cup to come to our Adriatic for the first time. Such an event is of great significance for our tourism but also for economic cooperation. This actively develops off-season and nautical tourism, which is in line with the strategy of overall Croatian tourism, said Tomislav Gavazzi, owner of Business Sailing Experience Agency.

Connecting Croatia with leading European and global representatives

– But there is also great potential for developing relationships with top talents from the space industry. One of the purposes of this regatta is to connect Croatian science and industry with leading European and global representatives of the space industry. Socializing in an informal sailing environment is an excellent opportunity for Croatian scientists and managers from related industries to present themselves and meet. Since a cooperation agreement was signed last month between the Croatian Government and the European Space Agency for peaceful purposes, the Ariane’s Cup comes to us at the right time, said Mr. Gavazzi.

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The largest European companies involved in the space industry traditionally send their crews to the Ariane’s Cup; for this year, crews from companies such as Airbus, SES, European Space Agency, Daimler, and Eutelsat have already been confirmed. The popularity of the regatta is also evidenced by the fact that all applications arrived within a month, and registration is currently closed.

Ariane’s Cup, named after the single-use European rocket, is traditionally a gathering of sailing enthusiasts but reserved exclusively for members of the European space industry. It has been held 38 times at various locations around the world – the Caribbean, France, Germany, England, etc. The regatta was first held in 1979 with only 10 boats, and this year it is expected to break its previous record for the number of participants.