JK Mornar

History

Organised sport sailing in Split began in 1890 with the Rowing and Yachting Club Adria. In 1919 school pupils founded the Labud sailing society, which became an official club in 1924 and in 1931 obtained a concession to build a harbour in Baluni Bay. In August 1947 the Fiskulturno društvo Mornar was founded in Split; the sailing section entered competitions in 1948 and organised the first Podgorska regatta. In 1950 the club PBD Mornar opened to the public; construction of the club facilities began in April 1951, and the hangar and left wing were completed in May 1954. At the 1952 Helsinki Olympics Mornar already fielded its first Olympian (Star, reserve). In 1955 the club organised the XVII District Star championship. In 1957 membership reached 630, half of them juniors including 61 girls. The first international medal was won by junior women with second place at the 1961 Snipe European Championship in Koper. After three wins in 1955, 1958 and 1962 Mornar permanently kept President Tito’s challenge trophy. In 1976 the navy handed over boats and inventory; Podgorka’s crew received the Plava vrpca Vjesnika for a sea rescue. Mornar organised the first domestic single-handed cruiser race around Sušac in 1984 and Sušac 100×2 from 1996; the single-handed event was revived for Sveti Nikola in 2002. International championships hosted include EP Optimist 1998, EP Laser 2003, EP Laser Radial 2005, Worlds Splash 2007, EHC Star 2016 and Laser Worlds 2017. Croatia’s first international medal came in 1993 (Mediterranean Games bronze); 1996 brought first Optimist world medals; 2002 the first Croatian senior world champion (Laser Radial). Mornar has produced six Olympians at seven Games and won Olympic silver in Laser with Tonči Stipanović in Rio 2016 — Croatia’s first Olympic sailing medal. About one third of all Croatian medals at Mediterranean Games, Europeans, Worlds and Olympics were won by Mornar sailors.

Boat types