Jedriličarski klub Vega
Jedriličarski klub Vega in Pula is one of the oldest sailing and sports clubs in Croatia, located on the Adriatic coast at Valsaline. The club runs a sailing school with a strong focus on safety, maintains training equipment including outboard motors, inflatable boats, trailers and a van, and teaches children and juniors in Optimist and ILCA classes. About fifty competitive sailors race in Optimist, ILCA 7, ILCA 6, ILCA 4, 420 and Flying Dutchman, and the club hosts major events such as Sveti Nikola and the Pula FD Trophy. Its tradition goes back to the founding of Nautical Club Pietas Iulia in 1886; the club has sailed under the name Vega since 1947 and again since 1992.
History
On 14 August 1886 the Nautical Club Pietas Iulia was founded in Pula. It covered water sports – sailing and rowing – and was the first civic club in the city to foster sailing, fitting Pula’s natural harbour. In 1947, after some members left for Italy, the remaining members formally founded Yacht Club Vega. Sailing continued under that name until 1954, when Vega merged with the 1953 navy club J. Rakovac to form Yacht Club Mornar. The club competed as Mornar until August 1992, when the name Vega was restored. The racing section comprises around fifty sailors in Optimist, ILCA 7, ILCA 6, ILCA 4, 420, Flying Dutchman and cruisers with internationally recognised results. The Hall of Fame records world and European titles, including Filip Matika as Optimist world champion in 2002 and 2003, Tajana Ganić as world and European champion in Laser 4.7, and Gea Barbić’s bronze at the 2002 World Sailing Games. In 2026 the club marks 140 years since its Pietas Iulia roots and hosts events such as Vegina proljetna regata and Regata Pietas Julia 140. The traditional Sveti Nikola regatta – since 2021 Memorijal Vladimir Barbić – welcomes over 500 sailors from across Europe each year; in 2027 the Pula FD Trophy is set to host the Flying Dutchman World Championship.
Information
Facilities
Club premises at Valsaline 31, Pula; equipment with outboard motors, inflatable boats, trailers and a van; fridge for food during sailing school; life jackets provided by the club.
Activities
Sailing school for children and juniors, race training, organising regattas (Sveti Nikola, Valsaline Cup, Pula FD Trophy, Tivoli Mandrač Kup, Go to Barcolana, Pietas Julia 140), cruising sailing.
Youth section
Active youth and sailing school for children from age 7 in Optimist and older juniors in ILCA 4 and Laser classes; about fifty competitive sailors, national selection regattas and Hall of Fame achievements up to world titles.