26.05.2013.

15th memorial regatta "Zoran Radosavljevic" held

The 15th Memorial Regatta "Zoran Radosavljevic," held in memory of the sailor and pilots of the hunter squadron of the elite 127 Air Force squadron Major Zoran Radosavljevic, who died in an air battle on the third day of the bombing in 1999 was organized this weekend in Belgrade.

The race was held at two locations in Ada Ciganlija or the Lake for youngest competitors in the optimist class, and the Danube, near Lido island, in front of the sailing club "Zemun", as co-organizer of the competition for senior sailors.

On behalf of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces this year’s race was supported by the River Flotilla, whose ship served as a technical support to competition, the Air Force of the Army of Serbia provided a helicopter flying over the competition tracks, and the cadets of the Military Academy took part in the competition as members of the crew.

The best result was achieved by JK "Zemun" with Dragan Stojsavljevic as skipper. Second place went to Team JK "Lamar" the navigator being Lazar Jovanovic, the third place went to sailors of JK "AIK" with Edward Filipovic at the helm.

In a micro class the best results were achieved by the club, "Povetarac", which was led by Goran Stevanovic, followed by JK "Zemun" skippered by Vladimir Mitrovic and Una boat of the same club which was steered by Slobodan Tesic.

Among the youngest in the optimist category the best crews were the crew of Ivona Kosor (AIK), Lena Puletic (Gemaks) and Marko Petkovic (AIK).

The organizer of 'event “Zoran Radosavljevic regatta ", is the association under the name Zoran Radosavljevic chaired by his sister Snezana Radosavljevic Mazibrada.

The Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces supported the race from the beginning, including the organization and competition part.

- For all of us, my colleague Zoran Radosavljevic was a role model both in professional terms and in the manner in which he led a private life. He was a special person, who in his life managed to combine two of the largest and perhaps most beautiful loves that of flying and sailing - said defense ministry spokesman Major Jovan Krivokapic. He noted that Radosavljevic’s colleagues especially remember his commitment to his work.

- Zoran is a man who selflessly gave himself to the defense of the country, and he also gave himself selflessly in sailing. In this sense, he will always be the role model for how to behave, to think and to be a Serbian Army officer - said Krivokapic.

The first memorial race, which was attended by 22 cruisers with 90 crew members, was held in September in 1999 on the Montenegrin coast. It was organized by JK "LaMar" where Radosavljevic took his first sailing lessons, JK "Polaris", as Radosavljevic was its founder and first president, and the magazine "Yachtsman", with which he collaborated.

Radosavljevic’s sister Snezana Radosavljevic Mazibrada said that the race brings back nice memory of Radosavljevic and what he was doing.

On the 26th March, 1999 Zoran took off in order to try and do something for our country and us.Unfortunately the flight ended fatally. Shortly after he died, people in the clubs "Polaris" and "Lamar", as well as those with whom he regularly sailed, launched an initiative to establish a large regatta, which in a short time became the largest regatta on the Montenegrin coast, and therefore the most beautiful memory of Zoran – as Snezana said, noting that part of the regatta in 2007. was transferred to Belgrade, for optimist class, that since 2009 this competition for micro cruisers started on the Danube.

In this year's race, 52 children participated in the Optimist class and about 60 contestants in the categories for adults (cruiser and micro).