25.05.2019.
21st Zoki's Regatta organized
The memorial sailing regatta dedicated to Major Zoran Radosavljević, pilot of 127 Hunter Aviation Squadron “Vitezovi” of the Yugoslav Army, who died in the defense of the fatherland on 26 March 1999, was finished today following a two-day competition in several classes and categories.
This year, the regatta field was on the Danube on both days, and more than 80 participants competed in the classes “Optimist”, “Laser 4.7”, “Laser radial”, “Laser standard”, “Micro” and “Cruiser”.
In the class of “Micro" (5.5 meters long), the best result was achieved by the Military Academy team, with skipper Nikola Marjanović. In the class of “Crusader” (length of more than 5.5 meters), after adding up the results of the first and second competition day, the first place was won by the crew of the “PST Racing” boat of the Yachting Club “Ada”, led by the helmsman Goran Stevanović.The first place in the class of the sailing boat “Laser 4.7” was won by Damjan Šijan from the club “Palilula”, in the class “Laser radial” Petar Kovačević from the Academic Sailing Club “Beograd”, and in the class “Laser standard” Ivan Knežević, also from the Academic Sailing Club “Beograd”. Among the youngest contestants, in the class “Optimist” (boys and girls under 12), the winner was Andrej Bozokin from the Yachting Club “Zemun”. In the group of boys in total, the best one was Veljko Ljubojević from the Nautical Club “Palilula”, and in the group of girls in total, Tamara Jerupanović from the same club.
Memorial sailing regatta “Zoran Radosavljević” is known among the sailors as the emotional regatta. Traditionally, the regatta gathers a large number of sailors, Zoran’s colleagues, friends and admirers.
Zoran Radosavljević’s sister, Snežana Radosavljević Mažibrada, President of the Association “Zoran Radosavljević” pointed out that the organizers of the regatta are very happy to have had so many participants again this year, and that the youngest sailors who sailed at Ada Ciganlija over the past years have sailed on the Danube along with all the others. Cadets of the Military Academy, belonging to the River Units service, Jelena Paunović i Uroš Kostić, are members of the winning team in the class “Micro”. For Jelena, this is the second, for Uroš the third participation in Zoki’s regatta. As they say, they started sailing when they enrolled the Military Academy and it was an honor for them to participate in the regatta.
Members of the River Fleet were in charge of the regatta field this year, and cadets of the Military Academy assisted in the organization of the regatta and competed in the sailing crews. Members of the Air Force and Air Defense symbolically marked the beginning of the regatta by “Gazela” helicopter flight in memory of their fellow pilot Zoran Radosavljević. Association “Regatta Zoran Radosavljević” and Sailing Club “Zemun” are the regatta organizers. Significant assistance was also provided by the Ministry of Defense and the Serbian Armed Forces, the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Serbia – River Police, Ministry of Transport, Port Authority and other companies.
The regatta organized in honor of the pilot and sailor Major Zoran Radosavljevića, was first held in Montenegro in 1999, and is since May 2007 organized in Belgrade.
