September 24, 2021 - The 19th Sv. Duje Regatta is back after being postponed due to the coronavirus in May. This weekend's spectacle will feature the always traditional Oxford, Cambridge, and Split legends race and a rematch of the Sydney Olympics rowing final in 2000 when Croatia won bronze and Great Britain gold! 

The 19th edition of the International Rowing Regatta Sveti Duje was announced in the festive atmosphere of the Meštrović Gallery, reports Dalmacija Danas.

Ivo Cagalj / PIXSELL

Representatives of organizers and partners attended the press conference: Tomislav Kilić, Vice-Rector of the University of Split, Igor Maretić, Head of the Split Department of Sports, Ozren Kovačević, Director of Key Clients of Le Meridien Lav Hotel, Tomislav Aljinović, Business Center Director Central Dalmatia - OTP bank, Luka Grubor, member of the organizing committee, Oxford legend, Sydney gold Olympian, Rob Baker, head coach of Cambridge via video message and Nikša Skelin, president of the Dalmatian Rowing Federation, member of the organizing committee, Pirate legend, bronze an Olympian from Sydney.

The main event of this year's Regatta will take place on Saturday, September 25. The central stage will be Split's Riva, which will host three rowing races. At 11:00 am, the legends of Oxford, Cambridge, and Split will begin. The student race of the University of Zagreb and the University of Split is scheduled for 11:30 am. As a highlight at noon, there will be a replay of the Sydney Olympics final in 2000, when the gold and bronze Olympic teams will row on the Riva - the eights of Great Britain and Croatia!

The legendary Luka Grubor, who will temporarily replace his business suit with a rowing suit on Saturday, was pleased to announce the Regatta:

"A particular focus in the edition of this Regatta will be on the races on the Riva with an additional duel between Split and Zagreb, which will enrich the racing program. But also, that date coincides with the 21s medal-winning anniversary of the Croatian and British eights at the Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000, where we will have a kind of replay and rematch of that final. I don't know where in the world the Croatia eight have ever gathered again, let alone with their rivals in Sydney.

Also, Split has always been a meeting place for top rowers and top academics and professionals. So far, this has been happening on an informal level, and now I would like to make a Meetup, a conversation about how sport shapes careers, learn from each other to enable a continuous transfer of knowledge to new students and new generations of athletes."

Celebrated Split Olympian Nikša Skelin expects exciting matches on Saturday: “This year we will have a Regatta that will be specific because, in addition to racing on the Riva, we will have the anniversary of Olympic medalists, Great Britain's gold and Croatia's bronze.

It will be one rematch, settling debts that always hang among the rowers, even though we are all friends off the boat. I hope that time and the audience will support us and that we will make a rowing spectacle."

On Saturday, the Riva will gather the legends of rowing, teams that have won and are winning numerous European and world awards, all bound by an unbreakable emotion and love for rowing, Split, and Dalmatia.

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The 18th edition of the International Rowing Regatta Sveti Duje was completed by the traditional race of the legends of Split, Oxford, and Cambridge, held on Sunday at noon Split. For the second year in a row, the Split team was the fastest, reports Dalmacija Danas on May 5, 2019. 

After Saturday’s university regatta at Spinut, the legends came to life during their 222-meter long regatta on the Split Riva. The dreary weekend weather and rain came to a halt, and the sun came into view, which attracted spectators on the famous waterfront promenade. The spectators witnessed two thrilling but identical races. Split was the fastest both times, although Oxford almost overcame them in the second race. 

The third-placed Cambridge legends had heavy hands, said James Cracknell, the two-time Olympic winner and six-time world champion, who is also the oldest winner of The Boat Race at age 46.  Cracknell also participated in Saturday’s student regatta where Cambridge won the gold medal.

“Rowing two regattas in two days, with the fact that The Boat Race was a month ago, is very demanding. Yesterday we fought with the Germans and Oxford and we managed to win, and today against the very good home team. Unfortunately, we were not able to be the fastest,” Cracknell said. 

The regatta in Split is a beautiful gift to the legend of Cambridge as he celebrates his 47th birthday.

“I think that my birthday celebration last night also reflected on my rowing today. Split is a really fun city and you can expect me in the coming years,” concluded Cracknell with laughter.

The excitement of winning was not hidden by Siniša Skelin, a legendary Split rower who responds to the organizer's invitation every year.

“This year, we did everything in two races. We did not have much preparation, but these are all experienced rowers, so it's not a problem to harmonize. I have to admit we're tired. It is an exhibition regatta and these two hundred meters look like a little, but when you’re rowing against Oxford and Cambridge, you're tired from 200 meters,” Skelin concluded.

After the race, all the participants came to Peristyle where they were given medals as a reminder of this unique regatta. 

The 18th edition of the famous Sv. Duje regatta is now behind us, and the organizers can be satisfied with yet another stellar event in the books. The people of Split will look forward to celebrating their patron saint, Sv. Duje, on May 7. 

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This year's Sudamja (Sv. Duje) celebration for the patron saint of Split will entertain all citizens of the city.