Round Long Island Race
130 nautical miles, a night at sea, and only 25 boats allowed to start.
Most Croatian regattas are won by having the biggest fleet. This one is deliberately the opposite: entry is capped, the course runs through a national park, and the start is at sunset.
What the race actually is
A 130-nautical-mile offshore lap of Dugi otok — Long Island — in the Zadar archipelago. The fleet starts on Thursday evening at sunset and sails through the night, past more than 150 islands and rocks and through the Kornati National Park. The direction, clockwise or anticlockwise, is decided by the wind on the day. Boats race under ORC Club, fully crewed or double-handed.
Why the 25-boat cap matters
The organisers cap the entry on purpose. You are not one of two hundred boats fighting for a start line — you know most of the fleet by the prizegiving. It makes for a very different weekend from the mass regattas, and it is why places go early.
The landmark you will remember
The Veli Rat lighthouse on the northern tip of Dugi otok — built in 1849, 42 metres tall, the highest in the Adriatic. Rounding it in the dark is the moment people talk about afterwards.
The race at a glance
- Route
- A full lap of Dugi otok through the Kornati National Park; recent editions have started and finished at Telaščica, earlier ones from Zlarin
- Distance
- 130 nautical miles
- Format
- Single offshore race, sunset start on Thursday, ORC Club; fully crewed and double-handed groups
- Typically held
- Late October, Thursday to Saturday
- Fleet
- Capped at 25 boats
- Our boat
- Elan E6 Performance
- Experience needed
- Some sailing experience helps — this is a real night at sea
Dates move from year to year and are set by the organiser. The notice of race, the entry list and the current dates are published on the official race site, roundlongisland.com. Ask us for the dates of the current season.
Three years in a row, 2023, 2024 and 2025. Tangreto took first place in Class XXL here in 2025, with Michal on the helm of ODIN.
You sail the boat. You don't just ride on it.
Every position counts
Sailing is a team sport, and a crew is only as strong as its weakest link. Every crew member is active and in the middle of the action — on the helm, on a winch, or hiking on the rail as live ballast, which is anything but passive and often decides the result. Nobody spends the race wondering what is going on.
Coached, not just chartered
There is a training session before the race where you try the different positions on board and learn how to trim properly, and at least three experienced sailors are always in the crew. Michal has sailed 30,000 nautical miles and raced at world-championship level, and he explains calmly what needs to happen and why, before and during the race. Nobody gets shouted at on this boat.
The paperwork is ours
Entry, rating, berth, briefings and the logistics around the event are organised for you. You arrive, you train, you sail and you go to the prizegiving — gaining experience and enjoying every mile of it.
You sleep in a shared cabin, so if you are coming with a friend, bring them along. Price and exactly what is included depend on the season and the boat. Tell us which race you are interested in and we will send the current details.
Ask about Round Long Island Race
Places are limited and go early. Send us a line and we will come back with dates, price and what is on the boat.
Questions we get asked
How long are we actually racing?
Depending on wind, somewhere between about 20 and 30 hours. The 2018 race was won in 19 hours 38 minutes by an Akilaria 40 — that is the quick end of the range.
Do we sail through the night?
Yes. The start is at sunset and the first night is spent at sea, running watches. It is the part most crews come back for.
Is it very competitive?
It is a properly raced ORC event, but with 25 boats the atmosphere stays close to a shared adventure. Both things are true at once.
Where can I find the official race information?
The organiser publishes the notice of race, the entry list and the current dates on the official site of the event: roundlongisland.com. We take care of the entry, the rating certificate and the berth for our own crew.