Viška Regatta
Croatia's biggest offshore weekend — and an island that stays up for it.
Two races, a free day on Vis between them, and a fleet that fills the harbour at Vis until there is nowhere left to raft up. Croatian sailing has been organising its autumn around this weekend for more than eight decades.
What the race actually is
Two races over one weekend. Friday is the offshore race from Split to Vis, out through Splitska vrata between Brač and Šolta. Saturday there is no race — the fleet stays on Vis and crews use the day for training. Sunday is the race back to Split. Boats race in ORC and Open divisions, and the overall winner is decided by the combined result of both races.
Why it matters in Croatia
Croatian media routinely describe it as the largest and most prestigious offshore regatta on the Croatian Adriatic, and it closes the Split Sailing Festival. Recent editions have drawn more than 170 boats and over a thousand sailors, with crews arriving from Italy, Slovenia, Montenegro and Austria.
It can be genuinely fast
The course record stands at 2 hours 14 minutes, set in 2021 by the TP52 Generali in a storm bura — an average of over 15 knots with peaks above 20. Most years are gentler than that, but the bura is part of the deal in October.
The race at a glance
- Route
- Split → Vis (Friday), training day on Vis (Saturday), Vis → Split (Sunday)
- Distance
- Roughly 30 nautical miles per offshore leg, around 60 over the weekend
- Format
- Two races — Friday and Sunday — with Saturday free for training; ORC and Open divisions
- Typically held
- A Friday-to-Sunday weekend in mid to late October
- Fleet
- 170+ boats, over 1,000 sailors
- Our boat
- Elan E6 Performance
- Experience needed
- Helpful but not required — the legs are coastal and daylight
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, jklabud.hr. Ask us for the dates of the current season.
Where the race goes
Friday the fleet leaves Split, passes through Splitska vrata — the strait between Brač and Šolta — and races to Vis. Saturday is free on Vis — a day for training on the water. Sunday is the race back to Split. The line is indicative; the official marks are in the sailing instructions.
Five Viška campaigns so far: 2013, 2017, 2022, 2025 and 2026 — as skipper since 2017. In 2026 LOKI finished the first race to Vis and retired from the second race back to Split in bad weather (RET).
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 Viška Regatta
Viška Regatta 2026 · 16–18 October — LOKI sailed as no. 147 in Open Racing.
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
Is this a hard race for a first-timer?
It is one of the friendlier ways into offshore racing. The legs are sailed in daylight along a well-known coast, and there are two nights on Vis in the middle of it. The weather in October is the variable — a bura can make it a serious day.
What is Vis like?
It was a closed military island until 1989, which is why it stayed unspoiled. For one weekend a year the harbour is solid with masts and the whole town is out.
Do we sleep on board?
Yes — the boat is the accommodation for the weekend, in Split before the start and on Vis on Friday and Saturday night.
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: jklabud.hr. We take care of the entry, the rating certificate and the berth for our own crew.