The Kvarner guc "MD 551" from Mošćenička Draga is the most prestigious winner so far Rovinj traditional boat regattas which this year celebrated its significant 7th birthday with a three-day program from June 9 to 18. Crew included Robert Mohović, Josip Mohović and Franko Gržin it presented Draga's maritime heritage to numerous participants and visitors in the best possible way, and the victory had additional weight because the municipality of Mošćenička Draga in Rovinj was also present as a project partner Adriatic PorTLand Interreg Italy-Croatia. At the same time, for the first time, the people of Mošćenič got a chance in the program "Virad in a piñata" to present to the Rovinj audience the tastes and smells of the traditional dishes of their region, creating an attractive gastronomic experience with all the other regattas from Istria, Kvarner, Slovenia and Italy.
Wooden boats from Mošćenička Draga are traditionally present at the Rovinj regatta of traditional boats with a main and a Latin sail, and this year, along with the winning Kvarner boat, another one with a crew sailed through the Rovinj waters: Igor Knapić, Ivana Blaženić, Arian Živadinov and Ermano Jedretić winning second place.
About this year's visit, which was in many ways more special than others, prof. Robert Mohović says:
– Eighteen years of the Rovinj Regatta and 20 years of work Ecomuseum-Ecomuseo "Batana" these are important moments for our friends from Rovinj, so we are very glad that we magnified the celebration with the victory of our barge, even though it is much more important to socialize and share experiences with friends of the sea and maritime heritage, and to preserve and pass on knowledge and maritime skills. There was just enough wind with plenty of current, so you can say that it was a real tactical regatta. When we were sailing into the wind (in the orc) we were very good, but on the way back, when we were sailing with the wind astern, it was very tense. The Italians were hunting us, considering that they have big sails, but our boat still sailed to victory! As every year, this Rovinj regatta gathered many lovers of traditional boats and sailing, so it was a great opportunity to celebrate 10 years of active work Coordination of associations for the preservation and revitalization of the maritime, fishing and shipbuilding heritage of Kvarner and Istria which I chair.
- The always cheerful gathering of people from the sea was raised to a new level through the gastronomic program in which we showed that we preserve our gastronomic heritage with equal skill and dedication. Everything was authentic, including our clothes and the way of preparation, and we offered three dishes: salted fish (anchovies) on a salad with boiled (lešo) potatoes, Kvarner shrimp on a buzara with pasta (pashto) and a specialty that delighted many - frittata with our young protected garlic from Brescia, i.e. its green shoots, which we locally call baci. I must especially thank and highlight our "cooks", who were besides me Sandra and Josip Mohović, Sonja i Ermano Jedretić te Franko Grzin, emphasized prof. Mohovic.
The Rovinj regatta was also an opportunity for a working meeting of Interreg project partners Adriatic PorTLand Italy Croatia, and those are in addition to the municipality of Mošćenička Draga in cooperation with the Ecomuseum of Mošćenička Draga and the Chair of the Čakavian Assembly of the municipality of Mošćenička Draga, Italian municipalities Cesenatico and the one there Maritime Museum, and the association TVB (Traditional Venetian boats) from the municipality Battagila Terme while the leading partner Institution-Istituzione "House of batana-Casa della batana". The very name of the project points to its originality because, unlike the previous ones whose focus was exclusively on the coastal maritime heritage, AdriaticPorTLand aims to develop a structured plan for the integration of the tourist offers of the coast and hinterland with inland waterways through the valorization of traditional navigation that has historically connected these community.
Adriatic traditional navigation and shipbuilding as a link between land and sea and as a basis for innovative tourist services and routes can significantly strengthen the role of culture in the development of sustainable tourism, especially in terms of reducing seasonality and the excessive number of guests at coastal destinations.
- In Rovinj, we are guests for the second time at events and workshop activities (Exchange Lab) organized by each partner. In May, we visited the municipality of Battagila Terme, where we got to know a slightly different tradition from ours through lectures, sightseeing Museum of river navigation, the canal with the constitution and through a visit to the only shipyard of their typical barges Remier Eugane. Their announced regatta, unfortunately, could not be held due to floods, but we are glad that we all gathered with our boats in Rovinj, which as a leading partner showed us its examples of good practice. At the same time, we did an interesting Exchange Lab in a local tavern in Rovinj Spacio Matika in which the historian and founder of the Ecomuseum-Ecomuseo "Batana" Marino Budicin told numerous interesting facts from the rich maritime history of Rovinj. Then we exchanged the experiences we have in the valorization of our heritage with a special emphasis on ways to solve the numerous problems we encounter, he pointed out Zoran Soldatić, associate for EU projects of the municipality of Mošćenička Draga.
The theoretical part of the Exchange Lab was followed by the practical part, which was conceived as an opportunity for project partners to exchange skills that belong to their traditions. In the case of Rovinj, it was a demonstration of rowing in batana, in which prof. Robert Mohovic:
- We talked a lot about, unfortunately, an ever-present problem for which there is still no quality solution. Our maritime heritage arouses admiration and attracts interest, but it is of crucial importance for its preservation to find a way to make it a profitable and sustainable part of the permanent tourist offer within the legal framework. I believe that for this, in the first place, a financial incentive from the local self-government is needed, which would enable an initially enthusiastic story to grow to self-sustainability, at least in its greater part.
- After a discussion that often confronts us with obstacles in our work, it was a pleasure to jump into the batana and try a slightly different way of rowing. Next month from 12.-14. Ours will also start in July 16. Exhibition and regatta of traditional sailing boats MALA BARKA - SHTORIJA OD MORA for which we also prepare a diverse program. As hosts to the partners of the Adriatic PorTLand project, on July 11 and 12 we will organize an Exchange Lab on the possibilities of using heritage resources in the tourist offer, and in the practical part we will demonstrate various ways of our traditional rowing, as well as many other contents with which we will contribute to the activities and results of this interesting project., concluded prof. Robert Mohovic.
