Memorijal Veljka Rogošića

A single unbroken line stretches across the channel, linking Krk island directly to the mainland harbour of Novi Vinodolski. The Memorijal Veljka Rogošića is an open water swimming race across the sea of Novi Vinodolski in the Primorje-Gorski Kotar region of Croatia, organized by KDP Primorje. Setting out from the island and pointing toward the mainland, swimmers encounter a pure channel crossing where open horizon and navigation shape the entire journey.

The crossing to Novi Vinodolski: 10,000 metres in Rogošić’s wake

The event honors Veljko Rogošić, the renowned Croatian long-distance swimmer who held the world record for the longest distance ever swum in open ocean without flippers. Swimmers follow the exact route that Rogošić conquered in 1975, departing from Vrbnik on Krk and steering straight across the water to finish in the port of Novi Vinodolski. As a 10,000-metre open water marathon, it is considered the longest marathon swimming race held in a single line. For those seeking different distances, the gathering also features 3,000-metre and 1,500-metre races alongside a 100-metre sprint. In past editions, swimmers have faced challenging wave conditions churning across the channel, turning the ten-kilometre journey into a test of rhythm and focus. Further along the island shore, the waters near Vrbnik also host the Plivački maraton Vrbnik-Risika about nine kilometres away.

Vinodolski Kanal: wind, strait currents, and the Krk barrier

The Vinodol Channel is an 18-kilometre marine strait in the Adriatic Sea that extends northwest from the Velebit Channel. The channel stretches in a southeast-northwest direction between the eastern coast of Krk island and the mainland shore. At its narrowest point, situated between Crikvenica and Cape Šilo just over one mile wide, the strait narrows dramatically, with the nearby 116. Plivački Maraton Šilo - Crikvenica about eleven kilometres away. Along the mainland coast of the channel, the Crikvenica Riviera stretches from Selce to Jadranovo, framed by the Adriatic Highway that traces the water's edge. Krk island protects the town of Novi Vinodolski from the open sea, contributing to its mild local climate.

Across the wider waters of Primorje-Gorski Kotar lies the island of Cres, which shares this coastal climate of cool, damp winters marked by the Bora and hot, dry summers. Osor thrived as a commercial hub until larger vessels could no longer navigate the narrow channel or anchor in its shallow port. Today Cres preserves Lake Vrana, its sole freshwater reservoir and one of the deepest freshwater lakes in Eastern Europe at 76 metres deep. Above its rugged hills soar endangered Eurasian griffon vultures, while the island also shelters Natrix tessellata, a rare nonvenomous dice snake absent or scarce on other Adriatic islands. Swimmers exploring this island chain can also find the Kvarner Pliva - Mali Lošinj about 72 kilometres away.

Tenki and Soline: submerged caves, Roman potteries, and saltworks

Off the coast of Krk, the seabed features distinctive formations such as the Tenki reef near Tenki cape. The peak of this shallow reef rests just three metres below the sea surface, though it stood as an exposed rock during the early Illyrian period when sea levels were lower. Flanked by two rocks, the shoal plunges down to 40 metres, concealing an accessible underwater tunnel and small sea caves at a depth of nine metres. Further along the coast near Cape Glavina, the port of Sršćice, and the Veli grad elevation, the Kamenjak formation consists of two rocks rising about four metres high. Classified by the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds as minor sea formations, Kamenjak and Kamenjak 2 offer diving down to 25 metres among fractured rock crevices.

Just 25 metres away, the Vanjski Kamenjak shoal begins at two metres below the surface and descends to a depth of 35 metres. Inside Soline bay, considered the safest anchorage on Krk's eastern coast, maritime history runs deep. Archaeological excavations in 2006 at Sveti Petar bay unearthed ancient ceramics, suggesting the presence of an ancient port and a pottery workshop run by Sextus Metilius Maximus. In 1480, Venice seized control of Krk and closed the local saltworks to eliminate trade competition. Opposite the village of Klimno in Soline bay, two isolated rocks emerge from the water, both exposed to open sea only on their eastern sides. Mali Školjić covers an area of 1,830 square metres roughly 50 metres from shore and is classified as a small sea formation. Just ten metres to the north, and about 90 metres from the coast, sits the companion rock of Crni.

Novi Vinodolski: timber cabins, steamships, and river mouths

The finish line brings swimmers into the port of Novi Vinodolski, a historic settlement standing on a steep hill above the mouth of the Suha Ričina river. The town was raided in 1598 when the Venetian admiral Ivan Bembo sacked the harbour and demolished the fortified coastal stronghold of Lopsica. Later, in 1750, a violent earthquake struck the community, causing significant destruction across its historic quarters. Novi Vinodolski rediscovered its maritime purpose in 1867 when the steamship Hrvat made its first port call, establishing a daily passenger route to Rijeka. By 1886, seaside recreation took root on the waterfront with the construction of the town's first public bathing facility, composed of eight wooden cabins supported by floating logs. Crossing the open channel brings that long swimming tradition vividly to life.

Novi Vinodolski: the 2020 races, Lišanj Beach and the San Marino islet

At the Novi Vinodolski stage of the Kvarner Pliva series on 29 August 2020, the programme included the 6th Memorijal Veljka Rogošića from Vrbnik to Novi over 10,000 m, the 16th Novi Open over 3,000 m, the 6th Challenge Race over 1,500 m and the 6th Junior Race over 100 m. Lišanj Beach, the main beach of Novi Vinodolski, lies below Hotel Lišanj, right next to the town centre. When the bathing area in Lišanj bay opened, men and women bathed separately, with a red flag signalling the time for men and a white one for women. The beach at Lišanj bay has a concrete sunbathing area with some sandy and pebbled sections, sand in the sea and a two-level concrete diving platform placed in the water. The islet of San Marino, the symbol of Novi Vinodolski, has a small church and lies just 205 metres from the shore, and swimmers reach it by swimming, pedal boat, small boat or SUP. The Novi Vinodolski Riviera stretches over approximately 25 km of coastline with hidden coves and rocky, pebbly and sandy beaches.