The Body and Soul Regatta in Betina is expanding its content in order to garner more interest for maritime heritage. Sailing activities normally overshadow the valuable lectures. There were two lectures held the night before the regatta. One lecture was held by Luciano Keber, where he talked about the practice and problems of making scale models of existing boats. His models have the same constructional solutions as the originals. The second lecture was held by Mitja Zupančič, who sparked quite an interesting discussion with his knowledge of Mediterranean maritime tradition. The street ambiance in front of the BDB Museum has proven to be an exceptional location for these kinds of lectures and discussions.

There were fewer boats from more distant locations arriving due to the forecasted bura. Only the most persistant arrived. Even though it's unfair to exclude anyone, I must mention Denis Mađerić who arrived all the way from the island of Pašman, sailed the regatta and, after crossing the finish line, went back home to evade the growing bura. This kind of dedication just shows how these kinds of events are a personal tribute to maritime tradition, and not just a show for tourists.

The other great thing about this years event was the ammount of participants. Almost all of the boats had numerous crews in order to use their weight to gain more stability against the unpredictable bura. A few of the boats were completely full. From the very start to every turn, sailing was demanding. It was especially exciting on the turn around the last buoy. Turning down the wind with full sails is a very dangerous maneuver that put Lateen Sail in the news a couple of years ago when a leut capsized with three ministers on board.