This marked Uroš’s return to Mini racing after a year and a half away from the class. Despite the long pause, he quickly reminded everyone why he’s still considered one of the top sailors in the Mini fleet. The race began with a strong start, but complications soon followed. Uroš encountered issues early on, losing valuable time and dropping to 28th place. However, in true Ashika (sea lion) fashion, he fought back hard and climbed up to finish in an impressive 7th place.

His competitors ahead of him were mostly newer, foiling SCOW designs that—on paper—should have left his older boat far behind. But Uroš pushed Ashika to her limits and proved otherwise. Without the initial setback, it’s likely those cutting-edge boats would have had a much harder time staying in front.

UROŠ:

“The Mini en Mai regatta was my first after the 2023 transatlantic, which is noticeable in both the boat and me. The boat has undergone a quick refit, but there are still a few things that need to be addressed before this year’s transatlantic, and I can tell that I haven’t been in a Mini for over a year and a half.
However, I still managed to sail the regatta well, with only three mistakes. I ‘sparked in a private, windless area’ in the first part of the regatta and then chased the entire regatta from behind.
On the first night, I hit the route a bit too far from the coast, where the top six also finally escaped me, and I got too close to the coast on the south of Ile de Re and ‘touched’ the bottom a bit during the maneuver, but the speed was low and the damage was small.
I received the ‘good perf’ award specifically for the Mini class. This is the award the winner gives to the one they think sailed the best, regardless of equipment and accidents… This is my third such award from the three largest Mini Class regattas and an additional motivation to seek funds for a new boat, with which I could attack the top spots in the 2027 Transat.”

Following Mini en Mai, Uroš remained in Douarnenez, where he prepared for his next challenge—the Marie-Agnès Péron regatta. Ashika successfully passed the stability tests and was race-ready once again. In between final tweaks to the boat, Uroš took the opportunity to unwind: cycling through the French countryside and recharging for the season ahead.