Devil's Leg Breaks: Major Storm Hits Turkish Coast

At the 09:30 morning briefing, Chief Race Officer Nihat Yenel began his remarks by congratulating those who were assigned duties at the Ordinary BAYK General Assembly held the day before. Ömer KARACALAR will continue as President. Yenel announced that a buoy race would be held today and stated that races would take place until sunset.

    
   

I followed the races from the yacht FIRST, which was competing in the IRC B 2 class. As we headed out to the course and approached the starting buoys, it was announced that one of the crew members aboard the yacht SKYMARINE AQVAIT had been injured. Once again, Bodrum Sea Rescue boats transported the injured person ashore.

Minutes before the race started, the race committee boat with its trailing buoys began repositioning. The capricious wind had started its games since morning. Direction changes and strength variations continued all day. It twisted and turned as much as it could.

    

    

Before the start, the wind was blowing from 205 degrees at 6-12 knots. The boats racing on an offset sausage course would complete the race with different lap counts according to their classes, just like yesterday.

The first start was given to IRC A 0 and IRC A 1 boats. The second start was given to IRC A 2 and IRC A 3 classes. The final start was given to IRC B 1, IRC B 2, and Support classes. After all starts were completed, when the boats reached the turning mark off Bodrum, we witnessed the wind decreasing. After a while, the strengthening wind increased up to 16-20 knots. Most of the boats that were supposed to set spinnakers at the mark rounding passed the first lap without spinnakers, being wary of this increase and squalls. In later laps, spinnakers were set and fierce competition began.

    

    
By mid-trophy, the boats had become quite watchful of their competitors. ARKAS-FLYING BOX and ISKORPIT UK SAILS, which experienced a collision yesterday, continued racing after conducting the necessary inspections. However, MAD X-YB GAYRIMENKUL, which lost rudder control after an unexpected gybe and broach, did not participate in the race as it was unable to complete the necessary equipment repairs.

Since the direction of the varying-intensity wind did not change, the finishes were taken without surprises.

After all finishes were completed, the race committee announced the start of the second race procedures. It was around 13:00 hours and all racers were wondering whether the race would be completed or not. Because today was the return day. The course was set according to the wind blowing from the northwest direction. At this time, the wind was blowing at around 2.5-6 knots. The start was given to the first groups, but there was no increase in the wind. While the IRC A 0 and IRC A 1 boats were racing sluggishly on the course, the wind also began to shift direction. The 2nd start was given to IRC A 2 and IRC A 3 classes. Nothing was changing in the air; if anything, the wind strength was decreasing more and more. And when it shifted considerably, the race committee called ABANDONMENT before giving the 3rd start. Both those who started and those who were about to start were happy. Most boats were returning to the marina ```he thought it was his sister.

    
    

What's this, the committee boat has collected all the marks and buoys and is changing the course. The wind started blowing from 280 degrees. The race committee moved very quickly and set up the course.

A triangular course will be raced. The wind settled and starting procedures began. With starts given to the same groups one after another, the boats began racing on the course. The wind was showing significant differences in strength across different positions on the course. Having learned from the previous leg, the experienced Race Committee made the course smaller. For this reason, tactics came to the forefront. As rival boats monitored each other, calculated risks began to be taken. Those who didn't fly their spinnakers in lighter conditions courageously deployed their spinnakers as winds reached 20 knots at the end of the race, presenting us with beautiful images.

    
    On this race day, the meteorology websites had failed their exam. The forecasts proved wrong, and the Bodrum Course said "forecasts don't work around here, wind blows when it wants to blow". But if it wants to.

The race committee stubbornly insisted on holding the races, and not just one but 2 races. The racers were happy, getting slightly tanned from the effects of wind and sun as they moored their boats at the marina. Planes and cars were carrying the tired racers home, with dreams of the next leg. In the winter trophies held in Turkey this year, the planned 2-day races were generally held for only 1 day due to weather conditions. In Bodrum, the devil's leg was broken (idiom meaning luck changed), races took place on both days.

    
    

When the 4th leg of the 7-leg winter trophy concluded, in terms of overall results: in IRC A O CFM, in IRC A 1 DEFİNE, in IRC A-2 MATADOR, in IRC A 3 CMS DÖNENCE, in IRC B 1 LADY DENİZ, in IRC B 2 MIHO, and in the Support Class CHE GUEVARA closed the week as the leading boats in their groups. We are here with you with our impressions and images.

Stay healthy and well.