Don't Just Pass By Without Getting Your Feet Wet

We followed the CFM-BAYK Winter Trophy 2nd Leg races held in Bodrum on February 4-5, sponsored by CFM and organized by BAYK.

Chief Race Officer Hulki ORUZ's words at the first day's briefing "This weekend will be wet, very wet" left their mark on both days.

Wind direction, strength, and wave heights constantly changed.

In the 2nd Leg races held with the participation of 48 boats, the crews adapted to the changing weather conditions while leaving behind a weekend with perhaps unforgettable fatigue.

It was also a very busy weekend for BAYK. Organization literally went within organization.

On Saturday, February 4, the club's extraordinary general assembly, as well as the dragon and yacht races it organized, all took place simultaneously, overlapping one another.

On the course, the race committee made efforts to prevent route conflicts, primarily due to both Dragon and yacht races and the uncertainty of the weather.

With the announcement at the briefing that all decisions would be made on the course, our eyes and ears turned to the course. Let's not be like "They tell it right at the briefing, but get confused on the course."

We went out to the course with 48 boats where rain was effective. The committee is taking measurements, will make a decision, will determine the route or routes. We're circling around. The weather is cold, the wind is blowing at 9 knots from 120 degrees when we first went out, but it's alternating between decreasing and strengthening. While we're sheltering from the rain on the protected press boat, the crews have already started singing soaking wet.

While the boats were waiting on the course for the race operations to begin, the race committee announced over the radio that the wind was "blowing between 0-1 knots from any direction." The wind will settle, the course will be set. Postponement, whistle, flag, whistle, buoy change whistle...whistle. While the waiting continues on a windless, rainy and whistle-filled course, the wind slowly comes and the route is announced.

Start off Bodrum, Kurt Point to starboard, Çelebi and Kargı Islands to port, finish off Bodrum, 17 nautical miles as the crow flies.

The first start will be given to IRC B and Support groups, followed by IRC A 2-3-4 groups, and the last start to IRC A 0-1 groups.

The wind is shifting between 120-150 degrees. The first group's start is given while the wind is blowing at 5-7 knots from 120 degrees.

When this group reaches the windward mark, the wind strength drops so much that some even unintentionally touch the buoy. 360-degree penalty turns and keep racing if you can.

While preparations for the 2nd start continue, the wind changes direction again and the buoys are changed again.

After the 2nd and 3rd starts, the wind begins to settle. Meanwhile, the first group has already started rounding Kurt Burnu.

As the battle of 48 boats continues on the overcast, rainy and cold course, at the Çelebi Island turn, a shallow area north of the island catches another one. In the 1st leg races, RENAULT FARR AWAY, one of the fleet's prominent and fast boats, also runs aground in the shallows where MERSİN YELKEN AKADEMİSİ grounded. The crew manages to free themselves with their own means without external assistance and continues racing.

The fleet rounds Kargı Island and races to the finish in Bodrum, while those sailing with spinnaker cannot pass Kurt Cape, so they pass the cape with tacks and head to the finish. On the course where rain is effective at intervals, the finishes taken gradually reveal the group leaders. But those behind are breathing down their necks.

In the evening, everyone meets at Marina Yacht Club for the CFM-BAYK Winter Trophy 1st Leg award ceremony. The cold of the day is forgotten in the warm atmosphere and the awards find their owners. We witness that this year's ceremonies are taking place with a more intimate, warm and quite crowded participation compared to previous years.

In the evening, wet clothes are dried in hotels, and in the morning, briefing.

Sunday, February 5th, the weather is full southwesterly. Wind that will blow from the same direction until evening and increasingly harden.

Chief Umpire announces to IRC B and Support boats that they have planned 1 geographical race.

IRC A groups will do one buoy race after 1 geographical race. Of course, if time permits.

Geographical route; Bodrum Start, Kurt Cape, Çelebi Island south turning buoy, Kargı Island, Çelebi Island south turning buoy, leaving Kargı Island at the dock, Kurt cape to starboard, Bodrum finish.

A bird's eye view of a 28 nautical mile geographical route race.

Since there is a dragon race in front of Bodrum, the race committee is directing the fleet toward Bitez.

The buoy race to be held at the end of the geographical route will also take place there.

Recently, sea water levels have been experiencing drops.

Even experienced boats familiar with the area can run aground on the Çelebi Island North shoal.

For this reason, the turning buoy on the south side of the island stands out as the correct practice.

However, after such a long route, we wonder how the buoy racing will be conducted with the growing waves and hardening wind. Especially when the starts are given at very long intervals after 12.00. We shall see.

The start order is the same as the day before. The boats executing the last start are starting after waiting a very long time on the course where rainfall is occasionally effective and waves are dominant.

We are truly witnessing a neck-and-neck race.

While the wind is blowing at 12-15 knots at the start moment, it exceeds 20 knots off Kurt Burnu.

The competing boats generally form pairs. Breakaways have started, therefore at the buoy turns south of Çelebi Island we witness at most four boats turning together.

As the boats round Kargı Island and return to the Çelebi Island buoy, they are racing virtually one by one.

The wind doesn't enter the course with excessive squalls, but when it does, it provides broaching opportunities for those sailing by the lee! Many boats struggle to collect the spinnaker in such moments. In our opinion, they're occasionally gathering trawl nets. The footage is very useful for us.

As finishes are completed on the long, exhausting and wet course, we understand from the absence of the Lima flag on the finish boat that time won't be enough for a buoy race.

If the starts had begun earlier

or if the route wasn't this long

or if the course shortening had been implemented

or if IRC A had started from the front, could it have been possible?

We don't know?

When we look at the overall results at the end of CFM-BAYK Winter Trophy 2nd Leg;

In IRC A 0 ARKAS-FLAYING BOX,

In IRC A 1 DEFİNE,

In IRC A 2 MARİNA VİSTA KEYİF 60,

In IRC A 3 AURORA X,

In IRC A 4 LADY SUN,

In IRC B 1 ZAGUN,

In IRC B 2 BLUES 1-ÇORKU SAILING TEAM and

In DESTEK AR-YA were the boats advancing as leaders in their groups towards the trophy's 3rd Leg.

When we look overall at the end of CFM-BAYK Winter Trophy 2nd Leg this year; we see all participating boats have become even faster.

With renewed, strengthened equipment, crews are gunning for the trophy even more, it's clearly visible. Team coordination, team spirit, and the fulfillment of position requirements are remarkable.

Those who participate once and skip the next, those who put the fun before the race, have truly decreased.

Sport dominates the course.

Especially sponsored boats pay close attention to this and set an example by leading.

Rankings can change at any moment as the trophy continues. Therefore, great attention must be paid.

Another fact; Besides the technical equipment of the boats, their aesthetic appearance is now also competing.

You can find the technical details and different visuals of the race in the March issue of SAILING WORLD Magazine.