Participation and Competition Heat Up at MIYC Winter Trophy

We are in Marmaris for the 2nd Leg of the Winter Trophy organized by Marmaris International Yacht Club, which will take place on February 12-13.

For a week now, meteorology sites have been showing low winds for the race days.

The Esenler winds wreaked havoc in previous days, doing their damage in the region and all along our coasts.

ARE THE CALM DAYS LEFT FOR US, MARMARIS?

Is it time for calm days?

On Friday evening, February 11, after registration closes, those participating in this leg are at the club's ceremony area.

The crowded opening cocktail becomes even more pleasant with the mild weather.

The results of the 1st Leg are on the screens. Longing is relieved.

FEBRUARY 12, SATURDAY

SHORT AND CONCISE BRIEFING

EVERYTHING IS IN THE APP, ON THE SCREENS

At 10:00 AM, the helmsmen are in the same area.

Since Chief Race Officer Can Giray covered all general details in the previous leg's briefing, only some minor changes are announced.

With a new application, all the details of the race, announcements, and routes are now on mobile phones.

31 boats are participating in this leg.

Gross 35 boats were expected, but when it came down to net, the number became 31.

DEFINE, one of the competitive boats in IRC-0, hasn't come, but EKER 40 has arrived this week.

We believe the competition in IRC-0 will continue throughout the Trophy.

Can Giray; " Let's go out and start looking for wind "

After saying that, the participants also say "Let's go out and start looking for wind"

And set course for their boats.

Seeing the light winds, the racers' movements are slow.

Meanwhile, we're heading to the RED LIONS boat, competing in IRC-4 Class with Hüseyin Akbulut at the helm.

5 DISABLED SAILORS KNOW NO OBSTACLES ON THE MARMARIS COURSE

Hüseyin Akbulut is a fellow sailor who started sailing and racing years ago alongside Cumhur Gökova.

He is disabled, but he's a racer and sea lover who doesn't let the negative aspects of this affect his struggle at sea.

Over time, we've always followed him wondering "Is this just enthusiasm, is it temporary?"

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Far from giving up, as he progressed, he advanced and developed himself.

Eventually, he acquired a boat and even established a racing team with his fellow disabled friends.

Of course, with those who devoted their hearts to the sea.

Let's listen to them.

HÜSEYİN AKBULUT

"Our 5-person crew consists entirely of people with disabilities.

Some of us are missing an arm, some a leg, some an eye, but just as in our lives, we overcome this situation on the sea as well.

Besides myself, the team includes Recep Öztürk, Hüseyin Karadağ, Emre Dönmez, and Osman Akbaş.

A team entirely composed of people with disabilities competing against able-bodied sailors doesn't exist in our country or in the world.

We are the first and only in this field.

We will follow the entire Miyc Winter Trophy.

We all live here; Marmaris is a delightful place.

We want to have enjoyable starts and enjoyable races.

If there are friends who want to go sailing with us outside of racing, they can contact us through our social media accounts.

We provide training.

If they want to be involved in racing, we can consider that as well.

Even if there is high demand, other teams also want these friends of ours."

As they head out to sea, our press boat also sets course for the race course.

While passing in front of that beautiful Marmaris waterfront, even if you've taken thousands of frames, they say that anyone who passes by without capturing a frame from that magnificent scene will have their camera

fall into the sea. So goes the legend.

So let's press the shutter.

White, black, wind, clouds appear here to the sailor who knows how to read them.

NO WIND, OR IF THERE IS, IT'S NO GOOD

In this situation, we're most curious about the race committee boat.

We set course and came alongside them.

We got really close.

We need to see their eyes up close.

We'll understand what they're going to do.

Will the wind increase or decrease?

What will they do?

At 12:41 the announcement comes over VHF Channel 71.

"We waited for the wind to settle. Everything is ready.

Today's first race course is MIYC COURSE 5

BUOY RACES ARE PERFECT FOR SPECTATORS

We're inside the bay. These courses are the most loved by spectators. The boats generally race as a group, they don't spread out.

Buoy roundings become the scene of great battles.

Most importantly, you watch and read the race as a whole.

Wind from 125 degrees at 6-7 knots.

It will definitely make them race, but whether it will make them battle it out is uncertain.

That will obviously emerge with tactics.

When the start procedures begin, the wind picks up to 8-9 knots.

We're okay with that too (When you hang around with referees too much, you end up speaking their language, inevitably).

At 13:00, IRC-0-1-2 Classes execute their starts.

At 13:05, IRC-3-4s.

THE BATTLE IN IRC-0 WILL INTENSIFY, CLEARLY

The wind increases a bit, decreases a bit, and settles into the 8-10 knot range.

When the IRC-0s reach the turning marks, it drops a little.

The scenes are slow, heavy.

Then it strengthens again but slightly. EKER 40 says "I'm here too" on the course. VAKKORAMA gets down to business on this leg.

Kaan İş is at the helm.

LAGERTHA has them all on her tail. MATRAK 2 prefers to sail the course from the outside.

At the end of a race where the wind didn't decrease;

At the end of the day's first race, announcements for the 2nd Race begin at 14:34.

The wind has settled at 10 knots from the same direction. Would Can hoca wait?

The same course will be sailed.

At 14:50 IRC-0-1-2

At 14:55 IRC-3-4s have already started racing on the course.

RAISES PROTEST ON THE COURSE

WITHDRAWS IT AT THE CLUB ENTRANCE

There are protests in the first group, as always.

It falls to us to take note, but as always, it doesn't go to hearing.

I call this: "Raises Protest on the Course, Withdraws It at the Club Entrance."

With the wind occasionally decreasing, the racing yachts are sailing over the tracks of their own classes.

In IRC-1-2-3, as in IRC-0, it's evident that the competition will continue throughout the trophy.

The success graphs of boats consisting of crews that have solidified over time are always high.

Same crew, same boat, team spirit: A significant advantage.

PROTOCOL YACHT

This year, racing in IRC-2, MIYC President Zafer Öznur's yacht IMAGINE is helmed by EAYK Commodore Dr. Akif Sezer.

Let's see how this collaboration between two clubs will be reflected in the results.

At the end of the 2nd Race of the day;

THE SCENT OF BARBECUE IN MARMARIS SKIES

In the evening, there's a Barbecue Party at MIYC facilities

Whoever thought of this thought very right.

The setup in the club's garden is perfect for all the organizations of the races to be held on this course.

Comfortable, clean, clear, sufficient.

Of course, except for race week.

The smoke from the barbecue makes itself felt as you approach the facility.

A proper implementation and quite sufficient.

Participants gather together both at the first day's cocktail and today. Conversations until late hours. The desired scene.

They're dressed for dinner, having their drinks, receiving their awards if they've earned them.

The Miyc Winter Trophy 1st Leg Awards also find their owners in the new stage arrangement.

If you're a sailor, if you're a racer, the address is clear.

FEBRUARY 13, SUNDAY - WIND SIESTA

We're heading out to the course on the last day. Uncertain weather. The wind is coy.

Or has left the area.

It's clear we'll be waiting quite a while.

All boats in a long wait. Drifting this way and that.

The start that should be given at 12:00 just can't be given.

The wind slowly begins and preparations are complete.

Wind from 125 degrees at 5-6 knots.

The day's single race will be a coastal course.

Miyc Route 1-A.

At 13:50 the start for IRC-0-1-2 takes place.

After this start, the wind begins to drop a bit but those who will make the 2nd start are at the start line.

At 13:55 the IRC-3-4 starts are given but most of the fleet crosses the line before the start signal.

Of course a "general recall" is called and the start is reset at 14:03.p>

Now the fleet will head out to the open sea after the turning buoy.

Clouds are covering the course.

When the IRC-0 boats arrive at the strait, we witness a head-to-head competition.

But the wind is gradually decreasing.

VAKKORAMA, having saved herself on a single tack, approaches Kargataşı Island alone.

Meanwhile, at the strait exit, all boats practically came to a standstill in the light wind as if making a 2nd start.

The wind starting to blow from İçmeler and Turunç with light rain enables the fleet to reach Kargataşı Island as time passes.

On the return, when entering the inner harbor, the wind has significantly decreased its strength. After the boats led by VAKKORAMA, finishes are recorded sporadically.

The last boats cross the finish line with virtually no wind.

At the end of the race;p>

FROM THE RACE COMMITTEE BOAT

CAN GİRAY (Chief Umpire)

"The 2nd Leg of the Winter Trophy was completed in Marmaris with 3 beautiful races on 3 beautiful colorful days.

The 3rd Leg of MIYC Winter Trophy will take place on March 5-6.

MIYC 2022 WINTER TROPHY 2nd LEG RACE NOTES;

Preparations, the rush and bustle, we're starting, we've started, and before we knew it, we completed the trophy's 2nd Leg races without incident.

Saturday, February 12, 2022: It's our habit, we go out to sea 120 minutes before the planned first warning signal, wherever we are. But Marmaris is different

truly; it frightens the first-time visiting umpire with "zero" morning wind. The day's first observation for the record: "Time 1000 / Wind direction: none, Wind Speed: none"

At 11:55, a light breeze, we respond with a double sound signal and postponement. We wait respectfully...
At 12:30 the expected, I'm correcting myself, the unexpected wind quickly entered the course. The previous evening during the opening ceremony, everyone was hopeless, saying there's no wind in the weather reports. They were right, there was no wind in many reports, but this is Marmaris, a course of surprises.
120 to 130 degrees, the wind started blowing. According to the report from our friends in the windward mark boat at Yalancı Boğaz, when the wind reached 8 kts, it was still zero at the committee boat in front of the Kale. Despite this, we started setting up the course.

After a brief postponement (about half an hour), route flag number 5 was hoisted; a technical course with offset on the windward leg and gate at the leeward. Marmaris racing fleet's favorite course. The committee agrees... The racers are tired, but at the finish of the second race, the question from the boats; "Is there a 3rd race today?"
We close the day with two consecutive challenging and fast races full of tacks and gybes and return to the marina.

Since we use an Online Notice Board, race results are published instantly, and competing boats see their results before they even dock.

Sunday, February 13, 2022: Only one race today since two of the three planned races were completed yesterday. The wind is not very suitable for the start, we're expecting rain. After a few attempts, we decided on a coastal race. Route 1-A: Exit through the Strait, round Kargataşı and return. However, to ensure the fleet has a "windward start," we set a wind-offset buoy at approximately 0.7nm distance: green flag hoisted, after the start the fleet will leave this buoy on starboard side and then proceed on their course.

A day where wind, rain, sun, hot and cold were all experienced simultaneously. A long race and an incident-free finish line. This leg is also completed, results and trophies will be awarded together with the 3rd leg in three weeks.

Marmaris is a technically very challenging course for the race committee. It has plenty of traps and surprises. Moreover, it doesn't pay much attention to weather forecasts. One shouldn't struggle, but rather accept what it offers with respect and plan the races accordingly. Thank you Marmaris."

Looking at the Overall Results;

Miyc Winter Trophy 3rd Leg will take place on March 5-6.