Thrilling Race Warms Up Cold Çeşme Waters

We are in Çeşme on Friday, January 27th, for the EAYK Winter Trophy 1st Leg races to be held on January 28-29.

We start a week in advance and follow the meteorological forecasts to see what the conditions will be like on race days.

THE MAN WHO CAME WITH THE RAIN

On Friday, I arrive in Çeşme with very heavy rain.

Çeşme is cold, the sun occasionally shows its face through the clouds, but it's useless.

The following two race days seem like they will be similar.

Registrations are ongoing at the EAYK office in Çeşme Marina.

Longings are being satisfied. Gifts, treats.

The management says participation will increase even more this year.

EAYK activities have systematically increased day by day and are being carried out with an intensive program.

COME A DAY EARLY, LEAVE WHEN IT'S OVER, BROTHER

From time to time, we see boats entering Çeşme Marina from other marinas for the race.

The complimentary one-week berthing facilities before and after races that many marinas once provided to racers still continue at this marina.

Since the region has harsh conditions in terms of sea and meteorology, there is no "Come a day early, leave when it's over, brother" here.

A very nice practice and it is being continued by Çeşme Marina.

28 JANUARY SATURDAY

There is a cloudy, cold weather in Çeşme in the morning. 

While the sun shows its face from time to time, we are going to the trophy's first briefing at the club.

At the quite crowded briefing, the Commodore and Chief Umpire are making statements.

OĞUZ AKİF SEZER

EAYK Commodore

"First of all, welcome to Çeşme, to our Winter Trophy. 

There is good participation. We wish for a nice trophy. 

We will continue this nice activity until the end of May.

This year we are receiving genuine support from our sponsors, Accommodation (Çeşme Marina) Sails (Ullmansails Turkey- Mehmet Ali Yekenbicер),

Electronics (Raymarine İzmir Bora Özer), Haulout (Çeşme Marina), Rigging Control (Kmh Rigging  Mert Edremitlioğlu) and Bicycle Activity Tours

determined by rankings or lottery

will be gifted to participants.

I wish our fleet an accident-free trophy."

EŞREF UZUN

Chief Umpire

“Today there is unsettled weather in Çeşme. Hopefully after the clouds disperse, we will have suitable wind for racing after 12:00 PM. 

During the Trophy, IRC A and B classes will start together. Support class boats will also have 2 separate starts.

As you know, the Çeşme Course is a challenging course. 

Therefore, safety is very important. 

We strongly recommend wearing your life jackets.

There are several shoals in the area where our course is located. 

We recommend paying attention to these shoals and passing at least 250 meters away from them.

Today we have planned 2 races for IRC boats and 1 race for Support boats.

We will share any changes with you digitally.

I wish for a good trophy start.”

WE ARE ON THE ÇEŞME COURSE

As soon as the briefing ends, the boats are heading out to the course, led by the committee boat.

We're now realizing that winter has arrived in Turkey, it's very cold.  

Rain is threatening. Sprinkling, as if saying, "I'm waiting for you up here, don't forget".

There's wind, the direction is slippery. It's trying to confuse the committee.

Finally the wind settles on a NORTH direction and while blowing between 6-12 Knots says "Let's race".

29 IRC, 7 SUPPORT class boats are waiting for the first start whistle of the EAYK 2023 Winter Trophy.

The IRC Class will sail Route C-1 from EAYK Routes.

At 12:25 the IRC Classes and at 12:37 the SUPPORT Classes execute their starts and begin racing on the course.

The SUPPORT Classes will sail Geographic 2 from EAYK Routes.

THE FIRST IS A CALM START

There's no crowding to one side at the start line.

The line is almost equally distributed, it's a calm start.

The wind is strengthening then dropping. We are following the first start from the Committee boat.

As the fleet slowly breaks away and moves away from us, Emre Tazegül and I jump into the boat and come to the 1st mark together with the leaders.

RAIN ARRIVED

The wind has dropped at this position but the rain starts to fall heavily.

The first to round the mark are BOREAS, RAPSODİ, GÖZTEPE AĞANLAR 1925. 

Visibility is zero, visibility is decreasing with the rain.

After a certain part of the fleet has made the rounding, we head to the 2nd mark.

The wind is also low here but the rain is doing its job.

The order is almost unchanged at the mark roundings.

The competitors are clear. 

One in front, the other right behind in the first group.

As we arrive at the committee boat where finishes will be recorded, the rain is seeping into our bones and into the heart of our cameras, no matter how much we try to protect them.

Thank God there are 2 cameras. Dry one, use one.

Wind strength and rainfall show great variation during the race.

Rival boats that stay close to each other are always racing under the same conditions. Of course, if they haven't broken away from their competitors.

The DESTEK Class, which will complete the day with a single race, is rounding from behind the Islands.

The committee, having witnessed the wind playing tricks for a long time, gives a course shortening to this class.

IRC Class boats are approaching the finish line in groups.

Things change at the finish line.

ARKAS BLUE MOON is the first to cross the line. 

She is followed by BOREAS and GÖZTEPE AĞANLAR 1925.

END OF THE DAY AT THE FINISH LINE

After the first group's finishes, those following are left far behind.

A long interval between finishes is being experienced.

The SUPPORT Class boats rounding the island have separated from each other, approaching the finish in a scattered formation.

At the end of the day's first race, when finishes are recorded;

WIND SHIFTS TO WEST

The variable northerly wind blowing in the morning is veering west and blowing steadily at 14-15 knots.

The committee is starting preparations for the 2nd race of the day for IRC Classes.

Geographical 1 from EAYK Routes

At 15:54, IRC Class boats are making their starts. 

A calm start. 

The increasing wind easily pushes the boats on the course, enough to make the racers cold. The weather suddenly got cold.

The fleet is not separating from each other at the start, except for the leaders.

The separations begin when the Islands are rounded.

A SHIP ENTERED THE COURSE

When the boats round the Islands and reach the middle of the course, we see a large ship entering the Chios Strait.

Chief Referee Eşref Uzun contacts the Coast Guard boat providing safety on the course.

There is no response from the ship to all radio announcements by the Coast Guard or to sirens sounded right next to it.

The ship entering the Strait at 14 Knots increases to 17 Knots and sets course for its destination port Aliağa.

Meanwhile, fleet leaders ARKAS BLUE MOON, 

BOREAS and GÖZTEPE AĞANLAR 1925 continue their course among them.

As the fleet approaches the finish line, a vessel, thank God, is heading to Aliağa.

Finishes are taking place until sunset.

Although there are some deviations in wind direction, there is no decrease.

All boats complete their finishes until the last moment.

RAINBOW FOLLOWERS, competing in IRC B 1 Class, cannot avoid DNF as she could not cross the start line within the time limit.

When finishes are recorded at the end of the day's 2nd race.

29 JANUARY SUNDAY

First clear weather, then the sky closing with clouds.

We come to the briefing saying that this race day will be similar to yesterday.

After Chief Umpire Eşref Uzun evaluates the 1st day races, he makes his announcements about the day's race.

Today a single race is planned for all classes.

A 240-minute time limit will be applied.

I TOOK SHELTER IN RAPSODİ

After getting my share of rain and cold in the first day's race, I will try my luck on the RAPSODİ boat racing in the IRC 0 group.

RAPSODİ is a small giant, an Erzurum plateau. There's plenty of space to hide and wander around.

Owner and helmsman Captain Haluk Buzlu welcomes me.

ALL THE GIRLS HAVE GATHERED

What's that? The girls are arranging balloons on deck.

From a distance it looks like they're making dumplings.

We said "the boat is a giant."

We are leaving the marina with a skilled maneuver and the curious distant watching of the marina boats.

We are leaving but it starts raining, and what rain it is. 

I am inside until the race starts.

Let's take some shelter. The umpire boat had a roof, protection from the rain. 

I must have prayed a lot and it was probably answered, when the race committee boat comes alongside, the rain takes pity on me, it stops.

POSEIDON'S LAST DAY SURPRISE TO THE COMMITTEE

Anyway, the start planned for 12:00 just won't happen.

The wind has it in for the committee today. Whatever they do, it stubbornly shifts to the opposite.

Thank goodness, finally when the wind settles in the east blowing at 8-11 knots, proceedings begin.

In the day's single race, both groups will sail Geographic 2 from the windward-leeward courses.

At 13:57 IRC, at 14:07 SUPPORT classes are executing their starts.

VERY COMFORTABLE, VERY

I'm enjoying being on a comfortable boat for shooting within the fleet.

I'm free on this big boat. I go wherever I want. I shoot from wherever I want.

On some boats when I board: "Bro come forward a bit, bro to the back. We're heeling. Lean. We're going to the bow" I suddenly become part of the crew, or ballast.

Why I came is suddenly forgotten. They're right too.

On this one I'm very comfortable, very.

As RHAPSODY moves among the boats, I can follow many boats near and far. The crew is magnificent.

We're up front. There are also those ahead of us. When the first buoy is rounded, the gaps widen.

When bows turn toward the Islands, spinnakers are hoisted.

The wind isn't very strong. There are those catching up from behind. More precisely, those in the class below us are taking advantage of our wind shadow.

When the Islands are rounded, the wind is increasing. But the committee has already given the course shortening.

WE'RE FLYING

We're going very fast. The crew is in perfect harmony. From time to time when I look at the instruments, RAPSODI is approaching the finish at 9-10 knots.

Of course, everything on the boat is electric. 

It doesn't matter if it isn't. There's no talk of arm strength or wrist power here.

As soon as the 3 boats ahead of us complete their finishes, we also cross the line.

We complete a beautiful race day where the rain spared us during the race and the wind helped all boats greatly, and return to the marina.

When all finishes are recorded

We ask the captain about today's race as RAPSODİ approaches the fuel dock.

HALUK BUZLU

S/Y RAPSODİ

“We made no mistakes in this race, but we had bad luck. 

When we rounded the first buoy, the spinnaker didn't open, we lost time.

The weather was very variable. 

Since our boat is a heavy boat, it needs wind.

Our team is racing in Marmaris (TEAM SPIRIT) with a Mat 1180.”

While the crew continues with boat closing preparations, I slowly head towards Çeşme Marina Yacht Club where the Award Ceremony will take place.

Meanwhile, when the races that took place over 2 days are completed, the overall results are also announced.

NOT A SOUND SYSTEM, A PARROT

The ceremony is ready. A very crowded atmosphere. 

While refreshments continue, EAYK Commodore Oğuz Akif Sezer takes the stage and picks up the microphone for the ceremony.

Whatever he says into that microphone, the sound system repeats 4 times from its cabinets.

He says Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome…

Me saying, Me, Me, Me, Me…

All officials and non-officials, related and unrelated, knowledgeable and unknowledgeable, myself included, are at the sound system.

Everyone is looking for a savior.

The Commodore is afraid of the microphone, lest something go wrong.

LET'S CONNECT ONLINE TO THE SOUND SYSTEM OPERATOR

Finally, a solution is found. By connecting via video to someone who understands sound systems, the problem is solved.

We wait a while for the Commodore to get used to the echo-free microphone, then the ceremony begins.

First, thanks are given to the sponsors.

SOME COMPARED IT TO THE NATIONAL LOTTERY, COMMODORE

It's time for the first prize to be given by draw.

Akif Sezer announces this draw, Çeşme Marina Public Relations officer Ms. Bige draws the winning team from the bag.

What's this, it can't be: 

The winner is ÇAKI, racing in IRC B 2 Class.

Who is ÇAKI's helmsman? Oğuz Akif Sezer.

A great laughter breaks out.

“Citizens Are Used to the National Lottery” jokes are circulating.

In joy, despite the cold weather, the week's awards are finding their owners in a warm atmosphere.

The 2nd Leg of EAYK 2023 Winter Trophy will be sailed in Çeşme on February 18-19.

After the footage is taken, our car is running, heater turned up all the way, destination İzmir.