IOYClub: Phoenix Sailing Team Wins Two Trophies at the Presidential 6th International Yacht Race Çanakkale Victory Cup

International Offshore Yacht Club

We held our first training session with our new boat phoenix (Ker/Bolt 37) and a diverse team of university students on Thursday in challenging weather. Despite being together for the first time, the team quickly bonded and captured the spirit of teamwork.

The next day, we participated in the Presidential Yacht Race for the Victory Cup (Istanbul-Çanakkale). The race started in challenging weather, but we performed well, staying in the front group all the way to Marmara Island. However, when the wind dropped to nearly zero at Marmara Island and didn’t pick up again for 4-5 hours, the back group caught up with us.

Once again, we managed to enter the Dardanelles Strait as the fourth boat. The already low wind in the Strait blowing directly from behind caused our boat, which uses an asymmetric spinnaker, to lose both speed and distance with constant adjustments. Boats using symmetric spinnakers gained a significant advantage during this leg of the race.

We finished in fifth place after being overtaken by another boat in the Strait. Our team, made up of young members aged 18-20, came together for the second time (training and racing) and earned one second-place trophy and one third-place trophy as a result of these races. Winning trophies has truly motivated the young sailors.

At the end of the day, they were all happy and filled with a renewed passion for sailing, eagerly looking forward to the next race. As the International Offshore Yacht Club, helping to introduce these young individuals to the sport of sailing is our greatest reward.

Volkan Yemlihaoğlu – IOYC