The annually celebrated sailing competition Arkas Aegean Link Regatta, organized in collaboration among EAYK (Aegean Open Sea Yacht Club), Cesme Marina and Arkas, was run between 11-13 September this year. The organization was home to 40 boats in IRC and Support classes this year, which saw Orchestra as the winner in overall, trailed by Arkas MAT Sailing Team and Ladies First.
Organized as a collaboration among EAYK (Aegean Open Sea Yacht Club), Cesme Marina and Arkas and with support from the Turkish Sailing Federation and Cesme Municipality, Arkas Aegean Link Regatta stipulated strict adherence to rules of hygiene and physical distancing for participants. Coming with the motto “The Eternal Wind”, the contest kept to its natural goal of staying a sustainable competition and was organized with strict adherence to the specific rules set by the Turkish Sailing Federation and the COVID-19 measures specified by the Turkish Ministry of Health.
Orchestra Comes First in Overall
Adorning the offshores of Cesme with sails from September 11-13, this year the competition saw as many 40 boats and close to 300 competitors aiming for the final prize. The teams competed in IRC A 0-1-2-3-4, IRC B 1-2-3 and Supporting 1-2-3 categories, taking to the wind for three days in the route of Cesme Marina, Chios Strait, Kara Ada and Ilica Bay.
The four races were run for three days and at the final, the winners, second and third places in each category, together with top three teams in the Overall category, won their cups. The race results clinched a win for Orchestra in the overall category, trailed in second place by the Arkas MAT Sailing Team and the Ladies First team in the third place. Due to measures of physical distancing and hygiene, the cups were individually presented in Cesme Marina pontoon to the respective boats. The Overall cup was presented to its winners by Ekrem Oran, Cesme Mayor, Bernard Arkas, Arkas Holding Executive Vice President and Can Akaltan, Cesme Marina General Director.
The race course
Esref Uzun, the head referee of the race, briefed the sides every morning in a WhatsApp conference. The geographical race held on the first day saw wind speeds ranging between 16-18 knots and a distance of 21 nautical miles covered in a thrilling contest in the offshores of Cesme, where the teams enjoyed the long awaited winds and routes with three buoy passes. The second day saw two races in a double sausage route, covering 20 nautical miles on Ilica Bay. The third day brought one race in IRC 2 supporting class in a geographical route, run at the wind speeds of 8-10 knots.
A Cesme tradition since 2011, the Aegean Link Cup has recently been run under the name Arkas Aegean Link Regatta since 2017. The race, which was home to 40 boats this year, saw a total of 152 boats in the last three years with approximately 1400 racers competed in IRC and Support categories.
Measures were strictly adhered to
A set of health and hygiene measures were implemented in Cesme Marina for the yachters. Different from previous races, the current measures created a system which prevented every boat from staying together in one pontoon. To prevent congestion in the sanitary units, entrances and exits were allowed in a controlled manner, and the cleaning team took utmost care in their disinfection duties. Other measures included free face masks, body temperature checks in the main entrance, hand sanitizers in closed and open areas, regular disinfection of closed areas with UVL devices, paper towels in the sanitary units, signs of social distancing and door sensors to minimize contact throughout the marina.
Thanks to healthcare professionals
The t-shirts of Arkas Aegean Link Regatta racers carried appreciation messages for healthcare professionals. These messages recognized the devoted efforts of healthcare professionals in our fight against the pandemic, engraving in the minds the importance of responsible acting and health precautions.
Results of the Arkas Aegean Link Regatta 2020
IRC A 0
- Arkas MAT Sailing Team
- Boreas
- Team Spirit
IRC A 1
- Lemon
- Mersin Yelken Akademisi
- Windrider – Gumbel Enerji
IRC A 2
- Orchestra
- Ladies First
- Joy Lemon
- Arnes
- Kırmızı 1
IRC A 3
- Mercer-Blue Miles
- SolSting
- Doğan Sailing Fagotto
- Mare
- Uyan Sailing School
IRC A 4
- Yediçeriler
- Rengarenk
- Trinity
- Lady Sun
IRC B 1
- Shakara
- Perle White
- Meltemi
- Nemo Balspor
IRC B 2
- Goodday Sun Shine
- Kairos Balspor
- Quartet
IRC B3
- Chess
- Anya Balspor
- Devrim
- Rakı
SUPPORT 1
- Fun Lemon
- Pearl M
- Elisa
- Aurora
- She
SUPPORT 2
- Prenses D
- Aruna ODTÜ
- İzmir Shipyard Lina
- Renovatro
