INTERNATIONAL WINTER TROPHY - ERGO-MIYC Winter Trophy 6th Leg

May 9-10 we are in Marmaris for the 6th Leg races of the trophy.

Summer has already begun here. The weather is hot, the sea is warm, summer clothes are worn, a bright blue sparkling atmosphere.

Chief Race Officer Can GİRAY announces at the briefing held on the evening of May 8 that they plan to hold 4 races in two days. The weather will play tricks on the Marmaris course with its tides. The situation shows that, but we'll see.

Other than this, there is no briefing and yachts are invited to the course early in the morning for both days.

Saturday, May 9th, those who respond to the invitation oversee the preparations on the course. There are 20 boats in 4 classes. The boats racing in Marmaris have a different characteristic from other courses.

German, Dutch, American and Russian teams are also among the competitors. They are quite ambitious as well. For this reason, announcements are made in English after Turkish. We might even call it the " International Winter Trophy ".

The wind and its strength are constantly changing. Finally, a decision is made and the course is finalized. The announcement: Route number 3 ; the start will take place off Marmaris, a turn at the offset buoys off Yalancı Boğaz, after the turning buoy at the start position, the yachts will race with a final turn from Yalancı Boğaz to the finish at the start position. As the crow flies, 6 Nautical Miles. Wind is blowing from 105 degrees at 5-8 knots.

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At 11:30 with a clean windward start, the yachts heading towards Yalancı Boğaz are racing without breaking away for a long time. Breakaways begin between those predicting to find wind close to shore or offshore. Of course, in these races there is one boat that breaks away significantly from the fleet: MATRAK-2. The short course is covered quickly with the wind blowing steadily. While finishes are being taken, although the wind direction hasn't changed, its strength has increased to 9-10 knots. MATRAK-2 in the IRC-1 group takes the first finish and the announcement of the 2nd race is heard on the radio. The race committee is very fast. 6.5 minutes after MATRAK-2, the second finish is taken by PALMARINA SAILING-İZMİR YELKEN racing in the IRC-2 group. MATRAK-2 always does this and generally completes its finishes with large margins in all races. After all finishes are taken, the starting procedures for the day's second race begin. At the end of the 1st Race, the boats leaving their competitors behind are MATRAK-2 in IRC-1, PALMARINA SAILING-İZMİR YELKEN in IRC-2, M2 in IRC-3, and KANKA in IRC-4.

For the 2nd race, the race committee announces the same course. When the wind is blowing from 105 degrees at 8-10 knots, the race starts again with a mass start for all classes.

As the leading boats heading towards the Yalancı Boğaz turning buoys on tramoline tacks round these buoys, the wind suddenly drops to 1-2 knots. At 14:49, the race committee gives a shortened course to all classes. From this moment on, the wind disappears and at 15:00 the race is abandoned. The race abandonment is announced via radio transmission as well as by abandonment flag and sound signal from a boat patrolling the course. After the race is abandoned, the wind starts to make itself felt, blowing from 230 degrees. When the boats arrive at the race committee, they find 8-10 knots. The committee announces the new race without delay. If it can be completed, this will now be the 2nd race. Course 2 will be sailed. Starting from off Marmaris with Keçi Adası to starboard, Karga Taşı Adası to port, Keçi Adası to port, buoy number 2 off Marmaris to starboard, turning buoy number 3 at Yalancı Boğaz to port, and finishing off Marmaris, the yachts will race on a 14 nautical mile course as the crow flies.

With a beautiful start and truly excellent competition, the fleet races neck and neck all the way to Keçi Island. Meanwhile, a Megayacht exits the harbor while keeping an eye on the fleet. But the Marmaris tour boats, God help us, dive right into the fleet. When the fleet reaches open sea, there's no mesen wind blowing from the İçmeler mouth that always puts boats in difficult situations with squalls. The fleet is literally becalmed. Little by little, they round Karga Rock and the long race picks up speed with the strengthening wind. At the end of the day's 2nd race, COURRIER DU COEUR in IRC-1, PALMARINA SAILING-İZMİR YELKEN in IRC-2, M2 in IRC-3, and ERGO-BLUE BIRD 2 in IRC-4 are the boats that leave their competitors behind.

Racers and race organizers, tired, head for NETSEL MARINA.

In the evening, there's the 5th Leg awards ceremony. Döner, rice, and trophies await the racers. At the end of the party, those thinking about the next day head for berth-bed, those who don't think about it head for the bar street.

Sunday, May 10th morning, early to the boats again, early to the course again. Weary racers are waiting for the wind to blow, to come alive. The wind is coy, keeping the committee waiting. Following the committee boat at such moments is something special. One witnesses their decisions, changes, and efforts to find the right solution.

Decisions made, the buoys find their places and the announcement. Before Chief Umpire Can GİRAY lowers the postponement flag with his gentleman-like, polite voice and announces that starting procedures have begun, he congratulates all women and mothers participating in the race on behalf of the committee on Mother's Day. Meanwhile, we as fathers have no choice but to wait for June. When procedures begin, the wind is blowing from 110 degrees at 8-11 knots. At 10:45 the fleet start takes place. We see that the kevlar sounds heard at the start moment were caused by HAYTA colliding with GÖKOVA 's boat. The fleet begins racing with these boats refreshing the start. Sunday's first race will also start from off Marmaris, rounding Yalancı Boğaz for a sausage course, followed by a triangle course.

When the race starts and reaches the middle of the course, the wind changes direction again. Due to the wind direction change, the committee that abandoned a race yesterday is expected to abandon this race as well, but the expectations are in vain. The boats announcing this situation over the radio remain unanswered, and the race continues and is completed with the wind changing direction and strength. At the end of the 3rd race,

In IRC-1 MATRAK-2, in IRC-2 EXIT, in IRC-3 HADAR, in IRC-4 ERGO-BLUE BIRD 2 are the boats that leave their competitors behind.

The procedures for the day's final race and the 6th Leg begin in great haste. Everyone wishes for a short course. The wishes must have been reflected to the race committee as an offset sausage course will be applied with a start in front of Marmaris, 2 laps returning from Yalancı Boğaz. At these moments, Marmaris seems to have given up on summer and set sail for winter. The weather has closed in, rainfall is felt around the area. After the hastily set course and rapidly executed start procedures, the boats find themselves on the course with a mass start again. The tired boats begin making mistakes, leading to changes in the usual rankings. At the end of the Trophy's 4th race, in IRC-1 MATRAK-2, in IRC-2 PALMARINA SAILING-İZMİR YELKEN, in IRC-3 M2, in IRC-4 KANKA are the boats that leave their competitors behind.

The ERGO-MIYC Winter Trophy will be completed with the 7th Leg to be raced at the end of May. As the Trophy comes to an end

OVERALL;

1- M2

2- MATRAK 2

3- PALMARINA SAILING-İZMİR YELKEN

See you at the 7th and final leg on May 30-31. Farewell Green Marmaris.

OUR NOTE

There is something that catches our attention in these trophies held under the name of winter trophy. The trophies named winter start in the middle of winter and finish at the end of May. In other words, winter and summer seasons get mixed up. When we think of winter, November-April comes to mind. In these trophies whose finals come in summer months, team shortages are noticeable in the last month, as professional sailors are generally either in season preparations or at sea. Similarly, many of those involved in the organization are also professional sailors and are experiencing the busy season start. Another important point is that the transportation and accommodation costs for competitors coming from outside the regions don't resemble winter much in these months and are quite costly.