Youth Started Sailing, Finished Swimming: MIYC 16th Campus Cup

I arrived in Marmaris on March 14th to follow the 16th edition of the Campus Cup races, organized by Marmaris International Yacht Club for 15 years.
University teams will compete in the races taking place on March 15-16-17.
The preparation day is passing quickly in Marmaris, where overcast weather with occasional rain prevails.

Chief Race Officer Ezgi Kalaycı is doing final checks with her fellow race officials at the club building.
The teams have been united with their boats, wearing their uniforms, some attaching their pennants, others their spinnakers, heading out to sea for training.

Every pontoon at Netsel Marina is full of young sailors.
Everything has been prepared and is being prepared for these young people, who have been introduced to and united with the sea, to remain at sea in the future.

Marmaris, having had its fill of rain, wakes up to another calm day following a peaceful night.
18 University teams, arriving in their colorful uniforms at the briefing in the club building, are waiting to hear what the Chief Race Officer has to say.p>

Chief Umpire Ezgi Kalaycı welcomed the 18 participating teams and then explained the rules in detail.
Of course, there are newcomers among them, as well as those still in the learning phase.

She explains that they need to pass in front of the committee boat before the race, and which rules must be followed if there will be crew changes or if a protest will be filed.

She conveys from her notes that there will be a single start in the races and they have planned a total of 5 races over 3 days, and wishes everyone success.

After the briefing, final preparations on the pontoons...
Team members, managers, tacticians...

I am curious about how sailing teams established within universities maintain their activities, and I want to ask Fikret Atanlı, the sports coordinator of Yaşar University, to answer my questions.

FİKRET ATANLI
(Yaşar University Sports Activities Coordinator)
"Yaşar University Sailing Team was established in 2010.
We started our work with basic training by contracting an external instructor.
We went through an intensive training process. A year later, our university purchased its own boat and continued its activities with this boat.
Over time, we had to dispose of the boat as it became old.

We have come to this point with a very intensive work process, except for the pandemic period.
In line with the importance our founder Selçuk Yaşar gave to sailing, we are carrying out one of the main activities of our university.
We make an effort to participate in at least 2 races every year.
One of them is the Jimmy Key races held in Urla, and the other is Marmaris Campus Cup, in which we have been participating for ten years.
We participate in this race with 6 students. They have an instructor leading them."

The young athletes have their coaches and tacticians with them. They prepare for these events by going out to sea beforehand and training with them.
The helm of the boats must be held by a university student.
The tacticians, based on their experience, tell what needs to be done according to the boat, conditions and team. How much these warnings and instructions are reflected in the race determines the success.
We asked Oytun Çalışlar, owner of Mersin Sailing Academy who has been yacht racing for many years, about what they are doing.

OYTUN ÇALIŞLAR
(Beykoz University Sailing Team Tactician)
"I have been participating in Campus Cup races with different university teams for 9 years.
This year, I will be with a new team, together with Beykoz University Sailing Team.
We are entering a tough week and we have an ambitious boat, an ambitious team.
Universities like this make agreements with us before these races.
We provide their training and coaching on our boats.
We completed the preparation process by doing 2 days of intensive training.
Our aim is to familiarize young people with the boat, develop their reflexes according to conditions, pave the way to success and ensure they stay at sea in the future.
Campus Cup is one of the races we are excited about."

On the pontoons, we see Haktan Taş, whom we knew years ago as a student sailor in these races.
He is the best example for us, continuing this sport as an athlete after starting as a student.

HAKTAN TAŞ
(Yaşar University Sailing Team Tactician)
"I entered Yaşar University's marina management department in 2013 and graduated.
I started sailing in 2014 with the University sailing team's course.
Over time, I served as a racing team member, sailing team captain and helmsman.
After graduating, I continued sailing professionally.
With Hit Sailing, which I am a partner of, I provide training for the Yaşar University sailing team and also take this team to races.
Under today's conditions, sailing can be quite budget-challenging for universities. However, Yaşar University provides the necessary support.
While cruising yachts were used in races over time, now fast racing boats are preferred. This provides experience for those who will continue yacht racing after university."

As the boats left the pontoons and headed out to the course, the race course route became visible to us too.
If only we could see the wind on the course, but there was none.
The committee boat was nowhere to be seen either, they said it was "searching for wind."
It was off Aktaş Point, we found it and went there.p>

I'll be following these races generally from the committee boat and inflatable boats.
Waiting for wind on the committee boat continues.
This is Marmaris, by either 12:00 or 13:00 we'll definitely get sufficient wind.
And so it happened, it started blowing 10 knots from 290 degrees.
The committee's and young sailors' joy came true.

The race committee under Chief Umpire Ezgi Kalaycı's direction is making great efforts in setting up the course, starting the race and conducting it.
I'm witnessing firsthand how accurate their decisions are. Because they took me aboard the committee boat once.
And I can also say that they pay very close attention to safety.
In the first race, the fleet will sail ROUTE 5 from the MIYC courses.

With the first start given at 12:05, 18 university boats are on the Marmaris course.
The wind isn't dropping, it's increasing very slightly.

In fact, as the race finishes it's blowing around 16-18 knots.
The teams know each other, close competitions are emerging.
At the end of the first race;

The race committee announces that they are starting preparations for the 2nd Race on the same course without wasting any time.
At 13:33, with the starting whistle, the fleet is on the course.

The wind is from the same direction at the same strength. Poseidon is aiding the race.
In moments when the wind occasionally strengthens, the differences between teams that train regularly and those that train less become immediately apparent.
Even tacticians can only do so much. Teams need to be prepared for all conditions leading up to the races.
Especially in recent years, the desire to race with fast boats needs to be backed up with substance.
At the end of the day's 2nd Race;

With the wind's help and the committee's speed, both races finish very quickly.
All eyes are on the committee because they have announced that the day's 3rd Race will take place.

For this race, ROUTE 3 E from the MIYC Routes will be sailed. The geographical route will take the fleet around Keçi Island and again finish at the start line location inside.

The wind is blowing from the same direction with the same strength.
Start preparations are beginning. There's congestion on the line. All boats want to start on time, but there's still time before the start.
However, they're doing practice runs during this time.
One of them, IMAGINE from the IRC 1 class where Boğaziçi University athletes are racing, hits the Committee boat right in the middle while maneuvering in a tight space.

The collision sound is heard by the entire fleet.
IMAGINE has damage on her bow pulpit, and the committee boat also has damage on her topsides. This accident, which everyone saw coming, is survived without anyone getting hurt.
The helmsman's screams remain in our ears.

This incident once again makes us question the teams' command of the fast boats they use.
Is it renting the fast boat or being able to handle it?
I could only photograph this fast-paced incident that occurred right in front of us. I wish I could have recorded it on video as well.
Get well soon to everyone.

As the 3rd Race start takes place, there's a pile-up on the start line and the committee postpones.
But not all of the fleet has taken notice of or heard this announcement; the race continues.

The committee continues with persistent announcements. The solution; committee boats moving ahead of the fleet to warn the boats.

The returning boats are now ready for the start.
The 3rd start of the day is given at 15:12.
There are OCS (on course side). The committee announces these boats.
Some make corrections, later saying "we did our 360, we completed our penalty" or others asking via announcement "could we have been OCS?"

While the fleet races on the geographical course, the umpires are following them in boats.
As the fleet approaches Keçi Island, questions arise: "What is ROUTE 3 E?" or "Will the island be rounded to port or starboard?"

The wind doesn't ease its strength and as the sun shows its face more prominently, the finishes are being taken.

In the evening, a welcome party was given to the participants at the club facilities,
Additional sailing instructions are published; the number of races increased from 5 to 6.

MARCH 16 SATURDAY

Summer weather on the course. The universities that completed 3 races yesterday will race twice today if conditions permit.
Wind is blowing from 300 degrees at 10 knots and the committee announces the course for the day's first race; COURSE 5
With the first start given at 12:05, the fleet is on the course.

There is no change in the wind, neither in strength nor direction.
Although it occasionally reaches 13-14 knots at mark roundings, it maintains its stability.
At the end of the day's first race;

The committee begins preparations without delay for the day's 2nd race. The wind is dropping slightly.
From 300 degrees at 10-12 knots.
With the day's 2nd start at 13:35, the fleet is on the course.

The wind increases as the race progresses and small waves begin to appear.
At the end of Day 2's 2nd Race;

In the evening, there's a warm atmosphere at the club facilities; with food, drinks and a JABBAR concert, the MIYC Management provides their guests with an unforgettable evening for the university students.

17 MARCH SUNDAY

Campus Cup final day.
The sea is flat calm. Course officials are busily taking measurements in all areas. No position exceeds 5 knots and most are zero.
The scheduled race time arrives, nothing has changed.

A postponement is announced and measurements continue without interruption.
The fleet boats take their positions on the glistening sea.
They've tied up to each other in groups.
They're listening to music, singing songs.
Finally, they start entering the sea as no change in conditions is detected.

March 17th and the youngsters are swimming in the sea.
One or two at first, then there's a large participation in swimming.
They're no longer on the sea but in it.

Time passes by but the wind is not going to visit here.
Finally, the race committee announces that the race is abandoned.
The youngsters who set sail complete the event by swimming.

The boats returning to Netsel marina are secured, and they head to the award ceremony at the club facilities.
The races conclude with a very beautiful and colorful ceremony.

Very beautiful images remain for a year from now.

Above, we covered the races from our perspective. Now we want to hear about what happened from the eyes and words of the young, successful, and fast chief race officer.

EZGİ KALAYCI
(Chief Race Officer)
"We had planned 5 races for this week. On Friday, we held 2 races with a beautiful wind blowing from 270-280 degrees.
When the wind blows from these directions, there is no course left on our race area except Route 5.
Upwind and downwind battles become more competitive.
Since the races finished very early, we didn't want to send the athletes ashore who were longing for competition.
We decided to hold one more race.
But that would leave 2 races for the remaining 2 days.
We discussed this with the management and learned that we could increase the number of races with additional instructions, so we decided to hold the 3rd race of the day.
We decided to race the youngsters, whom we believed might be bored with the same course, on a geographical course.
We announced the 3E Route, which is a short geographical course, and started the race.
We set sail on this course with my referee colleagues to follow the race.
Marmaris geography is full of shallow waters and we thought the competing youngsters had no practice in this geography.
Even though they had tacticians and coaches with them, we decided this geographical course was sufficient not to put the fleet at risk.
Before the geographical course, there were so many boats on the start line that we couldn't identify them. In such situations, we either use "general recall" or if the line is completely closed before the start, we go to "postponement".
The disadvantage of general recall is that we have to wait 4 minutes to perform an operation. This is a waste of time in a race with steady wind.
We went to postponement, but the fleet didn't understand the meaning of postponement.
Our announcements, our flag mean nothing, the fleet continues racing.
We announce the boat as OCS and ask her to apply the rules, she says we did a 360. She doesn't even know that what she did has no penalty under the applied rule.
A boat asks the committee whether she hit the buoy or not.
In the evening, with a Supplementary Instruction, the number of races increased from five to six.
The weather conditions that appeared beforehand were racing the fleet from the 270-300 degree range.
This Saturday was the same. We had 2 more races with wind blowing from 300 degrees.

Sunday, no wind. Measurements are being taken in all areas, nothing.
Not exceeding 5 knots.
We waited for wind until 14:20. At one point it seemed like it would come from 170 degrees but there was no follow-through.
We made an abandonment announcement and announced that there would be no other race.
It was a colorful race week. Unforgettable days were experienced with races and activities that the youth will never forget."

The club organized a very beautiful prize-giving ceremony. Beautiful, rich images took their place in memories.

As the youth completed their sea-filled days and departed from Marmaris, we asked the MIYC President who organized the event: How was the race, what are your expectations?

ZAFER ÖZNUR
(MIYC President)

"The race was very enjoyable and went well. The competing teams are ambitious. They want to be fast.
For this reason, they chartered performance boats.
With this charter arrangement, the cost of both the boats and sails becomes high.
The number of universities that can charter these boats is also limited.
Although there are many universities in our country, not all of them can come to these races.
Previously, we used to obtain sponsors for the races and provide support to university sailing teams as a club.
We used to organize Campus Cup races under the Sailing Federation, but now we can only organize them under the University Sports Federation.
The University Sports Federation told us that we cannot obtain sponsors for university organization races.
As a result; we no longer have sponsors either.
Unfortunately, we cannot provide any support here beyond hospitality assistance.
For this reason, there has unfortunately been a numerical decline in participation..
When the first Campus Cup started, the club would charter the boats for a certain fee and provide them to universities free of charge.
Previously, universities only had to pay transportation costs. For this reason, participation increased and sailing sport began to spread among university youth.
We could even allocate a portion of the budget we received from sponsors as travel allowances for registration.
Currently, we cannot provide financial support or boat support.
In light of these facts, I am in favor of returning to the old system.
Apart from certain universities, other universities in Anatolia should also participate, they should have that right too.
The young people are very enthusiastic, successful.
We left behind a beautiful competition with its races and social activities.
Now we are looking ahead, thinking about how to expand this sport and how to increase participation."