Festival Joy on Bodrum Seas All Through October

Turkey’s biggest sea organization, the 22^nd Bodrum International Yacht Festival will be held during October 16-24, 2010. Whereas Italy’s worldwide renowned yacht channel will broadcast the races across 24 countries, wooden yachts that were built in Bodrum shipyards as a first in Turkey and in the world will be exhibited simultaneously both on land and marine.

The Bodrum Cup International Wooden Yacht Regatta that was held for 21 years in Bodrum will this year be expanded and held under the name of the Bodrum Cup International Yacht Festival. About 1500 contestants aboard 130 yachts from 22 different countries will attend the festival during October 16-24, 2010 organized by Era Bodrum Sailing Club, Bodrum Municipality, Bodrum Chamber of Commerce and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. While the participants will set sail and vehemently compete throughout the day, the concerts, contests and fashion parades that will be held at night will bring forth an air of festivity to the Aegean. Wooden yachts built by famous masters at the Bodrum shipyards will be exhibited both on land and marine during the yacht fair to be held at the Belediye Square, İskele Square, Barış Square and Bodrum Castle.

THE DUEL OF THE GULETS

During the festivities to be held on October 19 at the İskele Square, Artemisia of Caria along with her crew will greet the seamen and tourists. The races will start on October 20 offshore around Bodrum Castle and the first course will be the 36 mile Bodrum-Didim race. The second day of the festival will host the 16 mile Didim-Eşek Island-Didim, the third day will host the 15 mile Didim-Gümüşlük and the last day will host the 36 mile Gümüşlük-Bodrum courses. The festival will bring in many new things this year. The sailboats will compete in wooden yachts – traditional design, performance cruiser and non-wooden construction categories. The yachts that take the first and second positions at the end of four days will compete in the “Duel of the Gullets” which is a 1 mile course between Bodrum-Kara Island.

ERTUĞRUL FINDINGS and NAITULUS WILL ALSO BE OPEN TO VISITORS

The findings from the excavation work carried out for the past 4 years at Ertuğrul Frigate which sank at Japan in 1890 with its 550 seamen will be exhibited at the Bodrum STS School Ship which will drop anchor at the Bodrum Pier Castle front. The explorer ship named “Nautilus” which was managed by the world wide renowned underwater explorer Dr. Balard when ‘Titanic’ was found will also be open to visits by professional and amateur seamen along with sea lovers.

WORLD PRESS WILL FOCUS ON BODRUM

The festival which took its place among the most important yacht race organizations worldwide will be followed by a 20 people crew from Sailing Channel and will be broadcast to 24 countries. One month before the festival it has already been announced that more than 50 foreigner and more than 60 local press members and photographers have applied for attendance. Yacht agencies state that most of the reservations have already been booked by tourists on the yachts that will follow the races.

THE 119 YEARS OLD PIRATE SHIP ‘RHEA’ WILL COMPETE AS WELL

This year’s yacht festival will be the center stage for the competition between Daima, Sıla, Montenegro, Kaya Güneri, Kuğu, Büyük Murat, Ayaz, STS Bodrum Okul Gemisi, Elele, Vals, Dolfin, Portebello, Jasmin, Le Pierre, Aksona Mancorna, Aliko, Ruhum, Artemisia, Nostalgia yachts all of which were placed in their respective categories during the past three years. The 119 years old pirate ship ‘Rhea’ owned by the British electrical engineer David Ross which has participated for the past 3 years is again expected to be the center of attention.