BODRUM,
TURKEY, Sept. 7, 2005 –
Sailors, captains, and sporting enthusiasts alike are charting courses
to set sail across Turkey ’s turquoise waters for this
year’s Bodrum Cup, Oct. 15th – 21st. The Bodrum
Cup, an international yacht regatta and annual tradition, brings
together Bodrum’s charter fleet with private wooden yachts from around
the world, as one of the only and most elite competitions exclusively
for classically constructed wooden vessels. Not only for skilled
yachtsmen, the regatta also extends the cruising season for novices, who
can stow away as passengers or join the crews for the last adventure of
the sailing season.
Held in the third week
of October since 1989 and organized by the Era Bodrum Sailing Club, the
Bodrum Cup was originally intended to promote sailing activity among
charter yachts and draw attention to the preservation of wooden crafts.
Now it also signifies the close of the maritime season in this alluring
resort town. The end of each day during the regatta is an unforgettable
vision, as all the participating yachts anchor side by side, and the
horizon fills with the sails of as majestic wooden fleet. To
participate, a crew need only submit a $200 fee and regatta form to the
Organization Committee. To experience the rush of the race and nightly
shore-side festivities, arrangements can be made for individuals to set
sail aboard a participating yacht beginning at $450 per person double
occupancy, inclusive of meals and onboard accommodations.
The highest award
given out during the event is the Bodrum Cup, presented to the yacht
with the least penalty points among all those competing in the
categories of Traditional Yacht Classification (high displacement
cruising yachts built with the traditional materials and methods). The
Bodrum Cup Regatta Pennant, the most prestigious of the honors bestowed,
is awarded to the overall winner of the race, with permanent pennant
possession granted to the yacht which earns a Bodrum Cup hat-trick.
Additional prizes are conferred in specific rigging and design
categories as well.
Spectator favorites at
the illustrious regatta are the Oct. 18 Best & Fanciest
Dressed Team contest and the Vintage Wooden Yacht Prize, which honors a
wooden yacht of traditional or classic construction built 50 or more
years ago (provided that at least two yachts in this category
participate in the regatta) presented during the awards ceremony.
The Opening Ceremony
begins at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 15, with the “Circle of Love” official
starting race at 4:00 pm the following day, Oct. 16, 2005. For more
information, a complete schedule of events and participation forms,
visit
http://bodrumcup.com/2004/en/index.asp
or call (+90) 252 316 2310.
Turkey, the site of
two wonders of the ancient world, is a present-day marvel – the cradle
of civilization, the very center of world history and a modern
Westward-looking republic. It is a country of fascinating contrasts,
where antiquity is juxtaposed with the contemporary, the familiar with
the exotic; where sun-swept beaches beckon less than an hour away from
snow-capped mountains, and everywhere visitors are treated to the
extraordinary warmth of the Turkish people.
For information about travel to Turkey, call 1-877-FOR-TURKEY
or contact the Turkish Culture and Tourism Offices in New York at
212-687-2194
or in Washington D.C. at 202-612-6800 or in Los Angeles at 323-937-8066
and visit
www.tourismturkey.org
or
www.kulturturizm.gov.tr
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