2024 Bosphorus Cup Preview
by Quinag 17 Sep 10:39 PDT
19-22 September 2024
Bosphorus Cup 2023 © Pedro Martinez / Sailing Energy
The 23rd edition of the Bosphorus Cup is about to begin, and the heart of Istanbul is about to light up as an international fleet of racing yachts converges on Turkey's ancient maritime city.
Once discovered, sailors return year after year to race on a stretch of water that usually is closed to all but commercial vessels. With special permission granted to race on the spectacular Bosphorus Strait on Saturday 21 September, around 900 sailors from 10 nations will enjoy some of the most challenging but rewarding racing in this spectacular setting in the heart of Istanbul.
In total the Bosphorus Cup is a four-day regatta taking place from 19 to 22 September.
A rare treat for sailors
Just 16.5 nautical miles long and less than 0.5 nautical mile at its narrowest point, the Bosphorus Strait is the dividing line between the east of Europe and the west of Asia. Across the centuries this vital stretch of water has been considered one of the most important in the world, for trade and connecting east with west. Because of its commercial importance in the 21st century, it's not often that sailing boats enjoy the opportunity to race on these busy waters. But this weekend a big fleet of racing and cruising yachts - ranging between 25 and 86ft - will be jostling for the best position on the start line.
There will be eight categories including, IRC, ORC, sportsboats and cruising boats. After an opening day on 19 September, the first around-the-cans races take place off Caddebostan on Friday 20 September. Saturday 21 September sees the fleet take part in the Bosphorus Race, as the sailors take on the mighty Strait, spanned by three spectacular suspension bridges. Then on Sunday 22 September it's back to Caddebostan to complete the series of races and see who becomes the overall winner of the Bosphorus Cup 2024.
Where else in the world?
Former offshore sailor and Admiral's Cup veteran Orhan Gorbon founded the Bosphorus Cup more than 20 years ago, keen to bring the spirit of yacht racing right to the centre of Istanbul, one of the great ancient cities of the world. "The possibility to race on the Bosphorus makes this one of the most unique sailing races in the world," said Gorbon, who competed in some of the big offshore classics such as the Rolex Fastnet Race and Newport Bermuda Race. "The sailors that come to race here make a point of marking every future edition of the Bosphorus Cup in their calendar. As soon as you have raced here once, you want to come back again and again.
"This year we expect around 85 boats, averaging 40ft in length," said Gorbon. "We have a very competitive local fleet of 10 Farr 40 one-designs, and we have about 35 international competitors from countries including Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Dubai and Switzerland among others." The biggest local boat is a Farr, Orient Express, which can expect some good competition from a TP52 from Izmir, sailed by Arkas Sailing Team. Winner of last year's event is back, a Stimson-designed 44-footer, Fenerbahce 1. Biggest boats on the start line will be two Greek entries, a Volvo Ocean 70 Aiolos and Meliti, a Garcia 86.
Theater of winds
Aside from the excitement of competing in the Bosphorus Cup, the regatta creates a festival atmosphere along the steeply banked shores on the Asian and European sides of the Bosphorus Strait. "Istanbul has a population of around 15 million people, and on a typical weekend around one million people come to the shores of the Bosphorus to enjoy the spectacular views and the atmosphere," explained Gorbon. "A few years ago we realised that the Bosphorus Cup offers a lot more than the competition for the sailors, it makes for an incredible spectacle for anyone on the shore, something they can only ever see once a year."
"This year we have taken the concept to another level. In partnership with the Fine Arts Academy of Istanbul we are presenting the 'Theater of Winds'. There are eight typical winds in Istanbul but there will be six costumes for this year. Each wind will have a character and with a show created by six dancers we will showcase each of the different winds at a party in the Ciragan Palace." With the race on the Bosphorus taking place between 1200 hours and 1700 hours, guests of the regatta will enjoy a lavish party throughout the afternoon at the Ciragan Kempinski Hotel.
Special logistics
The density of commercial traffic - cargo ships and oil tankers for example - is more than three times that of the Suez or Panama Canals, so securing permission to hold an annual yacht race in these economically vital waters has not been easy. "I would like to thank everyone who has contributed and supported the realisation of such an event at international level," said Gorbon. "We are fortunate to have the support of some very creative and influential sponsors without whom we wouldn't be able to hold the Bosphorus Cup. To all our sailors, I wish them the best of skill and luck for the coming days."