Everybody's a winner as Bodrum Cup winds down

The Bodrum Cup, a four-day sailing race for wooden yachts, ended its 21st year with a surprise winner.

The MYS Daima, an unknown outsider at the start of the cup and the first to be built in a new Antalya shipyard, is owned by one of northern Cyprus’ leading businessmen. The boat, skippered by a New Zealand captain and crewed by an all-Turkish crew, carried off the Bodrum Cup, plus a whole bag of prizes.

In fact, however, almost everyone goes home with a prize.

After three days sailing into headwinds, and a whole day canceled because of a total lack of wind, the results of the Bodrum Cup were announced at the Halikarnas Club in Bodrum on Saturday night.

It seemed that of the 66 boats that competed, nearly everyone went home with a commendation if not a prize on the results list. From the three men on the smallest tirhandil to the largest crew of 21 on one of the largest traditional Bodrum yachts, beaming smiles of pride were there for all to see.

Every boat has a story

Nostalgia, in the 18.50-22.49 m Blue Flag group, was cheered on loudly when it took third place in its category. A local boat and perennial competitor, it is always a favorite, with Kaptan Cengiz, the famous blind captain who steers his crew and boat by touch and feel, always a happy and sociable crew.

Second in the same group was SİLA, which also won the Halikarnas Balıkçısı (Fisherman of Halicarnassus) Cup. First place in that category, meanwhile, was won by Büyük Murat, one of the few boats that has raced in every cup.

Daima, in only her first summer on the water after being built in Antalya, showed remarkable prowess in running first for the first two legs and second in the fourth and last day against boats and crews that have sailed the same waters for as many as 30 years. She won the Bodrum Cup, the Bodrum Municipality Cup, her class (the Grey flag – for those boats 31.5 meters in length and beyond), as well as Day 1 and Day 2 honors.

Daima owner Erbil Arkın immediately donated the Day 2 honors prize – a full micron paint coating from second-day sponsors Begüm Yachting-Barka Yachts – to the STS Bodrum school ship.

STS Bodrum is a school on a ship and might be the most distinctive and graceful of the boats that have come out of Bodrum’s shipyards. It was built through community support and donations, crewed by the very enthusiastic next generation of Bodrum sailors under the guidance of some of the most experienced and patient sailors in Bodrum. She is also one of the fastest boats in Bodrum and ran hard on Daima’s heels for first prize.

The Kuğu crew was very happy with their place. Kuğu means Swan, but she could be regarded more as a phoenix for her company, Ventus Sailing, rising as it did from the remains of a former regular cup winning company. With some very experienced race crew and regular Dutch passengers, Kuğu ran third for the first two days, coming in fifth place overall and first in her length class (22.5-26.49 m) ahead of Jasmin 1. It must be noted that the Kuğu team also won the fancy dress competition at Didim marina, with their full crew made up as the fearsome “Aegean Pirates.”

“You have really come out of nowhere to win the stages and the cup,” Daima Capt. Steve Johnson said, grinning. “Yep, that's right, we come up to Bodrum, take the cup and disappear back to Göcek."

When owner Erbil Akın was asked the secret of his success, he said: “It’s simple: Do the best you can! Strive for the best you can do.”

His enthusiasm and pleasure in the whole night was infectious, particularly as he was on the stage giving prizes as he was representing one of the main sponsors, the ArgoPruvaArkın shipyard. Pruva is an established yacht charter company in Bodrum.