Last month Cesme Marina in Izmir, yacht charter Turkey, hosted Greek and Turkish yachtsmen for the first Aegean Link Cup. The event was born from a collaboration between Kemal Saatcioglu, General Manager at Cesme Marina, and the yacht clubs of neighbouring Greek Islands. The inaugural event was a great success with twenty eight yachts and some two hundred crew taking part.
The Aegean Link Cup was a pilot for a series of similar races to be held at Cesme Marina in the coming months. These will include the Winter and New Year’s Cups, which will continue to highlight Cesme Marina’s ideal location for yachting rallies and regattas. Those that took part in the event commented on how impressed they were with the race management, the quality of the marina, its many food, beverage and retail amenities and above all, the exceptional levels of service.
This and future events to be held at Cesme Marina, will fill an important gap in the Turkish and eastern Mediterranean yachting circuit, and provide an excellent opportunity for Greek yachtsmen to experience Turkish cruising grounds only a short distance from home.
Conditions tested competitors with winds up to 32 knots, as the race committee ran two races of around 15 miles each. Racing was followed by a party and prize-giving ceremony, where Cesme Marina’s General Manager said: “We would like to thank all of the Turkish and Greek boat owners who have participated in our first Aegean Link Cup. Our friends from many clubs showed their belief in the future of this event. We are very much looking forward to organising further events and welcoming many more participants.”
Cesme Marina opened in June 2010 and has proved popular with local and international yachtsmen as well as visitors to its shoreside amenities. Throughout the summer, the marina was busy with visitors enjoying the bars, restaurants and boutiques that make this a sought-after destination by sea and by land. As the calendar of events grows and Cesme Marina proves itself as an ideal yacht racing venue, the season will extend to make the most of the amenable climate and conditions that spring and autumn provide.
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