The day that sailing and yachting enthusiasts have been eagerly awaiting has finally arrived. The first race of the 34th American Hospital The Bodrum Cup, the Metro stage, started at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 18, on the Bodrum – Çökertme route.
The Bodrum Cup, which brings together sailing enthusiasts in Bodrum for the 34th year with American Hospital as the title sponsor and Çağdaş Holding as the main sponsor, kicked off its first race with the Metro stage along the Bodrum-Çökertme route.
Before the start of the stage, a moment of silence was observed and a wreath ceremony was held on the boat moving towards the starting line with the participation of the protocol and The Bodrum Cup organization for the miners who lost their lives in the mining explosion in Bartın and the sailors who recently lost their lives. The ceremony was attended by Süleyman Uysal, Chairman of The Bodrum Cup Organizing Committee; Erman Aras, Honorary President of The Bodrum Cup; Orhan Dinç, President of the Chamber of Shipping; Captain Ali Murat Mahmat, Commander of the Coast Guard; Oktay Durmuk, Bodrum District Director of Youth and Sports; Mahmut Kocadon, President of the Bodrum Chamber of Commerce; Bilgehan Bayar, District Governor of Bodrum; Mustafa Ünver Böke, District Governor of Milas; Tayfun Yılmaz, Deputy Mayor of Bodrum; Muhammet Tokat, Mayor of Milas; and Osman Gürün, Mayor of Muğla Metropolitan Municipality.
Following the memorial ceremony, the 34th American Hospital The Bodrum Cup races commenced with the first leg upon the signal. After the signal, the yachts set sail, creating colorful scenes across the blue waters of the Mediterranean.
Sails were raised this year for the blue economy and sustainability
The festival, which brings together sailors and enthusiasts from around the world in Bodrum, is opening its sails this year with the motto “Adding Power to Blue.” The first day's race, sponsored by Metro Türkiye as Platinum sponsor, will be the 19th Bodrum-Çökertme route mile. The races will then proceed to Kissebükü, Gümüşlük, and finally back to Bodrum.
Metro Türkiye CEO Sinem Türüng, one of the festival's Platinum sponsors, said, “We are delighted to support the American Hospital The Bodrum Cup organization again this year, which we consider very valuable for our country and is organized annually around a different social responsibility theme,” and continued: “Sustainability is always at the heart of Metro Türkiye's responsible business model, which encompasses the entire value chain from production to distribution. We conduct our business in an environmentally friendly manner and by preserving local values. As an organization committed to advancing Turkish cuisine, we continue to support events that align with our mission, both locally and internationally. The Bodrum Cup is one such event. We are delighted to have supported it for six years and to be participating again this year, promoting the valuable products of our cuisine to various cultures. We are delighted to have prepared a special menu for this event by the chefs of Gastronometro, Turkey's first gastronomy discovery platform, which we established in 2015. We are also pleased to support the event by providing all the provisions needed for all committee boats to prepare this menu throughout the week.”
On Wednesday, October 19, the course for the Opet stage will be set from Çökertme to Kissebükü. The stage length is 16 miles.
On Thursday, October 20, competitors will set sail from Kissebükü to Gümüşlük to complete the By The SEA stage. The stage length is 22.8 miles.
On Friday, October 21, the race will depart from Gümüşlük for the Çağdaş Holding stage, which will finish in Bodrum. The stage length is 14.8 miles.
It will conclude on Saturday, October 22, with the 11-mile Anadolu Sigorta Bodrum-Bodrum stage.
The total distance of all races is 75 miles.
The final race of the festival, the Anadolu Sigorta stage, will start and finish in Bodrum on Saturday, October 23. Upon completion of the final stage, an awards ceremony will be held at Ağanlar Shipyard, followed by an Athena concert to bring the festival to an unforgettable close.
English