Türkiye Presidential Yacht Races close in Istanbul

Republic Cup and 2026 Trophy prize-giving, Fisekhane, Istanbul, 1 November 2026 © Rana Akkurt / Rüzgar Üstü

The 7th Presidential International Yacht Races of Türkiye (Cumhurbaskanligi Uluslararasi Yat Yarislari) ended in Istanbul on 1 November, back in the city where the season began on the Bosphorus in April.

The final leg, the Republic Cup (Cumhuriyet Kupasi), drew 65 boats. Levent Peynirci's Farr 40 Cheese IV won all five races and closed the 2026 trophy at the top of ORC 0, unbeaten in every race she started this season.

Enka, 2026 Champion of the Year with Cheese IV, receives the trophy at Fisekhane, Istanbul, 1 November 2026 - photo © Rana Akkurt / Rüzgar Üstü

The trophy has been organised by the Istanbul Offshore Yacht Racing Club since 2020. This year it ran over four legs, 27 races and 88 different boats. The first leg started from Besiktas on 23-25 April with 47 boats. On 23 April, National Sovereignty and Children's Day, the fleet raced on the Bosphorus for the National Sovereignty Cup, then set off from Istanbul to Çanakkale for the Coast Guard Cup. It was followed by the Liberation Cup in Kadiköy on 17-19 May (58 boats) and the single-day 30 August Victory Cup on the Bosphorus (58 boats).

The Republic Cup started on 29 October, Republic Day, which marks the proclamation of the Republic of Türkiye in 1923. The fleet started in front of Dolmabahçe Palace for a race on the Bosphorus, scored with a 1.5 multiplier. Windward-leeward racing followed on Saturday and Sunday. The ORC and Sports Boat fleets completed five races in total, the Destek divisions three. Rain, shifting Bosphorus breeze and strong current stayed with the fleet all week.

In ORC 0, Cheese IV won every race from the Bosphorus to the final mark rounding and finished on 5.5 points, also taking first in the International category. Unilever Sailing Team's Bolt 37 Hedef Yelken 37 was second and Kafkas Kestane Sekeri Hero Sailing's Skadi third.

Enka boat Seayou Agency - photo © cheesesailing

The closest contest of the week was in ORC 1. Akkök Holding's J/122 Cheese VIII won the first three races to take the lead. In the last two races Beymen Club's X-41 Atlas scored a first and a second while Cheese VIII finished fourth and third. Atlas won by half a point, 10 to 10.5.

In ORC 2, Evyap Sailing-DAS's A-35 Carina won the Bosphorus race. Selim Kakis's A-35 Zacapa then won all four buoy races to take the division, with Carina second and Garanti BBVA's Cheese V third, an A-35 podium. Evyap Sailing-DAS is a new crew, which makes a Bosphorus win and second overall a strong start.

Zena Enerji's IMX-38 Edith-1 won the Bosphorus race in ORC 3 and followed with four second places to win on consistency. Helly Hansen's Mat 1010 Cheese III won two races but finished second on 11 points, with Tüpras's Fenerbahçe 5 third. In ORC 4, ICA-CTD's First 34.7 Electron won from Hitit's Mat 10 Gemini. Samsun Sailing Sports Club's Alchera, ninth on the Bosphorus, won the last two races to climb to third.

In Sports Boat, Marmara Sailing Sports Club's J/70 Mayk, helmed by Batu Özonur, won all five races. HSSK-Quick Sigorta's Nimbus was second in every race and Greyder third in every race. Volvo Cars Türkiye Sailing Team's Azuree 33 Su 19 won Destek A, and Medipol University's Modayelken won all three races in Destek B.

Türkiye's Presidential Yacht Races - photo © Rana Akkurt / Rüzgar Üstü

In the women's team categories, the Women Sailors Sports Club Association's Blackwater (ORC), Piri Reis University Women's Sailing Team's Sari 1 (CR) and Brisa Sailing Team's Karya Yelken (Sports Boat) took first place. Pupa Sailing Team's women's crew raced the Bosphorus race for Emre Çoban, who lives with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, sailing Mehmet Akif Poroy's Ege Yat 30 Hoppala to second in the women's category. In the university categories, Galatasaray University Sailing Team's Infinito (ORC), Medipol University's Modayelken (CR) and Dürümle (Sports Boat) won.

Trophy points were calculated across all four legs with worst scores discarded. Cheese IV missed two of the 13 races in the first leg and won all 11 she sailed. Mayk also went the whole season without losing a race in Sports Boat. Edith-1 raced only the final leg and finished fifth overall, so the ORC 3 trophy went to Helly Hansen's Cheese III.

At the prize-giving at Fisekhane on the evening of 1 November, Enka, racing Cheese IV under Levent Peynirci, received the 2026 Champion of the Year award from Istanbul Deputy Governor Mustafa Asim Alkan, Turkish Sailing Federation President Özlem Akdurak and Organising Committee Chairman Ekrem Yemlihaoglu.

"Today's young sailors will be tomorrow's champions," said Akdurak. She pointed to three Turkish girls sharing the podium at a recent European championship and called on the yacht racing community to follow and support young sailors across classes from Optimist to wing foil. Yemlihaoglu thanked the sailors "who showed us the finest examples of team spirit throughout the season."

The club has published its 2027 calendar. The new season opens again on 23 April with the National Sovereignty Cup.

Republic Cup, top three by division

• ORC 0: 1. Cheese IV (Levent Peynirci), 2. Hedef Yelken 37 (Engin Özgen), 3. Skadi (Ahmet Rasim Kahraman)
• ORC 1: 1. Atlas (Ahmet Köroglu), 2. Cheese VIII (Güney Kaptan), 3. Game Changer (Oguz Ayan)
• ORC 2: 1. Zacapa (Selim Kakis), 2. Carina (Umut Efe Alpkocak), 3. Cheese V (Bora Olcav)
• ORC 3: 1. Edith-1 (Kemal Berk Otuç), 2. Cheese III (Taner Halaçoglu / Melis Baykan), 3. Fenerbahçe 5 (Evren Koncagül)
• ORC 4: 1. Electron (Bartu Özsoy), 2. Gemini (Ümit Gürpinar / Berk Gürpinar), 3. Alchera (Kerem Gökhan Bulut)
• Sports Boat: 1. Mayk (Batu Özonur), 2. Nimbus (Ege Berk Hacioglu), 3. Greyder (Mehmet Dinçay)
• Destek A: 1. Su 19 (Eren Özdal), 2. DHO Akova (Muhammed Ali Sahin), 3. My First (Burçin Aytunç)
• Destek B: 1. Modayelken (Güray Zünbül), 2. Sari 1 (Ali Erdogan), 3. Foramarine Hercai (Özcan Özverim)

2026 Trophy, top three by division

• ORC 0: 1. Cheese IV (Levent Peynirci), 2. Hedef Yelken 37 (Engin Özgen), 3. DHO / Ariva (Murat Yavuzcan)
• ORC 1: 1. Atlas (Ahmet Köroglu), 2. Game Changer (Oguz Ayan), 3. Hedef Yelken 40 (Hüseyin Levent Özgen)
• ORC 2: 1. Zacapa (Selim Kakis), 2. Logo (Onur Bilgen), 3. Code-Zero (Burak Cora)
• ORC 3: 1. Cheese III (Taner Halaçoglu / Melis Baykan), 2. Infinito (Dogukan Kapicioglu), 3. Fenerbahçe 5 (Evren Koncagül)
• ORC 4: 1. Electron (Bartu Özsoy), 2. Alchera (Kerem Gökhan Bulut), 3. Gemini (Ümit Gürpinar / Berk Gürpinar)
• Sports Boat: 1. Mayk (Batu Özonur), 2. Nimbus (Ege Berk Hacioglu), 3. Doppio (Oytun Türkmen)
• Gezgin: 1. DHO Akova (Muhammed Ali Sahin), 2. Su 19 (Eren Özdal), 3. Modayelken (Güray Zünbül)

Results source: Sail Racing Club, official results of the Republic Cup and 2026 Trophy standings