The Almaty Yacht Club team has garnered great success by securing second place in the prestigious Rolex Giraglia Cup, which unfolded from June 9 to June 17. Led by Murat Abdrakhmanov, the Jenis (Victory) yacht battled against more than 150 boats representing an international fleet.
The Rolex Giraglia Cup holds a significant position in the sailing world, tracing its roots back to 1953 when it was first established. Organized by the Yacht Club Italiano and Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez, this revered race takes place annually in the Mediterranean Sea. It derives its name from the small island of Giraglia, situated off the northern coast of Corsica.
Marking its 70th anniversary, the Rolex Giraglia Cup has solidified its status as one of the Mediterranean's most prominent and iconic sailing events.
"The competition is quite prestigious, and to take second place in it is a very good result," Abdrakhmanov expressed his satisfaction with the team's achievement.
As a sailor since 2009, Abdrakhmanov not only leads the Almaty Yacht Club but also actively promotes the sport of sailing in Kazakhstan.
The race witnessed participation from professional and amateur sailors from various corners of the globe, including the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, the United Kingdom, and Uruguay.
The picturesque racecourse guided participants through the enchanting Mediterranean waters, encompassing notable landmarks such as the Giraglia rock and the island of Corsica.
Abdrakhmanov detailed the structure of the race, which comprised three distinct parts. The first race covered a distance of 102-111 kilometers from Sanremo to Saint-Tropez and commenced at midnight on June 9.
"In the first race, we finished at about 1 p.m. and came fifth. The race was difficult because of the weak wind," Abdrakhmanov revealed.
The inshore races commenced on June 11 in Saint-Tropez, with varying distances ranging from 24-42 km and spanning across three days.
"In this race, we secured fourth place once and second place twice, considerably ahead of the main fleet," Abdrakhmanov proudly shared.
The final offshore race embarked from Saint-Tropez on June 14, leading to Genoa via the northwestern section of Corsica, where the Giraglia rock is situated.
"Total distance based on the map is 444 kilometers, but because we go depending on the wind, we sailed a bit longer. This time we covered this distance within 46 hours and came third de-facto, but following recalculation, we came fourth," Abdrakhmanov explained.
He clarified that the elapsed time is recalibrated using the Offshore Racing Congress (ORC) score, which considers the technical parameters of each boat to level the playing field for all participants.
“Coefficients are also assigned depending on the importance of the race. For example, inshore races were short – they receive a coefficient of one, while the night race from Sanremo to Saint-Tropez gets 1.5 and the last offshore race – three. As a result, we took second place behind the Italian team in the ORC second class,” Abdrakhmanov elaborated.
Abdrakhmanov emphasized the importance of owning a boat outright for winning prestigious races, as it allows for modernization and improvements, which can be challenging to achieve with rented boats.
Last year, the Kazakh team participated in a rented boat. However, this year they sailed on Abdrakhmanov's Jenis yacht, which was acquired and launched in May of the previous year.
Apart from Abdrakhmanov, the team comprised seven members of the Almaty Yacht Club, including Meiram Sergazin, Ramil Mukhoryapov, Timur Salimov, Gassal Mussin, Arman Karimov, Igor Belyavskiy, and Petr Lezhnin.
The Kazakh sailors have actively participated in various regattas worldwide for over a decade.
"Our club consists of amateurs, and we have organized the Qazaqstan Sea Cup several times," Abdrakhmanov shared.
Reflecting on his sailing journey, Abdrakhmanov highlighted the allure of adventure and the need to adapt to the elements.
"Regatta is called ‘chess on the water’ because there are many tactical tasks. There is no limit to perfection and it’s very exciting," he expressed.
The team has ambitious plans to continue participating in prestigious races, including the Sails of Saint-Tropez, the Rolex Middle Sea Race, and the Marmaris International Race.
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