National sailor Doğukan Kandemir, who embarked on a ‘Solo Turkey Tour Record’ attempt from Hopa, crossed the Istanbul Bosphorus with the Turkish flag on July 1, Maritime and Cabotage Day. Kandemir, who started from Hopa Port on June 26 accompanied by Coast Guard boats, completed the Black Sea leg of his record attempt, which he maintained solely by wind power, in 4 days and 19 hours. The national athlete, who covered approximately 650 nautical miles, successfully completed the Black Sea crossing and reached the Istanbul Bosphorus. Kandemir, who had been at sea for approximately 114 hours and continued his journey sleeplessly, hoisted the Turkish flag on his sails during the Bosphorus crossing, which coincided with Cabotage Day. Numerous boats in the Istanbul Bosphorus also accompanied the national athlete, creating a colorful spectacle.
‘HALF OF MY FATIGUE IS GONE’
Speaking after the Bosphorus crossing, Kandemir stated that crossing the Istanbul Bosphorus on Cabotage Day gave him great morale. He said, “The fact that our crossing of the Istanbul Bosphorus coincided with July 1st Cabotage Day greatly increased my motivation. We can say that half of my fatigue is gone. Now the only question in my mind is how we will cross the Sea of Marmara? I continue my journey with this motivation.”
Kandemir aims to break the ‘Solo Turkey Tour Record’ previously completed by Başak Mireli in 15 days, 6 hours, and 41 minutes. He targets to complete the course in under 13 days.
Source: https://www.dha.com.tr/yerel-haberler/istanbul/denizcilik-ve-kabotaj-bayramini-yelkeniyle-boga-2902317
