Mrs Karakaya, why do you commute between Lake Constance and the Bosporus?
I started sailing in 2022, completed my SKS in Mallorca and then sailed on Lake Constance through my employer's company sports club - including two frustrating regattas where we barely made any progress due to a lack of wind. We even had to cancel the last one.
At the same time, I happened to see videos of the Turkish Marine Regatta, 555 nautical miles from Istanbul to Göcek. I was impressed - and resolved to sail this regatta one day.
What did you then do to get closer to your goal?
I started researching which Turkish sailing clubs achieve good results in regattas very early on, in the summer of 2024, and then proactively wrote to them. It wasn't easy to get into the regatta scene, as the sailing clubs have their own fixed training programmes, some of which were quite challenging for my long journey from Germany.
Right from the start, I approached the clubs with great motivation and initiative, communicated honestly that I was still a beginner, but at the same time made it clear how determined I was and how seriously I was approaching the whole thing and pursuing the goal of a marine regatta. My willingness to regularly make the long journey from Germany was probably also convincing. This signalled to the clubs that I am prepared to invest a lot of effort and time in my training and this ambitious sailing path.
What kind of crew are you sailing with now?
In the end, I decided to join the Alize Sailing Club programme in Istanbul at the end of the summer and officially signed up for one of the regatta teams in December 2024 to prepare for the 555-nautical-mile offshore regatta with the Istanbul Inshore Regattas. Since March, we have been training intensively as a regatta team on a Gorbon 28, a special regatta boat on the Sea of Marmara - my first serious sailing experience outside of Lake Constance, for which I commute from Stuttgart to Istanbul for weekends.
There is a list of 21 interested sailors who sail in the IRC4, divided into three crews, seven of whom always train on the boats. The different crews of the G28 train six times a season, and ten Turkish Offshore Sailing Club (TAYK) regattas are also sailed.
However, because I always fly from Stuttgart to Istanbul, I'm not just there for my crew's training sessions. We coordinate our activities on a weekly basis, and if someone is unavailable, I also fill in when I'm on site. And even if no one is absent, I'm there as an observer. They offered me that, which I'm very grateful and happy about. Because I think I'll just take as much with me as I can.
How did the club react to your unusual commitment?
Everyone was surprised! Some of the sailors from Istanbul are already dreading the journey across the bridge between Europe and Asia. And I travelled all the way from Stuttgart! At first they thought I was almost crazy, but now many have come to respect me. I'm the only one travelling from abroad especially for the regatta training sessions and the regattas. And because I commute so far and can't always be there, I was allowed to take the first trophy of the season home with me. It's now on the shelf there as an incentive.
How does communication work on board?
In a language that was completely new to me! I was born and raised in Germany, but I have Turkish roots. Of course I also speak Turkish as a second mother tongue - but sailing is a completely different language. I had to learn some vocabulary first.
How does sailing on the Bosporus differ from sailing on Lake Constance?
On Lake Constance, I often had to deal with winds that were not very constant or predictable. One of our company boats, which we used for regattas, is a Dufour 360 GL, which is also not a racing yacht. Accordingly, racing was particularly arduous. In Turkey, on the other hand, quick decisions, frequent sailing manoeuvres, higher speed and a much more dynamic pace dominate. We sail on lighter, specially designed regatta boats, so every move has to be right. The conditions are also completely different: we have much stronger currents and a much more predictable wind, which often shifts from south-west to north-east during the day. This can then start with a decent swell and end with smooth seas, an exciting mix.
What goal are you pursuing now?
It some point, I want to take part in the legendary 555-mile navy regatta. What I've done so far is the first step towards this goal. I'm currently working on a roadmap alongside my training. Maybe it will work out this year or next year, maybe not for another two years. But I'm working hard towards it.
