Karpaz Gate Marina will welcome the participants of the Eastern Mediterranean Yacht Rally (EMYR) to the luxury North Cyprus destination for the third time in June.
The 2015 Mini EMYR, which will feature a reduced program this year due to security concerns in Syria, Lebanon and Egypt, is set to arrive at the 5 Gold Anchor-rated marina on Wednesday, June 10 and depart on Sunday, June 14 in a prolonged stay.
Visiting 20 marinas and covering a distance of 902 miles over 42 days, the 26th EMYR started from Çesme Marina on the Aegean coast of Turkey on Wednesday, May 6. The yachts will sail from Kumkuyu Marina to Girne in North Cyprus and finish at Famagusta as the final port.
As a popular destination on the itinerary last year, Karpaz Gate Marina will again mark the arrival of the rally from Girne with a welcome party on the promenade. The participants will then have two free days to enjoy the on-site facilities including the Beach Club, visit the Karpaz National Park or explore the region.
On Saturday, June 13, they will attend the Karpaz Gate Marina Season Opening Party celebrations, set to feature live music and food, before they depart for Famagusta the following day.
There was praise from the organisers and positive feedback from participants of the 2014 rally for hosts Karpaz Gate Marina about the exceptional facilities and its suitability as a location from which to explore the relatively undiscovered TRNC coastline.
The current EMYR committee members are David and Kath Gerrard, and Hasan Kaçmaz, who said: “Karpaz Gate Marina is an important part of the EMYR program, particularly in supporting the promotion of TRNC yachting tourism. We are always impressed by the efficient service and facilities on offer.
“Sadly, other regions of the East Mediterranean are still not safe enough, which means that EMYR 2015 will take place as a symbolic rally with a different program. We will be discussing plans for EMYR 2016 immediately following this year’s event.”
Karpaz Gate Marina Harbour Master Deniz Akaltan said: “It is very important to us to promote the whole of the TRNC and introduce as many visitors as possible to the region. As Karpaz Gate Marina is an official Port of Entry, we relish the chance to be involved in the EMYR and look forward to many more years of welcoming the participants to our marina.”
Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the EMYR, the 2014 rally featured a great mix of nationalities, including participants from Great Britain, the USA, Germany, France, Sweden, Holland, Canada, Switzerland, Austria, Israel, Australia, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Hong Kong and Turkey.
This year’s mini rally will include yachts from seven different countries, including the UK, Turkey, USA, France and Italy.
To discuss berthing packages at Karpaz Gate Marina for 2015, please telephone the marina office on +90 0533 833 7878, email [email protected] or visit the website at www.karpazbay.com.