Our Sailing Team at Baltic Sea

For the first time a Swan 60-crew from Turkey will be competing in the Nord Stream Race Nations Cup. The newcomers from the Bosporus area who will sail onboard “Petite Flamme” are being supported by the Turkish Bosphorus Gaz Corporation (BGC). The 18-member-crew is from Istanbul and consists mainly of young up-and-coming sailors who are all united by their great willingness to take part in the race. A third of the crew is made of female sailors, who, together with their male colleagues, took an intensive training course only to be able to take part in the Nord Stream Race.  Team Turkey will be helmed by the 38-year-old Cenk Tekkaya, who does not only like to be on the water in his spare time but who also is a nautical officer by profession. He has helmed several offshore-regattas in the Mediterranean but sailing on the Baltic Sea is a new challenge for him. Besides his active sailing career Cenk Tekkaya also works as a coach for up-and-coming sailors. In 2008 he was awarded most successful sailing instructor of Turkey. “Petite Flamme” with the Bosphorus Gaz-crew on board will compete in the Nord Stream Race under the flag of the Turkish Offshore Racing Club, or TAYK (Türkiye Açıkdeniz Yarış Kulübü), which is Turkey’s leading sailing and yachting club established in 1971. TAYK is also the sole representative of Turkey in the International Rating Council (IRC).