Every year, when October rolls around, the Bodrum Cup brings a huge wave of excitement to the southern coastal town of Bodrum, Istanbul and the other destinations where some of the world’s most spectacular sailing boats compete and accompany routes on.

Going into its 35th year, the annual Bodrum Cup is not only a sailing race, but in the popular holiday town that hosts it, it is an exciting extravaganza that includes parties, entertainment such as cooking competitions, and concerts by top-billed performers. And this year, it certainly seems the Bodrum Cup will be outdoing itself, crossing borders and combining the celebration of the 35th year since its conception with the centennial anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye during this special sailing regatta that will take place between Oct. 2 and 21 in Thessaloniki, Istanbul and Bodrum.

On Oct. 29, the Turkish nation as we know it will officially mark 100 years since its formation by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. To mark this significant anniversary and to celebrate 35 years of its own making, the Bodrum Cup will be taking on an exceptional route this year. Starting on Oct. 2 this year, the regatta will kick off from the very home in Thessaloniki, then the Sanjak of Selanik in the Ottoman Empire, where Atatürk was born. From there, the yachts, catamarans, gulets, and tirhandils that compete will sail on to Istanbul, where they will spend the weekend of Oct. 7 to 8 by first greeting the Dolmabahçe Palace by the sea and then navigating along the Bosporus in a cortege for spectators in the city.

There is a very special meaning attached to the initial arrival by sea to the Dolmabahçe Palace, as this is where Atatürk took his final breath. And so, the regatta commemorating the 100th anniversary of the republic begins where its first leader was born and then visits his last home, where one of the world’s greatest commanders and political leaders left us with his legacy of establishing the nation.

Spectacle from Bosporus

Those in Istanbul will be able to sight the boats on Oct. 7 and 8 as they navigate through the Bosporus Strait before continuing to sail on to Bodrum, where the Bodrum Cup continues.

By Oct. 16, the boats will have made their way to Bodrum, where the Bodrum Cup competition center will officially open at the Marina Yacht Club. From an opening spaghetti dinner, which is one of the customs of the regatta world, to events such as presentations of the competition, various exhibitions and Blue Cruise cooking competitions to a blowout concert to mark the end of the series, there will be a lot going on in the final week of the Bodrum Cup. While the finer details have yet to be released, the program generally involves day races throughout the Bodrum peninsula as well as back and forth to the neighboring islands in Greece and evening events that take place at the Bodrum Cup headquarters or at other destinations such as the Yalıkavak Marina.

So, keep your eyes peeled for the announcement of the specific dates of the customary events that take place each year, well, for the past 34 years at least. The biggest highlights will be the Blue Cruise cooking competition and the blowout closing concert that is traditionally headlined by Türkiye’s top performers. The Mediterranean food served up on Blue Cruise tours is almost as legendary as the destinations visited; thus, watching the well-known chefs of the boating world showing off their skills for spectators is set to be one of the most exciting and certainly appetizing events to take place each year. That said, just watching the boats sail throughout the Bodrum peninsula is also exhilarating for those who can spot them in the region.

Thrill of the chase

While the Bodrum Cup is understandably one of the most anticipated events for sailors and boat owners alike, it also offers the thrilling opportunity for anyone to join in the fun by becoming a guest on a boat, either racing or participating as a spectator. That’s right, some boats participate in the competition and race, while others sign on as spectator boats and basically watch the match. But in either case, both categories offer the opportunity for people to book a cabin and stay on board as the excitement ensues.

This means you get all of the thrill of the competition without needing to have acquired the skills involved or exert the effort. The ticket to stay on board one of the boats in the Bodrum Cup does come at a cost, understandably, with the cost for full-board on a racing boat being 750 euros (TL 22,000) per person in a double cabin or 900 euros for a single-person stay, while the stay on a spectator boat is slightly less costly at 450 euros per person in a double cabin and 600 euros for a single. Either way, I can honestly say it will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

While all sorts of sailing boats take part in the Bodrum Cup, the region is famed for its gulet and tirhandil wooden sailing boats. This is because Bodrum was once the epicenter of sourcing natural sponges and it was once the area’s main source of income. Derived from the sponge-diving boat style and evolved to ensure maximum comfort, these boats are designed for both sailing and enjoyment and being aboard one is an experience like none other.

These boats tend to have wide lounging spaces, with expansive seating and laying-out options and, of course, a large dining area, which is where a majority of the fun takes place. These are the signature boats that traverse Türkiye’s Aegean and Mediterranean seas on Blue Cruises and they are built in Bodrum’s famous shipyards. Similar to the gulet, the tirhandil is a wooden sailing boat in which both ends are of equal width. In addition to the Bodrum Cup, every year, there is also the Tirhandil Cup, which generally consists of half a dozen stages held throughout the winter months, with the completion of each leg celebrated with parties held in Bodrum throughout the offseason.