The Istanbul leg of the 3rd Presidential International Yacht Races, Türkiye’s premier sailing event, continued with the Cumhuriyet Cup on Saturday.

After the first leg was held in the southwestern province of Muğla this May, the second leg kicked off in the Bosporus Friday with the Barbaros Hayrettin Paşa Cups.

Just like the previous two occasions, it was followed by the Cumhuriyet Cup that coincided with Türkiye’s 99th Republic Day celebrations.

The event – the world's only yacht race to be held between two continents – began with a tribute to Türkiye’s founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his fellow soldiers.

Over 600 athletes from 28 nations braved some strong winds to compete on the spectacular track.

The spectacular sight of Istanbul's historical texture blending with blue accompanied the racers in the intercontinental event on the breathtaking Bosporus.

Toward the end of the race, the athletes had to battle against the prevailing violent wind around the Dolmabahçe Palace.

The Istanbul leg of the event will end with the third race, a battle for the Mavi Vatan Cup on Sunday.

The winner of the first stage was awarded the Halikarnas Cup. The winner of the general ranking will be presented with the Presidential Cup.

"The Presidential International Yacht Races are gaining momentum every year. With this event, we hope that the competition will help to promote our nation and garner a lot of interest from foreign competitors and the media. Our list of participating nations has grown even more this year. Our main objective is to make this race one of the most prestigious races in the world, especially in the Mediterranean," Istanbul Open Sea Yacht Race Club head Ekrem Yemlihaoğlu said about the event on Saturday.

The Istanbul Open Sea Yacht Race Club, under the auspices of the Turkish Presidency, and in coordination with the Foreign, Tourism and Sports ministries, is organizing the event.

The 1st Presidential International Yacht Races were organized in Istanbul between Oct. 29 and Nov. 1, 2020.