EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN YACHT RALLY   DECEMBER 2009 NEWSLETTER

We hope that you are all fine, happy and enjoying your Christmas and New Year celebrations either with your family or friends at home or in the marinas. We have received an e-mail from Germany that EMYR2009 German sailors will meet in Koln – Cologne on 29th January 2010 Friday. Hasan will try to join them if the timing allows. Are there any other EMYR parties anywhere of the world that we are not informed of yet?
 
Hasan and maybe Dave will be at the London Boat show please come and say hello and have a glass with us.
 
We now have completed the provisional programme for EMYR 2010. We are still checking the options to visit N.Cyprus. Hasan has met the Marina Managers. Small old Marina and Delta Marina are full and they can’t provide berths for the EMYR boats. Dave will meet with the Ports and Transport minister and try and secure berths in the commercial harbour. There is a new marina construction, Karpas Gate Marina, 30 nm to east of Girne. The development coordinator will inspect the conditions for May 2010 and give us a reply soon if they can welcome the rally for 2010. It may not be possible to visit N. Cyprus, Girne Marinas in 2010 and instead we can find another stopover between Antalya & Mersin in Turkish coast.
 
Commodore Teoman Arsay has plans for ?stanbul start and he will contact the yachts that they will start the Rally in ?stanbul. Setur Ayvalık Marina Manager Serhat Maya, C&N Çe?me Marina General Manager Can Polat, Setur Ku?adası Marina Manager Ça?lar Altunta?, new Didim Marina Manager Murat Yaprak, Martı Marina General Manager Ercan Güne?tutar, Port Göcek General Manager ?lkay Oygak, Setur Finike Marina Manager Tuncay Özses, Türkiz Kemer Marina Manager Gonca Uygun and Alanya Marina General Manager Oktay Yurtsever have confirmed to welcome the Rally in 2010. Mersin & ?skenderun Chamber Of Shipping offices, Lattakia Marina in Syria, Jounieh ATCL Marina in Lebanon, Haifa Port, Ashkelon Marina and Herzliya Marina in Israel, Port Said Harbor in Egypt have replied positively to receive the rally yachts again in 2010.
 
We will discuss the programme with you either when we meet you at the boat shows in London, Düsseldorf, Stockholm and Moscow or you can e mail us your suggestions.
 
Turkey is still warm and the sun is still shining above us but this year we had more rain than ever. All the yachts in their marinas in Turkey and liveaborads enjoying Christmas and New Year activities. Your committee and organization team are spread apart from each other but work in harmony as always. Commodore Teoman Arsay is in ?stanbul and is working hard to promote the educational programmes for amateur sailors and fighting with bureaucracy to make the amateur sailors life easier and happier. He says that he will be with the rally for the entire route in EMYR2010. Kath & Dave are settled in North Cyprus Girne, they have received many old EMYR friends this year as guests. Girne social life is very active, if you care to visit please contact before as always davidmashona@hotmail.com.
 
 Cyprus this year has like Turkey received more than average rain fall but we still have mostly clear blue sky’s and sunshine. Kaths golf handicap has reduced as usual Dave is struggling. Hasan says that Alanya Management Team works very hard to make Alanya Marina one of the best live aboard Marina in Turkey. He reports that Gazipa?a Marina development hasn’t been started yet but there are plans to start the construction in 2010 to complete in 18 months by October 2011. He welcomes all cruising friends to visit Alanya. Contact him by e-mail for further information. hasan@emyr.org Umut also is very busy with his new Setur Yalova marina on the southern coast of Marmara Sea and the important news is his marriage. He has married Yaprak in November 2009.  We know that many of you have not been to ?stanbul by your boat yet so keep in mind to visit him for a memorable experience while cruising to ?stanbul. umut@emyr.org Faruk & his wife Ceren have a new life at Göcek in their new house in a small farming village. He grows all their vegetables in the garden and the cow produces fresh milk every morning. Faruk works in the team of Port Göcek Marina info@emyr.org  

The Rally Committee is monitoring the political situation in the Middle East as usual, and will make appropriate decisions to ensure the enjoyment of the Rally. We have received the positive reports for the safety from the EMYR Representatives in Syria, Lebanon and Israeli Marinas/Ports and they all are looking forward to welcoming the EMYR Yachts in their marinas. According to the news since over a year, Syria & Israel will have an agreement we hope in the near future and Lebanon will be at peace accordingly. There are intensive talks in Cyprus Island between Greek & Turkish Cypriot communities and they are working (talking) hard to achieve a positive solution.
 
Hasan has visited Israel in November for few days and met Yves Balely, Carmel Club Commodore & Haifa Port Manager Haver Mordi, Ashkelon Marina Development Company General Manager Gilad Oren and Marina Manager Hillel Resef, Herzliya Marina Development Company General Manager Yariv Fisher & the Marina Manager Amir Tzinder, and they are all happy to welcome the rally to their Ports/Marinas. All is the same in Egypt, our dear friend, our brother, Nagib Latif will organize all for EMYR 2010.
 
In previous years we had a limit of 80 yachts due to the limited mooring capacities in the marinas that we will visit in Turkey, N. Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Israel & Egypt. There are 80 yachts registered and there will be no more registries for 2010. There are red and green coloured EMYR participants. Non coloured yachts and according to their applications the starting ports are fixed. The list is attached.

Red coloured yachts starting ports should be Göcek and further ports like Kekova, Finike, Kemer, Alanya. Red coloured yachts skippers should inform their new joining ports to Rally Secretary. There is no possibility to accept their entries at the ports north of Göcek which this point is clearly explained in our Newsletters. Green coloured yachts have reported their entry port as Martı Marina Orhaniye but they can join the rally at Martı Marina, Orhaniye only if they have already their mooring contract and allocated berth at Martı Marina. We wish to receive Joining Port information till 8th January 2010.
 
The provisional EMYR2010 programme is attached and may be changed according to the replies from the marinas/ports.
 
The cost sharing fee is 400 Euros per person and there will be an announcement for the payment time and method in the next newsletter.
 
We are checking the prices of tours, entry fees/taxes and fuel of every country that we will visit. You may find the samples of the costs for 2009 on our web site but there will be some different tours than last year. Therefore, we will inform you of the latest information with our next newsletters. All new information will be posted on our website.
 
You can visit the web site of the rally to find information about the rally, ports, tours, and articles written by past Rally participants. http://www.emyr.org the official website. The Rally Committee will be happy to respond to any of your questions.
 
INSURANCE: For you own benefit, it is wise to check with your yacht insurance agency about coverage in some of the Eastern Med countries since they may be on the company's list of 'war territories.' We recommend that you receive written confirmation from your insurance company that you are covered in these counties. Other participants have received approval by sending their company a letter of request for coverage explaining that we are a large group, that this is the 21st year for this rally.
 
You can now e-mail the following information to the EMYR secretary.
Crew: There are NINE (9) overnight passages after Alanya. Do you have adequate crew? We realize that this is an ambitious schedule of passages and tours but necessary in order to not inconvenience the local fishing boats and yachts owners. Tired crew can lead to short tempers and intolerance and would defeat the purpose of the Rally. We have an experience that also unknown crew can be a problem. Take people you know very well and really get on very well as a crew.
Passport Information: Faruk Günlü, EMYR Secretary at Göcek has collected only some crew and passport information please can you fill in only online form in the web wage as soon as possible. Please inform him if there are any changes in your crew passports.
 
If you are arriving at a port before the designated Rally time, staying longer or returning after, you must have reservations and pay the agreed upon fees. Some marinas will have special rates for yachts returning after the Rally depending on the length of your stay. Please contact the marina managements individually.
 
Shirt sizes: Please include shirt sizes for crew in crew list form as (S, M, L, XL, XXL) if you are any bigger than this you need to go on a diet.
 
The Committee members look forward to meeting you again in the Rally where you will be sure of a warm welcome with cold drinks. Until that day, we wish you good time at your boat or at home for the winter months. If there are further questions, please do not hesitate to e-mail info@emyr.org. Our hope is for good weather, friendships, hospitality, and great experiences as we will make the 21st Eastern Mediterranean Yacht Rally a wonderful event for both the sailors and our hosts.
Can we also take this opportunity to remind you that the official language of the rally is English any communication should be in that vernacular.
 
We wish fair cruising and many Happy Hours, Merry Christmas and of course a very happy and peaceful New Year.