Greetings to All Rally Participants, 

The start of EMYR 2006 is approaching and we at Kemer are very excited about the progress of the plans. Nine yachts will start from Istanbul will Tuesday 25^th April and will be joined by many yachts along the coast of Turkey until 60 yachts will arrive at Kemer on May 12^th.  We will already have 20 yachts here at Kemer to make a total of 80.  

We thank everyone for checking the information on the entries list and sending us the corrections. It is very important that the authorities of the countries that we visit have the correct information. It is especially important that we know the ports where yachts and each individual will be joining and leaving the Rally.

We are working closely with all of the marinas and harbours to finalize plans for our visits. All are planning very special times for us. 

There is a meeting scheduled at the City Hall in Kemer to “Introduce” the international portion of the Rally, review plans and procedures for the Rally, and answer questions. All Rally participants should attend. 

We are pleased that the Turkish Coast Guard will be accompanying the Rally throughout Turkey from Istanbul to Iskenderun. Their escort is always appreciated. Please make them welcome along the way. 

We are also pleased that Turkish Cruiser Mate is giving all Rally yachts two months of free service while on the Rally. This is a Turkish weather report sent to your GPRS/SMS cell phone. You will receive a packet in your Rally bags for the two month free subscription. Their web site is www.cruisermate.com for more information about this service. 

We have added organized rally tours in Turkey at Ayvalik to Pergamon, Ceşme to Erythrai, Kuşadasi to Ephesus and D-Marin to Bodrum Museum. Our rally program keeps expanding. 

We have several topics of importance: 

·         The Rally Manuals are complete and being sent to be distributed to the yachts at their points of entry. Each yacht receives one manual. Extra manuals can be ordered on your arrival at Kemer for US$20.

·         Tours in Israel can be paid by credit card (US dollars not required for Israel only).

·         We will have 6 groups determined by length of yacht with motor yachts integrated into all groups.

·         We have 6 willing and able group leaders (Groups and group leaders are announced in an attachment).

·         Crew lists forms that are necessary to give authorities in all countries, can now be found on the website. You may complete this on your computer and make copies for yourself instead of handwriting one for each entry. Please don’t send to us, keep it with you to provide on your entry.

·         At Ashdod, there will be a planned day tour to Jerusalem, instead of at the end of the Rally in Herzliya.

·         At Girne, Cyprus, 3 groups will be going to the new marina, Delta Marina and 3 groups to the Old Harbour.

·         There will be specific plans for queuing for food and drinks since this is a concern when serving this number of people. Please follow the plans so that some of us are not ‘over served’ while others “go without’!  Starting from Kemer, all drinks at the rally dinners must be paid for individually as served.

·         The tours in all countries are being finalized and we will have a preliminary sign up for the tours when you arrive in Kemer. Please do NOT contact the Rally representatives individually in any port or harbour to make a tour reservation. We will have tour coordinators in each group to manage the preliminary tour count at Kemer and during the Rally.

·         Prices of fuel are fluctuating greatly day to day. We will be updating the fuel prices on the website as we get them from the marinas but expect them to change!        

We also have a few requests:

• If there is anyone on your yacht with a medical background, could you please inform us (It will be kept confidential unless needed)?
• Is there is anyone with musical ability who would be willing to help lead/coordinate some singing or entertain us?

Please check that:

□       Your insurance is in force in the areas where we will be travelling and be aware that most policies do not cover damages from any acts of terrorism.

□       Your Turkish transit log and Turkish Visas are valid through June 1^st.

□       You have US dollars to cover all tours and fees (credit cards acceptable in Israel           but US dollars preferred). Cost of the tours is posted on the website.

□       Your flares and fire extinguishers are adequate and current.

□       You have your pirate costumes ready! 

Please re-read the February and March newsletters since they contain valuable information that we are not repeating here. They can be found on the website at www.kemermarina.com  under EMYR—Newsletters—from Committee or www.emyr.org . 

We are working diligently to make this year’s EMYR as organized and efficient as possible in order that all of us may enjoy it as much as possible. Please follow the recommendations for berthing, queuing for fuel, food and drinks and all other activities. All of the organizers at the harbours are working to provide berthing space for us but there will still be a few harbours that will require some double tiers of yachts. This means being considerate about helping others to anchor/moor, sharing electrical hook-ups and walking over the decks of other yachts. 

We will continue to monitor the political/security situation in the countries to be visited but at the time of this writing it remains stable.
The latest list of participants and latest group assignments is attached. There might be some changes and you will receive the updated list again.

The marinas at Jounieh, Ashdod, Ashkelon and Herzliya are full service marinas. In some marinas, such as Girne, Lattakia, Mersin and Haifa, services are very limited. In the marinas or ports of Alanya, İskenderun and Port Said, there are no services at all. Please limit your expectations in those harbours and accept that you have to use your own yachts’ facilities as much as possible.

The XXVII Annual Eastern Mediterranean Yacht Rally is dedicated to the memory of A. Muhitin Őney who past away during the last year. Mr. ŐNEY was a founding father of the Rally and a distinguished sailor. He was the honorary President of the Rally for the last seven years. His contributions to the cruising community will be enjoyed for many years to come. He was the father of our yachting friend, Dr. Banu Öney of S/Y Deniz who is an avid cruiser presently participating on the Med-Red Rally.

This is a rally organized by yachtsmen for yachtsmen, a non-professional, non-profit-making concern and we are all guests at the ports we visit. As guests of our generous hosts, it is incumbent on us to respect the laws, customs, and navigation rules of our hosts. Our hosts have gone to a great deal of effort to put on planned events. We should make every effort to attend all sponsored activities. As yachtsmen, we should always leave a clean wake and be especially sensitive to discharging heads in the harbours. The conduct of the yachts is controlled by the Rally Manual, which is issued to each yacht at the port-of-entry to the Rally or at Kemer and is also announced on the web site.            

We look forward to seeing you on the Rally and enjoying the great experiences that we will be having together.