There are now 83 yachts from 18 countries registered for the Rally and we are keeping new applications on a waiting list. We know from previous experience that there are likely to be 8 – 10 cancellations, and so we are hopeful that all those on the waiting list can be accommodated.

We are in contact with all the marinas in Turkey and the other countries in the Eastern Mediterranean and all our friends are working to make the EMYR 2005 another wonderful event.

The Rally Manual for 2004 is still on our web site www.emyr.org and we are updating part of it currently. The complete new EMYR2005 Rally Manual for 2005 will be announced by the end of March 2005. This contains about 80 pages of important information for Rally participants. In the manual, there is a section on the history of the Middle East. Don’t miss the 2 subsections that have the passage/harbour information, routes, harbour plans and pictures. Paper copies of this manual will be distributed to participating yachts at their point of entry to the Rally. Most all of your questions can be answered by reference to our newsletters and the manual, both of which are posted on the web site, and we ask you to do this rather than send e-mails to the committee. Please reread the February newsletter since it contains valuable information that is not repeated here. The committee will be happy to respond to your questions but most can be answered from reading the website.

The start of the Rally will be at Ataköy Marina and there will be 9 yachts according to the current entries. SY Mashona, captained by David Gerrard, will be there to lead the group south. Part of the committee will be in Ataköy Marina to meet the group and wish them safe sailing to southern coast of Turkey.

Rally Groups & Girne Marina; We have organized the Rally into six groups based on LOA (length over all). The ‘preliminary’ group lists have been emailed to you and will be posted on our web site in about two weeks. One or two of these groups will be allocated space in DELTA Marina at the commercial harbour at Girne, where they will find electrical power, water, internet and very good WC facilities available. Unfortunately it is about five km from the Old Harbour and Castle where the rest of the rally will be berthed, although it is in the city. Marina Manager İlkin Kalıpçıoğlu has reported that bus transportation will be provided for the rally before each social event and taxis will be available for hire for return journeys. At all harbours/marinas, mooring will be assigned by group. Please see the Rally manual which describes this. The Rally Committee will visit Girne – Kyrenia within 10 days to have a meeting with the local authorities.

Alanya, Mersin and İskenderun harbours were visited by the Rally Committee at the beginning of March 2005, and the committee had meetings with the local authorities and visited the marinas. We are pleased to confirm that preparations are well advanced.

Syria has been under the international spot light for several weeks, and we are in contact with Turkish and British Embassies and also with our local representatives for our visit.

Jounieh was the safest city even during the civil war in Lebanon twenty years ago. There are currently big changes in Lebanon and some demonstrations. The committee is monitoring and assessing the political situation.

Haifa Carmel Club Old Jetties were destroyed entirely and Club Commodore Azi is checking the options to see if it is possible to host the rally for two days in their new marina.

Berthing; With 80 (eighty) yachts participating in various legs of the Rally, berthing will be very tight at many of the marinas we visit and some will require having two tiers of yachts at the quay. This will require walking across other boats to access the quay, will limit the shore electrical power and water available to yachts and will strain the onshore shower, toilet and laundry facilities. Much good humour, tolerance and patience will be required! Also, it is recommended that you have a stern anchor available for use if at all possible.

The Port Said restriction of 60 yachts offers us the opportunity to invite other Rally yachtsmen aboard to help crew and share the adventure on these two longer legs while leaving some yachts secure at the Ashkelon Marina. There will be transportation to Ashkelon from Herzliya to retrieve your yachts. If you are not planning to go to Port Said please let us know as soon as you make that decision, so that we can plan ahead.

Jerusalem & Jordan Tour; After the final Rally dinner in Herzliya, we will have the opportunity to have a day tour to visit Jerusalem as an EMYR Group. The EMYR Yacht crews, individually or in groups, can organise Jordan Tours. Descriptions of Jerusalem and Jordan Tours will be on the website under ‘tours’. We were kept waiting for several hours at Jordanian border due to the complicated visa procedure to cross the border on the way to Jordan and on the way back to Israel twice last year. This year, therefore, we will not organise the Jordan tour for the entire Rally Group. If they wish, smaller groups may organise their own tours with the help of Herzliya Marina.

Inspection of the radar reflectors, flares, VHF radios, life rafts, navigation lights will be done in Kekova, Finike & Kemer marinas by the group leaders. All the above items should be in proper working order.






REMINDERS!!

□ Please e-mail the office with shirt sizes for crew (S, M, L, XL, XXL) if you have not already done so.
□ Faruk Günlü, Rally Secretary at Kemer Marina has all crew passport information. Please inform him if there are any changes in your crew passports.
□ If you are planning to arrive at a port before the designated Rally date, stay longer than the Rally date or return after the Rally, you must have reservations, and pay the agreed 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.
□ If you are arriving at a country before the designated Rally date, staying longer or returning after the Rally, you must have the appropriate VISA that you obtain on your own from your country’s embassies.
□ If flying into or out of any country to join or leave the rally, you must have a valid VISA for that country.
□ There have not been any problem in past rallies for pets on board yachts. Please keep a valid vaccination certificate for each pet on board.
□ After İskenderun, American dollars are necessary for payment of the tours and fees, and the availability of ATMs is limited. Please be sure that you all have enough dollars with you in cash. See tour/fee information attachment to determine how much each person and boat will need.
□ Some events on the Rally are ‘formal’, requiring jackets and ties for the men, dressy for women and don’t forget the pirate costume!
□ Refuel when entering harbours and marinas if possible. Note that updated fuel prices for most of the harbours are on the web site.
□ With so many yachts moored in so tightly, the hazards of fire are unthinkable. Please be sure that you have adequate fire extinguishers on board and that they are current and in working order.
□ Some harbours/marinas are absolutely stringent about no dumping of grey or black water overboard. Be prepared with holding tanks, or else there must be NO washing dishes, showering, washing decks with soap or emptying toilets overboard in these harbours/marinas. There are restaurants and facilities available. Detailed information will be provided prior to arriving at these sensitive harbours.
□ There are NINE (9) overnight passages after Kemer. Do you have adequate crew? We realize that this is an ambitious schedule of passages and tours but it is necessary in order to not inconvenience the local fishing boats and yachts owners, who have to give up their berths for the Rally. Tired crew can lead to short tempers and intolerance and would defeat the purpose of the Rally. Keep smiling!!
□ Please remember that there will be large numbers of participants using the facilities, shops, restaurants and chandleries so plan your activities accordingly and please be patient. Have your yacht stocked with supplies before leaving on the Rally.
□ Arrivals/departures of this number of yachts will require much patience and tolerance. We must all act to make this a wonderful experience for ourselves and everyone else. It is an incredible opportunity for us! Be happy!!
□ We may have a reporter from a British yachting magazine join us on the rally. We are asking for 6 volunteer yachts each for one passage to have him as a crew member starting from İskenderun to the final port Herzliya.
□ If you find for any reason that you will not be able to participate in the 2005 EMYR, please notify us as soon as possible. Your coast sharing fees of 250 Euro is refundable until the 1st April 2005.
□ Please reread the February newsletter found on the website.
□ Other websites that you may want to check include:

www.israeli-marinas.co.il www.syrianyachtclub.org www.atcl.org www.gemyatdelta.com

A list of medically qualified people (doctors, nurses, dentists etc.) can be very useful during the rally in case of emergency. Please inform the Rally Coordinator if you or any member of your crew who is qualified would be willing to be added to the list.

We are confident that this is going to be a wonderful and rewarding Rally and we look forward to sharing the experience with all of you.

Shirley & Geoffrey Withrington	Badit & Ergun Gürpinar	Hasan Kaçmaz
United Kingdom	Germany	Turkey
SY ThreeSheets	SY Abracadabra	SY Ibis II
Umut Tepedelenlioğlu EMYR Coordinator - Faruk Günlü EMYR Secretary