BAU Bosphorus Sailing Cup 2016 Winds Blow on the Istanbul Bosphorus

The 'BAU Bosphorus Sailing Cup,' organized by Bahçeşehir University for the fourth time this year, started in front of Bahçeşehir University's Beşiktaş Campus with the participation of 70 teams. 

Teams competed fiercely in the BAU Bosphorus Sailing Cup, which hosts thousands of racing enthusiasts from districts neighboring the Istanbul Bosphorus and turns into a magnificent visual feast on the Bosphorus every year. The race, held on the Istanbul Bosphorus, a course with an attractive level of difficulty for sailors, started in front of Bahçeşehir University (BAU) in Beşiktaş.

Following the race together with students, Bahçeşehir University President Prof. Dr. Şenay Yalçın said that universities should be active not only in scientific fields but also in social and sports fields. "Preparing opportunities for young people in every field is among the fundamental duties of universities," said Prof. Dr. Şenay Yalçın, adding: "One of these fields is sailing, which we try to make our young people love, especially since we have a campus by the sea. In this sense, in addition to our maritime programs, we also wanted to organize a competition since we are located on the shores of the Bosphorus in this city, traditionally the pearl of Türkiye. We established a cup under the name 'Bahçeşehir Bosphorus Sailing Cup.' This year we are organizing it for the fourth time. We hope to continue this competition for many more years. Currently, our young people are competing with 3 boats as the Bahçeşehir University Sailing Club. In previous years, they achieved great results in both national and international arenas and represented us and our country with pride. Participation in the cup is increasing day by day; this year the number of participants reached 70."

"YOUNG PEOPLE NEED TO CHANNEL THEIR ENERGY INTO SPORTS ACTIVITIES"

Emphasizing that what matters is 'knowing how to compete,' Prof. Dr. Yalçın said: "Sport is a matter of sportsmanship. Of course, finishing in the top three makes everyone happy, but what really matters is knowing how to compete and developing team spirit. Because here, teams move beyond individualism and start to act as one. That is exactly what is desired, because it is teamwork that will shed light on developments. Today is a beautiful sunny day, and our boats are racing right now. We gave the start a little while ago. The race will continue until the evening. Young people's interest in sports supports a structure that complements their mental and physical development. Young people should definitely be involved not only in sailing but in any field of sports, and should channel their energy into sports rather than other things."