drLaser
Member
In a recent post in the "Laser Class & Politics" board, I noted in passing:
"...A more or less permanent end to my days as an ILCA-NA member is approaching fast. But that's another long story...."
Some concerned friends inquired about the details. In order to prevent wild speculations, let me just note that my planned departure from ILCA-NA is purely due to personal reasons.
I fell in love! At age 51! And she is not even a Laser sailor!
I've been visiting this part of the world quite often over the past few years, and I got hooked. Both by her and by Istanbul! We will live in Istanbul, at least for the foreseeable future.
My ILCA-NA 2004 membership fees are paid up, and I will probably not renew in 2005. I will be racing as a member of ILCA-TURKEY with the letters "TUR" on my sails from now on. None of this will have any impact on the "drLaser" web site.
One reason why this private information is publicly posted here is because I wanted to also share with you some details of Laser sailing in Turkey.
There is no "Laser Class Association" to speak of in Turkey. As in many developing countries, there is a (government funded) "Sailing Federation" that financially supports all the sailing clubs, plus one "ILCA Contact." Maybe I can establish a Laser Class Association here.
Almost all the Lasers are club-owned and made available to amateur sporting members of these clubs. Club membership is free for sailors. A club buys two Lasers from the Federation for the price of one! Even fittings are available at almost half price.
As in all countries, there are rich clubs and poor clubs. One club is like any "Hyatt Hotel", with its marble floors, high-tech conference centers, physical fitness centers, huge storage and maintenance facilities, several coaches, umpteen support boats, etc. Another one right next to it can have much more limited funds, older hulls, older spars and sails, etc. I've seen the bottom end in the US, too, but I have never seen such "opulence" in any sailing club in the USA or in Europe.
Over the past two months, I have been studying these clubs to determine which one I should join, which one I could contribute most to. There are four major sailing clubs and probably a total of eighty Lasers within a mile of my home. I decided to join the "Istanbul Sailing Club", a club established in 1957 and home base of international level Laser competitors like Ali Kemal Tufekci and Kemal Muslubas. I will join the club as their Laser Fleet Captain.
While more than 50 percent of the ILCA-NA membership is composed of Masters and older sailors in North America, here, no one over 25 seems to sail Lasers! It's mostly an economics-based decision. Family life and work does not leave sufficient play time for grown-ups here to seriosly practice Lasering, and the clubs prefer having their Lasers more fully utilized by youngsters.
Another interesting difference (compared to North America) is that there are only few Standard Rig sailors. Turks usually have smaller frames, and the Radial seems to be where they feel more comfortable. In a typical inter-club race in Istanbul, you can find 60+ Radials versus only 5 or so Standards on the starting line.
Kids start with the Optimist, graduate to the 4.7 and then to the Radial. For the grown-ups (the old geezers), there is the "Pirat" and the "Dragon". For serious double-handed racing, the standard is the 470. ("Europe" and "Finn" classes exist, but are not large.)
It looks like I may need to swich down to the Radial, myself. In fact, on my way over here, I bought a new (North) Radial sail in anticipation... Winds are huge here (especially the "Lodosi", as the Greek would call it), and waves get quite large, too. It's nothing like Northeastern US.
In any case, give me a few months to get oriented, and after that, if you ever drop by in Istanbul, let me know. Probably I can arrange for a few hours out on a Laser for you (even if your name is "Tom" and you just don't like me .
The climate in Istanbul is similar to that in North Carolina, and they say the sea is "getting cleaner and cleaner every day"!
Two years ago, when I first visited some of these local clubs, they ("Galatasaray Sailing Club" and "Fenerbahce Sailing Club", for the soccer fans among you) were kind enough to immediately provide "drLaser" with a Laser I could use any time I wanted. On my first outing on a steaming hot summer day, I went out in light winds. I ran out of the water in my water bottle, and to cool down, I started dipping my hat into the sea and putting it back onto my head. When I came back ashore and took off my hat, all the kids were laughing! The bald spot at the top of my head was all covered with tiny red pimples!
Today, I do the same thing and nothing happens. I claim that it's my immune system responding to the new environment. They claim that it's the recent massive investments into improving the water quality of Istanbul. Apparently, even lobsters and shrimp and dolphins are coming back, after a twenty year absence from these waters.
Istanbul is one of the most beautiful cities in the World. Definitely rivals Cape Town (South Africa). I can't think of anything that compares to it in North Amarica. Visually, and only visually, maybe SF or Vancouver can come close with their rolling hills, little islands and waterways. It's a totally metropolitan life juxtaposing the ultra modern architecture and filthy rich lifestyles right next to the old and historic quarters occupied by $25/day laborers. The workforce of this huge city with a population of close to 15 million now travels from Asian to European coasts (or vice versa) of the city every day, commuting using two slender suspension bridges over the "Bosphorous Straight".
No subway system yet, and the railways and the commuter ferries are underutilized.
There used to be much industrial activity along both the Bosphorous and the "Golden Horn", a small inlet dividing the European side of the city to its "Old City" and "New City" sections. These establishments are now all closed and the water pollution they were creating has now stopped.
I hope so. I don't want pimples on my bald spot.
Cheers to all,
Shevy
"Cheat the nursing home; die on your Laser!" (NA)
"...A more or less permanent end to my days as an ILCA-NA member is approaching fast. But that's another long story...."
Some concerned friends inquired about the details. In order to prevent wild speculations, let me just note that my planned departure from ILCA-NA is purely due to personal reasons.
I fell in love! At age 51! And she is not even a Laser sailor!
I've been visiting this part of the world quite often over the past few years, and I got hooked. Both by her and by Istanbul! We will live in Istanbul, at least for the foreseeable future.
My ILCA-NA 2004 membership fees are paid up, and I will probably not renew in 2005. I will be racing as a member of ILCA-TURKEY with the letters "TUR" on my sails from now on. None of this will have any impact on the "drLaser" web site.
One reason why this private information is publicly posted here is because I wanted to also share with you some details of Laser sailing in Turkey.
There is no "Laser Class Association" to speak of in Turkey. As in many developing countries, there is a (government funded) "Sailing Federation" that financially supports all the sailing clubs, plus one "ILCA Contact." Maybe I can establish a Laser Class Association here.
Almost all the Lasers are club-owned and made available to amateur sporting members of these clubs. Club membership is free for sailors. A club buys two Lasers from the Federation for the price of one! Even fittings are available at almost half price.
As in all countries, there are rich clubs and poor clubs. One club is like any "Hyatt Hotel", with its marble floors, high-tech conference centers, physical fitness centers, huge storage and maintenance facilities, several coaches, umpteen support boats, etc. Another one right next to it can have much more limited funds, older hulls, older spars and sails, etc. I've seen the bottom end in the US, too, but I have never seen such "opulence" in any sailing club in the USA or in Europe.
Over the past two months, I have been studying these clubs to determine which one I should join, which one I could contribute most to. There are four major sailing clubs and probably a total of eighty Lasers within a mile of my home. I decided to join the "Istanbul Sailing Club", a club established in 1957 and home base of international level Laser competitors like Ali Kemal Tufekci and Kemal Muslubas. I will join the club as their Laser Fleet Captain.
While more than 50 percent of the ILCA-NA membership is composed of Masters and older sailors in North America, here, no one over 25 seems to sail Lasers! It's mostly an economics-based decision. Family life and work does not leave sufficient play time for grown-ups here to seriosly practice Lasering, and the clubs prefer having their Lasers more fully utilized by youngsters.
Another interesting difference (compared to North America) is that there are only few Standard Rig sailors. Turks usually have smaller frames, and the Radial seems to be where they feel more comfortable. In a typical inter-club race in Istanbul, you can find 60+ Radials versus only 5 or so Standards on the starting line.
Kids start with the Optimist, graduate to the 4.7 and then to the Radial. For the grown-ups (the old geezers), there is the "Pirat" and the "Dragon". For serious double-handed racing, the standard is the 470. ("Europe" and "Finn" classes exist, but are not large.)
It looks like I may need to swich down to the Radial, myself. In fact, on my way over here, I bought a new (North) Radial sail in anticipation... Winds are huge here (especially the "Lodosi", as the Greek would call it), and waves get quite large, too. It's nothing like Northeastern US.
In any case, give me a few months to get oriented, and after that, if you ever drop by in Istanbul, let me know. Probably I can arrange for a few hours out on a Laser for you (even if your name is "Tom" and you just don't like me .
The climate in Istanbul is similar to that in North Carolina, and they say the sea is "getting cleaner and cleaner every day"!
Two years ago, when I first visited some of these local clubs, they ("Galatasaray Sailing Club" and "Fenerbahce Sailing Club", for the soccer fans among you) were kind enough to immediately provide "drLaser" with a Laser I could use any time I wanted. On my first outing on a steaming hot summer day, I went out in light winds. I ran out of the water in my water bottle, and to cool down, I started dipping my hat into the sea and putting it back onto my head. When I came back ashore and took off my hat, all the kids were laughing! The bald spot at the top of my head was all covered with tiny red pimples!
Today, I do the same thing and nothing happens. I claim that it's my immune system responding to the new environment. They claim that it's the recent massive investments into improving the water quality of Istanbul. Apparently, even lobsters and shrimp and dolphins are coming back, after a twenty year absence from these waters.
Istanbul is one of the most beautiful cities in the World. Definitely rivals Cape Town (South Africa). I can't think of anything that compares to it in North Amarica. Visually, and only visually, maybe SF or Vancouver can come close with their rolling hills, little islands and waterways. It's a totally metropolitan life juxtaposing the ultra modern architecture and filthy rich lifestyles right next to the old and historic quarters occupied by $25/day laborers. The workforce of this huge city with a population of close to 15 million now travels from Asian to European coasts (or vice versa) of the city every day, commuting using two slender suspension bridges over the "Bosphorous Straight".
No subway system yet, and the railways and the commuter ferries are underutilized.
There used to be much industrial activity along both the Bosphorous and the "Golden Horn", a small inlet dividing the European side of the city to its "Old City" and "New City" sections. These establishments are now all closed and the water pollution they were creating has now stopped.
I hope so. I don't want pimples on my bald spot.
Cheers to all,
Shevy
"Cheat the nursing home; die on your Laser!" (NA)