Kazakh Sailors Capture Second Place in Rolex Giraglia Cup
Almaty Yacht Club Places Second in Prestigious Rolex Giraglia Race
ASTANA – The Almaty Yacht Club team, led by Murat Abdrakhmanov, has secured second place in the Rolex Giraglia, one of the Mediterranean’s most esteemed and longstanding races. The competition, which took place from June 9-17, saw the team compete against over 150 boats from around the world.
The Rolex Giraglia, organized by the Yacht Club Italiano and Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez, has a rich history dating back to its establishment in 1953. It is held annually at the Mediterranean Sea and is named after the small island of Giraglia, situated off the northern coast of Corsica. Celebrating its 70th anniversary this year, the Rolex Giraglia has become one of the region’s premier sailing events.
Abdrakhmanov, who has been a sailor since 2009, runs the Almaty Yacht Club and actively promotes the sport in Kazakhstan. Reflecting on the team’s achievement, he remarked, “The competition is quite prestigious, and to take second place in it is a very good result.”
Participants from various countries, including the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, the United Kingdom, and Uruguay, competed in the race. The picturesque route passed famous landmarks such as the Giraglia rock and the island of Corsica.
The race was divided into three parts. The first race covered a distance of 55-60 nautical miles and started from Sanremo to Saint-Tropez. Abdrakhmanov explained, “The race was difficult because of the weak wind. In the first race, we finished at about 1 p.m. and came fifth.”
The inshore races began in Saint-Tropez on June 11 and lasted for three days. The distance varied between 13 and 23 nautical miles. Abdrakhmanov stated, “We took fourth place once and came second twice in this race, far ahead of the main fleet.”
The final offshore race began on June 14 in Saint-Tropez. The route took participants to Genoa via the northwestern limb of Corsica, where the Giraglia rock is located. Abdrakhmanov said, “Total distance based on the map is 240 nautical miles, but because we go depending on the wind, we sailed a bit longer. This time we covered this distance within 46 hours and came third de-facto, but following recalculation, we came fourth.”
The results were determined by the Offshore Racing Congress (ORC) score, which calculates the elapsed time of each boat based on its technical parameters. Abdrakhmanov believes owning a boat outright is advantageous in winning prestigious races, as it can be modernized and improved.
Last year, the team participated on a rented boat, but this year they sailed on Abdrakhmanov’s Jenis yacht, which was purchased in May last year.
The team included seven other members from the Almaty Yacht Club – Meiram Sergazin, Ramil Mukhoryapov, Timur Salimov, Gassal Mussin, Arman Karimov, Igor Belyavskiy, and Petr Lezhnin. The Kazakh sailors have been participating in various regattas worldwide for over a decade.
Abdrakhmanov emphasized the appeal of sailing, stating, “Adventure attracts because you have to adapt to the elements. Regatta is called ‘chess on the water’ because there are many tactical tasks. There is no limit to perfection, and it’s very exciting.”
The team plans to continue participating in other prestigious races, including the Sails of Saint-Tropez, the Rolex Middle Sea Race, and the Marmaris International Race.
