Mariner Boating Holidays RPAYC Aegean Rally Update
Mariner Boating Holidays RPAYC Aegean Rally Update.
'Entering the bay in Kalimnos, Greece - RPAYC Aegean Rally Update'
Lauren
White
Lauren White reports:
Our day time temperatures are now the high 20's and continuing to climb as we head south east and the evenings cool nicely making for a perfect sleeping temperature onboard the yachts. Today the wind guru even sent some wind and the 10 mile race from Knidos to Palamut was a blinder after a slow start.
Along the way we have celebrated with our diner functions at a variety of Greek and Turkish Tavernas. Poppy's Taverna in Kalimnos was truly an energetic experience, as the owner Sylvia, after preparing and serving our meal, had our entire group learning traditional Greek dances well into the night. In Palamut, a small town on the Turkish coast, we dined at one of the oldest and most beautiful buildings in the area. Whether we're in Greece or Turkey the food has been fantastic with plenty of variety and the welcome we get from the people makes us feel we are guests in their houses rather than customers in their restaurant. 
Then there is Bodrum, definitely a must see if you are after great nightlife or a shower in the cleanest bathroom ever seen in a marina. Lying in our cabins at night we can still hear the thumping beat of music resounding from nightclubs and bars across town until the early hours of the morning. The music eventually stops right before the mosque begins the first call to prayer at 5.00am.
The unique thing about this rally is that no two places visited are the same. As RPAYC committee member Leon Wilson put it, '.what I love most about this trip is the diversity'. Not only do you have the contrast between Greece and Turkey but you also get to experience the difference between places such as Arki where the goats outnumber the people, and bustling cities such as Bodrum.
Currently in first place is 'Ankka', a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 52.2 skippered by Tim Armytage. Following very closely with only one point difference is Garry Holder's crew on 'Altea', a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 49. At present there are three in third place and with only two races to go competition amongst the crews is rising although most claim they are 'really just cruisers' and not competitive.
The event is due to finish in Marmaris. 
For information on other events scheduled for 2008 contact Mariner Boating Holidays at info(at)marinerboating.com.au or visit the website www.marinerboating.com.au
by Lauren White
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Merimbula, NSW
