Alacati - Windsurfing on the Turkish Coast

Saturday, 21 December 2013 08:41
Written by Portal Editor

Alacati - Windsurfing has now been discovered as a natural sport on the Turkish coast. Of course, the lack of strong winds and shallow waters are reasons why this sport can't be practiced everywhere.

You'll rarely find surfers on the beaches along the Turkish Riviera. However, those who would like to try this sport, learn to plane slowly, and practice extensively will find excellent opportunities on the beaches in and around Cesme, for example, in Alacati. The water in the shallow bays usually has a smooth surface, so beginners in particular can quickly grasp the basics. In addition, the relatively flat, hilly terrain around the bays allows for very consistent winds.

Once you're planning, let the stretches of beach drift by and enjoy the beautiful view of the foothills of the Taurus Mountains. It's a wonderful feeling to glide across the water when the mountain peaks are still snow-covered. With very little swell and calm winds, you can observe schools of fish, and with a bit of luck, dolphins might even swim past or curiously accompany you.

Windsurfing evolved from surfing: harnessing the power of the wind made it possible to avoid the arduous paddling against the waves. In November 1964, Newman Darby designed his Darby Sailboard and published it in Popular Science, which had a circulation of 1.5 million copies in the USA and included illustrated instructions for building his sailboard. He used a sail similar to a child's kite, with a mast flexibly attached to the surfboard and a horizontal spar to hold the sail. Newman Darby built several of these sailboards, and films exist documenting his test runs.

American Jim Drake, an engineer with the US Department of Defense, equipped a surfboard with a sail to eliminate the need for paddling through waves. He developed the design principle of the windsurfer, featuring a "pair of curved booms running perpendicular to the spar and holding the sail between them," as the boom is described. The project was financed by his friend Hoyle Schweitzer, with whom he jointly filed a patent application with the US Patent Office in 1968. Drake first launched his windsurfer, "Old Yeller," in Jamaica Bay, New York, on May 21, 1967. Before him, Englishman Peter Chilvers had experimented with the idea of combining a surfboard with a sail. However, Drake ultimately had the crucial idea of tensioning the sail with a boom and using modern materials for the board, mast, and sail. On January 6, 1970, the USPTO granted the patent application "for a wind-powered vehicle" (US Patent No. 3487800).

Now, enough theory, let's get to the fun! For a quick bite, even on Alacati beach, the mussels with lemon are highly recommended.

Have fun!

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