ISTANBUL, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- More than 100 sailboats took part in a race on the challenging course of Istanbul's Bosphorus Strait on Saturday to mark the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Republic of Türkiye.
The fourth International Yacht Race lured around 1,000 competitors, who struggled against the southwestern wind and strong currents of the strait, one of the most critical waterways connecting the Black Sea with the Marmara Sea.
Before the race, the competitors honored Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the modern Turkish republic, by blowing their horns and waving their flags.
Ekrem Yemlihaoglu, president of Istanbul Offshore Yacht Racing Club, said: "We have been waiting for this day for four years. The meaning of this year is much more than a race for us." ■
