Surfboats in Turkey

Gallipoli 100 Website under revision Please note that the Gallipoli 100 surfboat race details are currently being revised, as is the reduction in costings, following discussions with the Australian Surf Rowers' League in June 2010.         A totally revised site will appear here on 1 October 2010. CLICK HERE to follow the training of Turkish crews and witness the surf carnival during the Sponsored Surf Clubs Tour of Turkey 17- 31 August 2010.

On the morning of the 25th April 1915, the Turkish soldiers, determined to protect their motherland, watched boatloads full of ANZAC soldiers approach the Gallipoli beaches. What was to follow was bloody, horrific and the stuff of legend and yet remarkably it forged a brotherhood between the nations of Australia, New Zealand and Turkey.

This is a changed undertaking for (MHT) as it has operated military history programmes to Gallipoli for Australians since 1990. In recent times its programmes have developed to include battlefields where Australians and New Zealanders have fought in both the Middle East and Europe.

In the late 1990’s MHT started to recognise the sacrifice made by our WW1 soldiers in France and Belgium and its tours for many years to those areas were conducted towards the end of the European summer. However, constant visits to the Australian Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux drove them to want to hold a Dawn Service there at the Memorial. They wanted to contribute to the memory of what Australian troops had achieved on the Western Front from 1916 to 1918.

This desire culminated in the first ever ANZAC Day Dawn Service held at Villers-Bretonneux, on 25th April 2008 on the 90th Anniversary of the actual battle of Villers-Bretonneux. The next major milestone for MHT is to be the 100th Anniversary ANZAC Day Dawn Service at ANZAC Cove in 2015. This is where the Gallipoli 100 has its origin. MHT intend to take 100 Australian and New Zealand Surf Lifesaving Boats to take part in a 100 klm race down the Dardanelles on the 100th Anniversary of the Gallipoli campaign. Turkish crews will also compete and this is where MHT became involved in the introduction of surf lifesaving to Turkey.

The plan to use the surf boats has created immense interest in Turkey and now flowing from the boat race concept is the introduction of surf lifesaving into Turkey. Over the next 5 years, the principles of surf lifesaving, as they currently exist amongst the 80,000 Australian and 15,000 New Zealand Surf Lifesavers, will be introduced into Turkey in a spirit of friendship and remembrance.

The first 2 surf boats are going into Turkey in April 2010, along with 2 instructors from the Australian Surf Rowers League who will commence training up to 6 boat crews in all aspects of surf boat management. The boats are to be donated to the Bosphorus University that has its campus just north of Istanbul at Burc Beach on the shores of the Black Sea. It is the hope that the university will form the first Surf Lifesaving Club in Turkey.

This training phase will be followed up in August 2010 when MHT takes 4 Surf Clubs to Turkey to conduct demonstration Surf Carnivals. The clubs selected were the first 4 clubs to register to go to Turkey for the G100 events in 2015. Those clubs are: Yamba, McMasters Beach and Forster from Australia and Lyall Bay from New Zealand. 12 members from each club will be taken to Turkey by MHT with the support from the first major sponsor to this programme Ignite Corp Pty Ltd. This activity will be an annual event and at least 4 Surf Clubs will be taken each year. Those selected will be taken from the clubs who have registered to be part of G100.

The surf lifesavers competing in the demonstration carnivals will also be taking part in the Gallipoli Cup. The Gallipoli Cup is part of the cultural activities that will be held from now through to 2015. Today, Gallipoli is being prepared to host a new international struggle. Not with cannon, machine gun or rifle, but with oars, sail and swimming. The number of activities will increase every year and the excitement of the competitions will embrace the citizens of each nation. Friendship and rivalry will link arms in Gallipoli.

One of the first events in this special programme will be the Dardanelles Strait Swimming Event. This is a swim across the Dardanelles, from Europe to Asia. On 30th August 2010, one of the busiest commercial waterways in the word will be closed to shipping for just 4 hours to allow for an open water swim across the Dardanelles. Our surf lifesavers will join MHT’s ANZAC team from Australia and New Zealand and take part in this historical event.

The clubs who have registered to be at the Anniversary in 2015 have had quite a surprise as the cost for them to have their boats shipped to Turkey in 2015 has now been reduced from an initial cost of $8000.00, per boat, to now $1950.00 per boat and there is an opportunity for those costs to reduce even further. The main part of this cost involves the moving of the containers with their boats, from Istanbul to Gallipoli by road transport, a distance of 350klms.

MHT has been swamped with questions as to how a company that has been conducting Military History Tours for over 20 years had become involved in the possible introduction of surf lifesaving to Turkey. MHT became involved when 2 members of the boat crew from Tamarama Surf Club came with the idea of a surf boat race on or near the 100th Anniversary of the landing at ANZAC Cove. From that first meeting, Gallipoli 100 was taken from an idea to a project.

MHT then set about obtaining an approval from the Turkish Government to conduct the race and also met with representatives from the Australian Government to advise them of MHT’s plans and actions. Both Governments had no objections to the proposal.

Further, following many organisations in Turkey viewing the Australian Surf Rowers League (ASRL) website, the immediate interest in having their own surf boats became a priority. Members of ASRL are supporting MHT in the initial surf boat training of young Turkish men and women.

Over the next 5 years MHT will be seeking support from Australian and New Zealand companies who would like to become part of this project, a project that will contribute to the saving of lives in Turkey. This is an opportunity to support the introduction of something that is unique to Australia and New Zealand. As mentioned, the sponsor for the 2010 first demonstration surf carnivals in Turkey is Ignite Corp Pty Ltd.

Ignite Corp is a 100% Australian owned company manufacturing products in Australia and produces a range of beverage products, including ROCK Energy drinks, Multi Vitamin Water, Juices and alcoholic products. Ignite currently exports products to 9 countries and has achieved an export award for its innovation. The company was established in 2007 and has continued to expand its product range.

MHT is interested in talking to Australian and New Zealand organisations who feel that it is important for them to have an involvement with the Gallipoli 100 Surf Boat Race. In 2015, during the period leading up to the 100th Anniversary of the ANZAC landings, all countries involved in that conflict will take part in a series of cultural activities.

This initiative by MHT to put aside its normal business and introduce surf boats and surf lifesaving into Turkey, will assist to keep alive the human values of peace, patriotism, respect and brotherhood that emerged from that battle all those years ago. This initiative is also providing Turkey with a little piece of Australian culture to include amongst its own.

phone:+61 2 9387 5025 e-mail: grahamf@militaryhistorytours.com.au web: www.militaryhistorytours.com.au 
address: suite 4, level 2, 106 Ebley Street Bondi Junction, nsw 2022 or po box 535, surry hills, nsw 2010
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