JUNE 2018Owner of Firebird
Length: 88ft
Year: 2016
Location: NorwayAkin Öngör
Yacht: Only Now Year: 2012
Length: 113ft Location: Bodrum
How was Norway? We had a fantastic season
ski touring in the Lyngen Alps. Temperatures at
the beginning of the season were well below
freezing and some of our favorite spots
required navigating through ice
to get to shore. We also had to
ski over floes to even get to the
tender for pick-ups. But as the
snowpack settled, some of
Lyngen’s best skiing became
accessible and our guests
summited Daltinden (5,029ft)
and Tafeltinden (4,577ft) for
some of the best spring skiing
on Earth. As well as the Lyngen
Alps, we’ll also be taking the Sail+Ski program
to a new level by taking Firebird to Svalbard
to ski the glaciers there in May/June 2019What’s in store this summer? At the beginning
of May we’re heading back to the Adriatic for
an exciting charter season that will take in the
history and diversity of the Dalmatian Coast,
cave diving on Zakynthos and
sea clif climbing. Our summer’s
almost fully booked, but we have
one week available in June due
to a last-minute cancellation. In
between, I’m looking forward to
spending some time on board with
my family and getting some sun
after our winter adventures.
We also hope to take part in
the Oyster Regatta in Palma in
September/October. I was thrilled to hear the
company was back on its feet and in the hands
of Richard Hadida, a passionate sailorWhat’s in store for this summer?
We love to cruise the Mediterranean.
I’ve sailed all over the world, and don’t
think anywhere can beat it. I briefed
Tansu Yachts to build me the perfect
Mediterranean boat and they delivered –
the living spaces, open areas on the
bow, stern and flybridge are totally in
line with the climatic conditions of the
Mediterranean. Each year, we generally
leave from Bodrum in May or the beginning of June and sail over to
the Greek Islands. We love to spend time around calm and tranquil
islands like Amorgos, Schinoussa and Paros. We’ll meet up with
friends there and continue to Mykonos in June and continue west
How long do you spend on board each season? Around five
months. It’s a full program! We’ll also visit Corfu, Montenegro and
Croatia. We tend to spend August on the Dalmatian Coast before
heading back to the Ionian and the Aegean in September. We get
some late-season sun back in Turkey, before dropping the anchor
outside our home in Turkbuku Bay, near Bodrum. Every other year
we’ll do Sicily, the Aeolian Islands and then up to Portofino. We love
Italy – the people, the food and the wine. As a vineyard owner and
producer of high quality organic wines, I can appreciate it
What’s been your biggest adventure? Back in 1999, I ordered a
Frers-designed 105ft sailboat from CNB. While waiting for it, the
yard organized for me to cross the Atlantic in a 75ft sailboat. There
were five of us on board and it took 21 days to reach Antigua. I loved
it so much I decided to continue, so got hold of a 128ft sailing boat
called Vaimiti in which we crossed the Pacific in about 80 days. It
was the most magical experience – swimming with hammerhead
sharks in Costa Rica, catching marlins in the middle of the ocean,
visiting the Galápagos and diving in remote atolls