Twelve catamarans, 106 guests from five countries and four days between Fethiye and Göcek. XO Catamaran Sailing Fethiye brought a new gathering to the coast in 2026, and gave the first hint of what is to come with XO CatCup Fethiye in 2027.
For a few days at the end of October, the view from XO Cape Arnna changed.
Catamarans gathered offshore, crews met for the first time and guests who had arrived from five different countries found themselves sharing the same stretch of water. What began at The Duchess on the opening evening soon moved out to sea.
On 29 October, twelve catamarans dressed in Turkish flags left the waters off Kızılada and sailed together towards Göcek. It was less about reaching a finish line than about the sight of the fleet moving as one, marking the 103rd anniversary of the Republic from the water. The day continued in Göcek with a gathering at Miori before the boats returned to Fethiye.
The following day brought a different kind of sailing. The fleet headed into Fethiye Bay and towards Boncuklu, making the most of the late-October sun before coming back together for a sunset party.
And then there was everything that happened off the water.
Back at XO Cape Arnna, volleyball, backgammon and padel brought the teams together again, this time on land. The XO CatCup Friendship Awards and closing party ended the programme on a fitting note. By then, the crews were no longer simply groups assigned to the same boat.
That may be the part of the event that stays with us most.
XO Catamaran Sailing Fethiye was never only about a few days at sea. It was about what happens around them: breakfast before departure, conversations between boats, a familiar coastline seen from a different angle and people who arrived as guests leaving with plans to meet again.
It also offered a first look at what comes next.
In 2027, XO CatCup Fethiye will take the idea further, bringing the fleet back to the coast for a new chapter. If this first gathering was an introduction, next year is where the story properly begins.
