On October 8, the final inclusive regatta “Sails of the Spirit 2021” was held in the city of Fithie. It was attended by the chairman and members of the society of disabled people Fethiye, members of the expedition and Turkish captains of the yacht and catamaran, on which the regatta took place.

Visually impaired people and people with musculoskeletal disorders, together with professional yachtsmen, members of the expedition without disabilities led by two captains – Janis Elerts and Viktor Klokov – covered the distance, trying to control both sails and inclusive interaction.

«This is an interesting project that attracts public attention, I really liked it. Nice environment that brought people with and without disabilities together. Thanks to Oleg Kolpashchikov for organizing the project and thanks to everyone who supported him – it is important to create a single platform for the interaction of people with different disabilities. Such events are important to attract public attention, in order to show the society that people with disabilities can actively interact with people without disabilities, compete with them, and take an active part in the life of society. I hope that there will be more such events, and the whole world will pay attention to the possibility of implementing such projects. During the regatta, I felt happy, we had a great team», – President of the Fethiye Society of Disabled People Aydogan Arslandzha.

The first place was taken by the team in which Janis Elerts was the captain (Liepaja, Latvia). Team members: Mila Pshenichnikova, Evgeny Nelzikov, Valeria Kozachenko, Berna Hacialioglu, Mehtor Sarioglu, Yunus Ertev, Anna Semiletova

The second to finish was the team of Viktor Klokov (Taganrog, Russia) consisting of: Marina Trofimenko, Hakan Zeybek, Sergey Kataev, Metin Unel, Ali Akbey, Aydogan Arslanga.

The final regatta took place in the city of Fethiye, from where the expedition started, the chief judge of the regatta was Uldis Mezulis, the captain of the expedition «Sails of the Spirit 2021» from Latvia. During the race, on a large yacht, the inclusive master classes «Walking in the Dark», «Plasticinography» and «Knitting of Sea Knot» with a blindfold were held. They were also attended by representatives of the Society of Disabled People of Fethiye.

From September 25 to October 9, 2021, the Mediterranean stage of the Sails of the Spirit expedition is being held in Turkey with the support of the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom. For the first time, the inclusive expedition crew consists of 20 people. In the Mediterranean, a yacht with an inclusive crew goes along the route Fethiye – Antalya – Tashuju – Fethiye, organizing joint boat trips with local residents in the parking lots, concerts, environmental and landscape campaigns, sports events, panel discussions, networking sessions and excursions in hybrid (online + offline) format. The motto of the 17th stage of «Sails of the Spirit»: «Sport. Ecology. Inclusive culture».