DR. VASIL KURTEV AND YACHT “ODESSOS”
Dr. Vasil Kurtev is a dentist from the town of Kavarna and avid yachtsman, winner of four “Cor Carolli” awards. Growing up on the seashore, he made sailing his hobby and dreamed one day to sail around the world.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, together with his brother Nedelcho, Dr. Kurtev built several rowing boats and yachts “Nord”, “Bizone” and “Odessos”. The first yacht was wooden, according to a Scandinavian design and was 7, 64 m. (25 ft) long. The other two yachts (“Bizone” and “Odessos”) were relatively larger – 11, 54 m. (38 ft) and made by fiberglass. It was with yacht „Nord” that the sailor won his first “Cor Carolli” award in 1982 for the tour of Black Sea. Two years later, he was distinguished for his participation in OSTAR’84 with the same yacht. In 2010, he was awarded for sailing from Kavarna to Newport, Rode Island for the period 1 August 2009 – 26 June 2010 with the yacht “Bizone”, which remained in America.
Dr. Kurtev’s last solo voyage with yacht “Odessos”, which turned into a circumnavigation, began on 5 August 2015 from his hometown of Kavarna and ended on 19 May 2017. This tour and the 26 000 sailed miles brought him another forth Golden Globe “Cor Carolli” award. The voyage was carried out along the route: Kavarna – Canary Island – Panama Canal – Galapagos Islands – French Polynesia – Tuamotu Islands – Torres Strait – Gulf of Aden – Red Sea – Suez Canal – Marmaris – Bulgaria.
After this voyage the doctor sailor became an honorary citizen of his hometown of Kavarna.
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Key details of yacht “Odessos”:
hull – fiberglass
displacement – 12 t.
length – 11,54 m.
width – 3,88 m.
engine – VAMO, 45 hp.
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“I didn’t think to set records, I just wanted to go around the Earth and to see the world. And to put, as they say, the crown of my whole life, spent in dreams of sailing and building yachts”.
Dr. Vasil Kurtev
