Sailing above the sky! White sails on the emerald lake surrounded with green meadows and mountains. International Regatta Kezenoy-Am Cup 2019 has been held in the mountains of Chechnya for the second time.

Sailors from Germany, Italy, Finland, Czech Republic, Estonia, Ukraine and Russia took part in the regatta. World and European Champions, participants of Olympic Games came to compete for the first prize.
“This regatta gathered experienced sailors who are current Top Ten of national sailing" said Alexander Bozhko – the skipper of the Chechen Team “AKHMAT”.
“Dew to the results, the positions of the competitors are very tight to each other. It was not easy but really interesting. Self-confidence and control helped to cope with all situations during the regatta”.
All sailors were competed four racing days for two main prizes: The Challenge Cup Kezenoy-Am and the Super Cup Akhmat. Sailing Team of the Chechen Republic “AKHMAT” won the main prize of the International Regatta Kezenoy-Am Cup.
“Wind conditions are difficult here, wind always changes unpredictable, you need to follow every shift. Sometimes we loosed the speed of the boat and made incorrect decisions, but nevertheless we got pleasure to sail on the Lake Kezenoy-Am”– shared Italian sailor Francesco Ivaldi.
“It is a great area for sailing! The regatta is organized at the highest level. Next year we plan to come here again and bring two more Italian crews to the Chechen Republic”.
“It is the best place I've been sailing”– as said one of the skipper – Evgeniy Bugaevskiy. “Here are professional sailors, I want to compete with them for a prize Cup again”.
Welcoming people and atmosphere, interesting races and difficult judges’ work, hard sailing battle are noticed by the skipper from Finland Yuri Chikalov.
The unique high-mountain sailing regatta made a delightful impression on me, you can’t get the same emotions anywhere else. For the next regatta I will invite my friends from Finnish yacht-club. We are all professional sailors and we plan to compete for a medal and a Cup.
The Czech Republic was represented at the regatta by the STATUSS Team (under the patronage of the Russian-Czech Mixed Chamber of Commerce). The magazine STATUSS become the information partner of the regatta Kezenoy-Am Cup for the second time.
Excursions and hiking tours were organized for the participants of the regatta by the other partner agency “Visit Chechnya”. Sailors and guests got acquaintance with ancient village Hoy, the Castle Aldam Gezi and hike to the Mountain Shimari Lam.
“We discover for us Chechen national hospitality, culture and traditions all these seemed very unusual for us” – tolled Jan Jasper – the skipper of the German crew.
The head of the Chechen Republic, Hero of Russia – Ramzan Akhmatovich Kadyrov came for the prize giving ceremony to award winners with the Challenge Cup of Kezenoy-Am. As the Head of the Republic said: “This regatta is unique and remarkable for Russia. Sailing races are held at an altitude nearly of two thousand meters above sea level. It becomes a record for Europe and Asia. Two years ago the sailing regatta was held here for the first time. During these two years sailing sport has been developed in the Chechen Republic”.
A surprise for all participants and guests was prepared by the editor-in-chief of the Russian Book of Records, Stanislav Konenko. He made an statement about new fixed record: “Based on satellite data, our experts have recorded the altitude of the lake Kezenoy-Am and today we have officially confirmed the status the highest regatta in Eurasia”.
Igor Chentsov, the first vice-president of the Russian Sailing Federation, noticed the high level of organization: “I have been at many regattas of different levels, in various parts of the world, I must say the International Regatta Kezenoy – Am Cup is extremely well-organized and held, the level of organization is one of the best in Russia. It is important that the Sailing Federation of the Chechen Republic was starting from scratch, in two years has passed such a great developing way, like no other in our country. Without any financial support the Chechen Sailing Team AKHMAT was created and now this very team is a leader in the Supreme Division of the National Sailing League – this is a fantastic result”.
The competition was organized by the Ministry of Tourism of the Chechen Republic and the Sailing Federation of the Chechen Republic.
Kezenoy-Am Cup's official partners: North Caucasus Resorts, Found Visit Caucasus, Sberbank, Hamilton watch brand, Alina and K, Assol.cloud, mail.ru, Fujitsu, SeaGala, VneshTradeService Ltd, Shatoi Sewing Factory .