15
ORIENT EXPRESS
ARİF GÜRDENLİ MAIN SAIL - TACTICIAN
Born in 1966 in Istanbul, Arif Gurdenli began his sailing journey in 1979 at Galatasaray Club in the Optimist class. As a member of the National Team, he competed in the 1992 Olympic Games in the Finn class. Throughout his career, he has participated in over 500 national races, achieving notable results such as 2nd place at the Scandinavian Championship, 3rd place at the Spain Royal Cup, four-time Balkan Championship winner, multiple podiums at Eurolymp, and two 3rd place finishes at the Sportboat European Championships (2021 and 2023).
Since 1983, he has been actively competing in yacht races. In 2006, he successfully completed the 1600 nautical mile Cannes–Istanbul offshore race in the two-person Figaro class.
From 2016 onwards, he has been a member of the Orient Express team, serving in roles such as helmsman, navigator, tactician, and main sail trimmer on the Farr 55 Orient Express VI. Starting in 2019, he helmed the Orient XS in the Sportboat class, and since 2022, he has competed in the J/70 class with the team he founded, taking on helmsman and tactician roles. In late 2025, with the addition of Haluk Babacan to the team, he transitioned from helmsman duties to focus on main sail trimming and tactical responsibilities.
His primary goal is to create a team capable of sustainable, high-level performance in Turkey’s most competitive one-design class, the J/70, composed of amateur sailors. He believes that every day on the water and every race is an opportunity for growth, deriving maximum enjoyment both from the high-level competition and the sport of sailing itself.