Canve Cup
The Canve Cup is a triennial sailing competition and one of the largest and longest-running boat races in Astyria. First held in 1791, the race entails a single, 170-nautical-mile (310 km) lap of the Cadenzan archipelago, beginning and ending at Canve, in the northeast of the country. The race customarily begins on the summer solstice and sees as many as two hundred sailboats, each representing an Astyrian sailing club, compete for the one of the most prestigious trophies in Astyrian watersport, the Earl of Canve's Cup. The organising committee is chaired by the president of the Canve Yacht Club. The next race, the seventy-seventh running of the Canve Cup, will be held on 24 June 2022.
Format
The race is run as a simple sprint. The winner is the team which completes the circuit in the shortest time.
Route
The race begins and ends at Canve Marina and involves a single lap, usually counterclockwise, of the entire Cadenzan archipelago. Teams traverse the Edarak Strait from east to west before entering open water. All craft are required to pass within sight of the watchtower at the port of Ro'ekha, a checkpoint which forces them to stay within sight of the coast until they round Ri'ezhen, an island off Lema. They then sail south to pass the islands of Urvaan, Thananë, Askarz and Txisto on the west side. The course then turns to the northeast, as craft are required to pass within sight of Emigar Lighthouse at the mouth of the River Berak. They then follow the coast, passing around the east side of Morza, and sail to the island of Janari which lies east of Canve. They hook around the east and north of Janari and sail back into Canve Marina, concluding the circuit. The same circuit is reversed whenever the race is run clockwise, which is generally every fourth or fifth race.
Entry
Participation is open to any team nominated by an Astyrian sailing club on the register maintained by the Canve Yacht Club. To be on the register, clubs must be nominated by at least three existing members of the Canve Cup including at least one from either Cadenza or Kur'zhet. Clubs remain on the register unless formally removed, the procedures for which are governed by the Constitution of the Canve Cup written up in 1810. A club is only permitted to nominate one team consisting of one craft and no more than five crew. Although teams represent only the club that nominated them, they do not need to be members of a sailing club themselves.
Prize
The winning team receives the Earl of Canve's Cup and a cash prize generated from entry fees and sponsorship. The value of the prize varies from year to year: in 2010 it amounted to roughly $630,000, while in 2019 it was valued at $1.2 million.
History
The idea for the Canve Cup was first floated in 1785 to commemorate the hundred-and-fiftieth anniversary of the War of 1635. The concept was a circuit of the Cadenzan archipelago, mirroring the voyage of the Araganra, a sloop which summoned aid for Canve before a raid on the town during that war. The Canve Yacht Club entered discussions with other clubs in Cadenza and Kur'zhet and organised a straight sprint between Canve and Ruh Barb that was held in May and won by a team from the Benaan Ducal Sailing Society. The race was not repeated, but in 1790 the Cadenzan and Kur'zheti clubs decided to repeat the event to commemorate the Burning of Cadenza that had taken place in 1641. This time, the circuit would be used as originally proposed. Participation was opened to teams from across the Trellinese Empire, and a trophy was donated by the Earl of Canve at a cost of Ŧ20. Forty-six teams participated in the inaugural Canve Cup, held in 1791, which was won by a boat named Sela from the Kahazar Yacht Club.
Following the race, the organisers resolved to repeat the event in three years. This commitment was renewed every three years afterward, a tradition which remains in place. Participation was opened to all Astyrian sailing clubs in 1803.
Selection of past winners
| Year | Boat | Club | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1791 | Sela |  Kahazar Yacht Club |
Counterclockwise |
| 1803 | Temiltë |  Cadenza Yacht Club |
Counterclockwise |
| 1806 | Clockwise | ||
| 2016 | Clockwise | ||
| 2019 | Counterclockwise |