With Aeolus being the best ally in the crews’ effort to sail 600 non-stop nautical miles in the Aegean, the 71 boats participating in the 6th AEGEAN 600 started on Sunday, July 5, with the Temple of Poseidon in Sounio as a backdrop.
And this year’s start offered incredible images that the lucky spectators who were in the area surrounding the Holy Temple, as well as those who tuned in to the race’s social media, had the opportunity to enjoy!
For more than 2 hours, the racing boats, with a northeasterly wind of 20 to 25 knots, filled the sea track with adrenaline, with the images constituting the best advertisement for Greece around the world.
“Greece is constantly proving that it can undertake major events and complete them with absolute success. However, today we are not talking about a typical sports event. We are talking about a global sports event that goes beyond the geographical boundaries of sports and has national dimensions,” commented the Minister of Sports, Mr. Ioannis Vroutsis, shortly before giving the start of the international race.
“The best crews in the world, the Greek boats, Mr. Prokopios’ AIOLOS and having Mr. Yannis Maragoudakis as the captain of the event, will cross our Greek islands throughout the Aegean. We are proud of this race. All the crews look forward to racing every summer,” concluded Mr. Vroutsis, who, during his short stay at Olympic Marine, had the opportunity to chat with Olympic Champions Panagiotis Mantis and Pavlos Kagialis on the AIOLOS boat.
For another year, the Panhellenic Offshore Sailing Club (POIATH), co-organized by the Region of Attica and Olympic Marine and with the participation of ROLEX, as the official watch of the event, prepared a big sailing party in the Aegean for the more than 700 sailors who started.
“Greece celebrates every day in the Aegean Sea, the cradle of our history and our prosperity. The God of the Wind, Aeolus, generously rewards us with this strong wind and we will all be tested in this race of endurance and speed. This is the third time I have participated in the AEGEAN 600 and I hope that we will be able to distinguish ourselves in this year’s event. My participation this year is special as this morning I had my 11th grandchild ,” emphasized the owner of Olympic Marine and co-organizer of the AEGEAN 600, Mr. George Prokopiou, with a smile.
For his part, Mr. Ioannis Maragoudakis, President of the Organizing Committee of the AEGEAN 600 and President of POIATH, thanked Mr. Vroutsis “for his mental and material support in the race” and Mr. Prokopiou “for making Olympic Marine’s facilities available to accommodate the 700 sailors,” as he stated characteristically.
The sailing of the 71 boats
The racing boats started their course from the Temple of Poseidon and set sail for Milos. They will pass through the Santorini Caldera and continue sailing further south towards Kasos. They will leave Karpathos on the left and will sail past Rhodes, Kandelioussa, Kos, Kalymnos, Farmakonisi, Agathonisi and Patmos. They will cross the Ikarian Sea, sail between Mykonos and Delos and, after passing through Gyaros and Kea, they will finish at Sounio.
The total distance is approximately 605 nm and the course is designed “by sailors for sailors” with the aim of showcasing and advertising the Greek sailing sport. It is a complex course that includes a passage through 23 Aegean islands and is considered one of the most interesting in the field of offshore sailing. Despite the intensity, the race offers a unique spirit of camaraderie among the crews, impressive landscapes and a strong dose of authentic Greek hospitality both before and after the race at the Olympic Marine in Lavrio.
The curtain on the sixth AEGEAN 600 will fall with the closing ceremony at the Lavrio Technology Park on Saturday, July 13 (9:00 PM).
*Photos: Nikos Alevromytis , DeeaBuzdugan , Vangelis Fragoulis & Stavros Hampakis
ROLEX is the official watch of the event
R OLEX has always been associated with activities driven by passion, excellence, absolute precision, the constant pursuit of perfection and team spirit. For the third consecutive year, Rolex will be present at the AEGEAN 600 as the OFFICIAL WATCH of the event. The Aegean 600 is one of the 600 nautical mile sailing races supported by R OLEX , as part of its 71-year association with the sport of sailing. The participating crews will face the exciting challenges and unique features of this race, as in the historic Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, Rolex Fastnet Race and Rolex Middle Sea Race. There is a natural relationship between R OLEX and international sailing races, where charting a successful course requires unwavering commitment, rich experience and keen intuition to face the constant changes of wind, strong currents and wave power. The 600 nautical mile course encompasses most of the Aegean Sea. The AEGEAN 600 is one of the largest foreign-flagged yacht races of its kind and this is of particular importance for the promotion of Greece worldwide.
The AEGEAN 600 is organized by the Panhellenic Offshore Sailing Club (POIATH) with co-organizers the Region of Attica and Olympic Marine as well as with the contribution of the Ministry of Tourism , the Deputy Ministry of Sports and the General Secretariat of Sports.
ROLEX will be the official watch of the event for the third consecutive year.
Sponsors The organizers of the race are the Hellenic Tourism Organization (EOT) and KORONAKIS, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of synthetic ropes and wire ropes. Supporters are IMA, the international MAXI boat association, the construction company KERAMEIKOS – ATHENS, PANTAENIUS, a multinational boat insurance company, TECHNOHULL, a manufacturer of inflatable & polyester boats and X-YACHTING , a boat rental company.
The official transportation partner will be MERCEDES-BENZ. The event’s collaborating group is the Aegean Nautical Club based at Olympic Marine.
Official suppliers will be electric outboard motors Torqeedo empowered by Yamaha , sailing equipment company Helly Hansen and Dole bananas.
Communication sponsors of the match is the television station SKAI , which is also the official television broadcaster of the event, as well as the newspaper KATHIMERINI. Also Skipper on Deck, The YachtBook, Boats & Yachting Guide, Athens Riviera Journal and Sailing World magazines. Internet services are provided by Interad.
