Aegean 600 day 5: The final stretch
by Offshore Racing Congress 9 Jul 21:36 BST
4-10 July 2021
Organizers from the Hellenic Offshore Racing Club (HORC) are almost finished their race management duties at the Aegean 600 with only a handful of entries still on the race course. A large wave of the fleet finished last night through this morning in the teeth of a Meltemi that built to 30-40 knots of northerly breeze, with no signs of letting up for the next day until the time limit expires at 14:00 tomorrow.
The crews of those that finished early have been providing valuable feedback to HORC on their views of how this race was designed and run, in anticipation of improving future editions. Most have given high praise for the intricate and challenging course, the highly variable weather weather, and the pacing of the race that alternated from short to long legs.
Perikles Livis, co-owner of the Farr 52 Optimum 3, not only participated in the race and did well in the results (1st overall in ORC and 2nd overall in IRC scoring), but as a member of HORC was on the organizing committee that started planning this race three years ago.
"We had in mind designing a race that would bring out all the interesting aspects of Aegean sailing," he said, "and this race proved that for everyone. We had everything: all wind speeds, all wind angles, short legs, long legs, and tricky tactics at the corners. We are very please we had a good turnout for this first edition, and have already heard that many will come back and recommend to their friends to come join us next year."
Plans are already under way for next year's edition, with dates to be announced at tomorrow evening's prize-giving.
Veteran race analyst Dobbs Davis from Seahorse Magazine gave a final summary in today's Day Five race analysis video, available here.
Progress of the entries, predicted wind strength and direction, and estimated standings in ORC and IRC scoring can be tracked using the YB tracker website at yb.tl/aegean6002021, or on their companion YB app. Photos, videos and official results are available on the event website at www.aegean600.com.
For more information about the AEGEAN 600, visit aegean600.com.