Meltemi losing strength in the AEGEAN 600
by AEGEAN 600 12 Jul 2023 21:08 BST
7-15 July 2023
Phaedra traveling at the Caldera - AEGEAN 600 © Nikos Alevromytis.
After yesterday's record-breaking speed for the first two finishers of the AEGEAN 600, the strong Meltemi wind conditions that propelled them around the race course has abated to make the final approach into the finish a light-air challenge for most of the rest of the fleet. This offshore classic race is organized by the Hellenic Offshore Racing Club (HORC) and co-organized by the Region of Attica, Olympic Marine and supported by the Deputy Ministry of Sports.
Despite these light conditions towards the finish, there was still strong competition among several finishers in the Maxi class. "We had everything in this race," said Guido Paolo Gamucci on his Mylius 60 CIPPA LIPPA from Italy upon arriving safely back at Olympic Marine, "everything from no wind to a 45-knot gale. And it's also incredible that we have arrived with three or four boats within minutes after a very interesting fight for 600 miles."
There are only 5 entries that have finished in ORC scoring and 9 in the Maxi class, leaving the bulk of the fleet still out on the course making their way west towards the finish at Cape Sounion. The northerly Meltemi wind is 15-20 knots east of Mykonos, but from there west it diminishes in strength quickly so that near the Attican coast it is very light and boats of all sizes are progressing at rates of only 1-2 knots.
The current leaders in IRC scoring are the two Maxis - LEOPARD 100 and I LOVE POLAND - that finished yesterday, whereas in ORC scoring the current leader is Perikles Livas & Vaggelis Nikolopoulos's Carkeek 47 OPTIMUM S SAMOS STEAMSHIP who is 3 hours ahead in corrected time of runner-up Alexandros Raftopoulos's Swan 112 ERATOSTHENES.
No team from the ORC 2-3 class nor the Multihulls has yet to finish, although Andreas Hofmaier's Corsair Cruze 970 trimaran SAYG 1 from Austria has dismasted and is being towed to port in Kos.
The wind forecast for tonight and tomorrow is improving slightly for the western course area, which should help get more fleet members finished at Cape Sounion and returned to their berths at Olympic Marine.
Details of where the remaining fleet is located and their heading and speed data can be found using the YB tracker system, accessed at this link: cf.yb.tl/aegean6002023.