AEGEAN 600 Attica Warm-Up Race
by Dobbs Davis/AEGEAN 600 4 Jul 2025 23:43 BST
4 July 2025
AEGEAN 600 © Deea Buzdugan
Under perfect sunny skies and brisk northerly winds, the 5th edition of the annual AEGEAN 600 kicked off with a flawless start both on and off the water.
At midday, the Attica Warm-Up Race offered participating teams a chance to get a taste of what lies ahead in Sunday's start of the main event: a 605-mile race around the Aegean islands. Thirteen of the 60 boats entered in the main race took the opportunity to test themselves and their boats in fresh and lively conditions, with winds ranging from 15-25 knots and gusts even higher along a 10.6-mile course.
In IRC scoring, the top three boats were:
- KARPO (Elan 450) from Slovenia, skippered by Maks Vrecko - 1st place
- ANTELOPE (XP-44) from Greece, skippered by Patroklos Tottas - 2nd place
- AFAZIK IMPULSE (Neo 430 Roma) from France, skippered by Yves Gosjean - 3rd place
In ORC scoring, PEGA HELLENIC NAVAL ACADEMY (X-362 Sport), skippered by Dimitrios Alevizakis, took 1st place, followed by KARPO and ANTELOPE in second and third, respectively. After racing, teams returned to Olympic Marine, the host venue, where final preparations continued. Meanwhile, skippers and representatives from all teams gathered at the Technohull Lounge for the Skippers Briefing.
Topics included:
- Local weather tips around the islands
- Overview of start and finish procedures
- Clarifications on the Sailing Instructions
- A request from the media team to share content—photos, videos, and moments—so the many stories of this race can be told and celebrated.
The day ended and the evening began with a festive Opening Ceremony led by Ioannis Maragkoudakis, President of the AEGEAN 600 Organizing Committee and Commodore of the Hellenic Offshore Racing Club (HORC). His inspiring words set the tone for an evening filled with great food, music, and the legendary Greek hospitality that the AEGEAN 600 is becoming known for worldwide.