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Aegean Rally: Sailing across the Aegean...

  It all started in the early sixties, when the few yachtsmen of Greece decided to race their yachts in a prestigious sailing race in the Aegean Archipelago. This first ever offshore race in the Greek waters, fired up the competition and next year the entire Greek fleet of the era lined up to challenge the prominent trophy.

  Since it was established in 1963, this exciting, annual passage race in the Aegean has grown into an international event, attracting entries from all over the world. In the middle of July every year, yachts race one another, from island to island, in the Aegean Sea, the Cyclades and Dodecanese. There is no sailing enthusiast that has not dreamed to sail along the Greek coasts, and surely this dream would materialize by hopping, from island to island, following the Aegean Rally.

  Part of its magnetism is the physical beauty of Greece, and part of it has to do with the ancient history and the origins of our civilization. But, surely, the key factor is the ideal sailing conditions. Warm, sunny days and a local wind, the Meltemi, that blows all day long with a force usually varying from 15 to 25 knots from a north-eastern direction.

  Many traditional festivities in every island provide the best way for both foreign and local crews to get to know the Greek culture and the world known hospitality at its best. The Aegean Rally is organized by the Hellenic Offshore Racing Club, the biggest offshore sailing club in Greece. It kicks off just outside the port of Piraeus, and returns there after completing a course of about 400 nautical miles.

Manos Roudas