AEGEAN 600
Organizers at the Hellenic Offshore Racing Club (HORC) are pleased to announce that the entry process is now open for the fifth edition of the AEGEAN 600. After making pre-race preparations at the host venue at Olympic Marine in Lavrion, the fleet entered in this annual 605-mile offshore racing classic will start on 6 July 2025 at the Ancient Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounio in Attica, Greece.
Entry information is found on the Notice Board at https://aegean600.com.
Since its inaugural edition held in 2021, this race created by HORC “by sailors, for sailors” has attracted an ever-growing fleet of monohulls and multihulls who want to challenge themselves in all the essential elements of offshore sailing: navigation, performance, safety and seamanship.
Participants are also drawn to the uniquely favorable weather conditions in this race – featuring the deep blue of Aegean skies and seas by day and clear moonlit nights while sailing in warm winds and warm water – the easy logistics and world-class support facilities at Olympic Marine, and the outstanding Greek hospitality extended to participants and their families and friends offered by the event organizers before, during and after the race.
In last year’s edition a record 69 amateur and professional teams from 24 nations around the globe came to meet this challenge in a journey that took them on a 14-leg tour of the Aegean Sea around 43 islands and islets. Strong Meltemi winds propelled the fleet around the course first at a brisk record-breaking pace that later slowed for all but the fastest Multihulls, whose MOD 70 ZOULOU (FRA) set a new Multihull course record of 1 day 13 hrs 18 min 52 sec.
The current Monohull course record stands at 1 day 21 hrs 5 min 25 sec and was set in 2023 by LEOPARD 3, Chris Sherlock’s Farr 100, but for a time in 2024 was under threat by some of the fastest Maxis.
More details of how the fleet progressed around the course in the 2024 edition of the race can be found using the YB tracker system, accessed at this link: https://cf.yb.tl/aegean6002024 .
Entry to the 2025 AEGEAN 600 is open to seaworthy Monohulls of minimum length of 9.00 m and seaworthy Multihulls of length 9.15 m and larger with IRC and/or ORC certificates. Awards are given to recognize both full-crew and Double Handed entries, and recognized offshore class yachts such as Dehler 30 One Designs, Class 40’s, Mini 6.5’s, Figaro 2’s and Figaro 3’s are all welcome to enter.
The event will also once again welcome Maxi yachts to race as an event on the 2025 International Maxi Class (IMA) racing calendar.
A summary schedule of events is:
Sunday December 8, 2024 Online registration opens
Wednesday April 30, 2025 Entry submission deadline
Sunday June 29, 2025 Free berthing commences at Olympic Marine
Tuesday July 1, 2025 Secretariat opens at Olympic Marine
Wednesday-Friday July 2-4, 2025 Registration and Inspections
Thursday July 3, 2025 Safety Training Seminar
Friday July 4, 2025 Warm-up Race, Skippers Meeting & Media Briefing,
Welcome Ceremony followed by Reception Dinner
Saturday July 5, 2025 Visit to Temple of Poseidon
Sunday July 6, 2025 Start AEGEAN 600 at Sounio
Saturday July 12, 2025 Expiration of Race Time Limit, Prize giving ceremony
Monday July 14, 2025 Free berthing period expires at Olympic Marine
Besides Opening and Prize giving ceremonies, other highlights of this schedule include a Safety Seminar offered for those who need to comply with the offshore race safety standards, and tours of this historic region are available for all those affiliated with the race, including sailors along with their families and friends.
Also for those that want to do some tuning of their boat and crew, a Warm-up Race is offered to all entries on Friday July 4th, two days before the race start on Sunday July 6th. This race will be held on a course set in the straits between Olympic Marine and the adjacent island of Makronisos to the east.
More details are at https://aegean600.com/schedule-of-events.
HORC and Olympic Marine hope you can join them in the fifth edition of this amazing offshore racing event, called by Seahorse Magazine “The perfect 600-mile race.”
LUCKY (USA) skippered by Bryon Ehrhart
