Leading the record field of 71 boats was the sixth edition of the Aegean 600, with a thrilling photo finish The battle for line honours has come to an end. Behind them, however, the contest for the podium places proved to be almost as thrilling. In the two-handed category, Stefan Hümmeke and Melwin Fink narrowly missed out on a podium place.
Aegean 600: Hümmeke and Fink finish second
Sailing the Neo 400+ “Upscale”, Hümmeke and Fink crossed the finish line as the second-fastest duo in their group after 3 days, 22 hours, 48 minutes and 9 seconds. In the IRC standings, the only German double-handed crew, in fifth place, were just around five and a half minutes short of a podium finish.
The two-handed class was won by the Italians Massimo Juris and Pietro Luciani on the JPK 10.80 “Colombre”. Second place went to the Polish JPK 10.30 crew of Andrej Rozycki and Maciej Marcewski, ahead of the JPK 11.80 “Libertine” crew of Marco Paolucci and Giovanni Mengucci. After getting “trapped” in a final patch of calm just before crossing the finish line, the sole German duo lacked a little luck to make it into the top three.
Nevertheless, Stefan Hümmeke and Melwin Fink are new and enthusiastic fans of the Greek race organised by the Hellenic Offshore Racing Club. “I’d thought the Aegean 600 would be like the Caribbean 600, but it’s completely different!” says the seasoned sailor Melwin Fink. He says he has rarely experienced such an “incredibly varied” regatta.
Caribbean 600 and Aegean 600: similar course, completely different race
Fink says: “The course, with its many islands, only resembles the Caribbean 600 at first glance. I really did underestimate this race a bit. The conditions range from strong downdrafts and 40-knot challenges to cool 25-knot downwinds and periods of calm. You need strong nerves for this crazy, wonderful race. We’re a fast boat, but we had a few too many lulls here and there to live up to our rating. But it was great fun and we’re also happy with our performance.”
"Three periods of calm were a bit much for our fast boat. We’re still very happy, though." Melwin Fink
Spanning over 605 nautical miles, the Aegean Race takes competitors through 13 passages between well-known and lesser-known Greek islands – a picture-perfect course. Last year, Kay-Johannes Wredes’s “Best Buddies” even bagged the top IRC prize at the Aegean 600. This year, Antoine Magre’s French Mach 50 3.50 “Paland 4”, designed by Sam Manuard, won the overall IRC classification. Click here for the results of the Aegean 600.
20 per cent speed boost following the winter update for “Upscale”
Melwin Fink raved not only about the outstanding regatta experience in the waters around the Greek islands, but also about the organisation of the race: “It was brilliantly organised at the Olympic Marina. The organisers were very hospitable. I can only recommend the Aegean 600 to all regatta sailors in the Mediterranean.” Hümmeke and Fink stayed on their own boat during their time in Athens. “It’s already hot during the day at 35 degrees, but refreshingly cool at night,” reports Fink.
His team of Next-Generation Boating has been overseeing Stefan Hümmeke’s project from Münster for two years. It was only this winter that they converted the Neo 400+ “Upscale” from a single rudder to a double rudder. With great success, as Melwin Fink explains: “In stronger winds, this has resulted in a speed gain of around 20 per cent.” The next test run for the “Upscale” will be after the Aegean 600, the 21st Palermo-Montecarlo Race from 18 to 23 August.
Meanwhile, Melwin Fink and Lennart Burke’s plans for a Globe40 comeback are also moving forward on land. Following their unfortunate withdrawal from the first round-the-world race with the Class40 “Meganisi” and the positive conclusion in Hamburg, another attempt remains the main goal for the young professionals and shipyard operators. Discussions with potential partners are already underway. “We are very hopeful,” said Melwin Fink this week.
Lennart Burke and Melwin Fink: building a new Class40 remains the goal
Their Class40 is being overhauled over the winter and is available for sale or charter. Lennart Burke and Melwin Fink are still aiming to build their own new Class40. “But we’ll only go ahead with that once the contracts have actually been signed,” says Melwin Fink. Alongside their own racing team project, Burke and Fink have been the conciliatory finale of Globe40 and the celebrations in the Port of Hamburg focuses on its shipyard operations in Hamburg and Kiel.
They are currently in Kiel, under the umbrella of their second branch, Next Generation Yachting, putting the finishing touches to two Class40s for the Austrian Lisa Berger and an American client. Both intend to take part in the Global Solo Challenge, the next edition of which is set to start in August 2027 in the Spanish port of Vigo.
“Kiel has grown,” says 24-year-old Melwin Fink, referring to the service company he founded in autumn 2025 with his co-skipper and business partner Lennart Burke and Rasmus Töpsch Next Generation Yachting, which is situated right on the Baltic Sea and specialises in refits, repairs and boat optimisation, as well as the fitting out and conversion of yachts.
Mini-Solist Tom Wehde set to take part in the Azores Race
Currently watching from afar, Lennart Burke and Melwin Fink are also keeping an eye on Lorient. Two days ago, the Mini “Victory” was launched from its berth at La Base, Lorient’s sailing centre. There, it was moored in good company alongside Boris Herrmann’s new “Malizia 4”. Burkes and Finks Team member and mini-soloist Tom Wehde is preparing for the Azores Race which sets sail from Les Sables-d’Olonne at 12 noon on 22 July and takes its challengers on a 1,300-nautical-mile journey to the Azores and back. And the snapshots in the gallery show those who happened to be pursuing their hobbies alongside the “Victory”.
“It was tough, really tough.” That’s what the line-honours winners said after the 6th Aegean 600:
High-speed sailing in the Aegean 600:
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
