What a race! After 600 nautical miles, “Shockwave³” secured line honours in the Aegean 600, finishing just 2 minutes and 9 seconds ahead of George Procopiou’s VO70 “Aiolos”. Claudio Demartis’s 90-foot yacht crossed the finish line after a total time of 2 days, 8 minutes and 27 seconds. The duel between the 27-metre McConaghy-built yacht and the more powerful VO70 went down to the wire. Ten Maxis took part in the penultimate event of this season’s Mediterranean Maxi Offshore Challenge, organised by the Hellenic Offshore Racing Club and Olympic Marine. The fleet set sail from the Sounion Peninsula on a counter-clockwise circuit through the Aegean Sea. Modern 50-footers such as “Palanad 4” and “Daguet 5” sailed alongside the leading Maxis at times, demonstrating their capabilities. Conditions varied between calm spells in the lee of Rhodes and squalls of over 40 knots off Kasos.
Aegean 600 – Drama right from the start
“Shockwave³” was already struggling within the first ten minutes with a burst spinnaker in strong Meltemi winds. The crew had to switch to the smallest spinnaker. On the first night, the A5 gennaker then tore during a gust of 30 to 35 knots. “It was almost impossible not to damage something in those conditions,” explains navigator Andrea Micalli. Shortly before the damage occurred, the yacht reached a top speed of 29.5 knots. The mixed crew of professionals and amateurs sailed off the coast of Kasos in winds of up to 37 knots. Many crew members were taking part in the Aegean 600 for the first time. Manoeuvring in storm-force winds required the utmost concentration and precision.
Decision in the Lee of Rhodes
The passage through the wind hole leeward of Rhodes proved to be the turning point. “Shockwave³” was the first to break free from the lull and gained 10 to 12 miles on the competition. “That was the turning point of the entire race,” emphasises Micalli. By late Monday morning, “Shockwave³” was in the lead, with “Daguet 5” in second place at that point. At the north-eastern turning point at Agathonissi, following the third leg, “Shockwave³” extended its lead to 17 miles. “Aiolos” made massive ground on the long run back west. The VO70 was sailing on its optimal course and steadily closing the gap. The tension mounted with every mile towards the finish line.
“Aiolos” defends its IRC title
Despite narrowly missing out on Line Honours, “Aiolos” secured victory in the IRC Maxi class with a calculated lead of 7 hours 13 minutes over “Shockwave³”. The Polish-crewed VO65 “Big Sky”, skippered by Vendée Globe skipper “Zbigniew Gutkowski”, finished in third place. “It’s bittersweet to finish second by such a narrow margin,” said navigator Konrad Lipski. As expected, “Aiolo” benefited on the downwind legs. The first half of the race was easier than forecast, whilst the final stretch brought stronger winds. “The Meltemi died down, but we crossed the finish line at an average speed of 14 knots,” explained Lipski. Tactician Panagiotis Mantis, an Olympic bronze medallist in the 470 class, contributed his local knowledge of the race area.
A strategic masterstroke right at the end
The final downwind leg turned into a tactical chess match. “Aiolos” chose the windier windward side of the penultimate island, Gyaros, whilst “Shockwave³” took the shorter route on the leeward side. At that moment, “Aiolos” was sailing four knots faster. “We wanted to pass through the windless zone at full downwind speed,” said Lipski, describing the chosen strategy. George Procopiou once again received the George Andreadis Challenge Trophy as the top member of the International Maxi Association. The Mediterranean Maxi Offshore Challenge concludes with the Palermo–Monte Carlo race on 18 August.
A tough test for the smaller Maxis
The 78-foot Maxi “Nice”, chartered by a crew led by Mauro Montefusco, crossed the finish line at 04:55. Márton Józsa’s 60-foot DSS yacht “Wild Joe” followed 36 minutes later and finished fifth in the Maxi class. The lower-ranked Maxis struggled as the Meltemi wind died down at the finish line. “The last three miles took four hours,” reports Stratis Andreadis of the Garcia 86 “Meliti”, which crossed the line in seventh place at 11.40 am. “Meliti” sailed alongside “Varuna” and “Hagar V” , overtook both of them and crossed the finish line just 100 metres ahead of “Varuna”. Conditions varied dramatically between the different sections of the race.
Like a mini round-the-world sailing trip
“The race had an epic quality to it,” says Andreadis, describing the Aegean 600. The start takes place in 20 to 25-knot winds with large waves downwind. The sunset over Santorini provided a magical moment. Off Kasos and Karpathos, conditions were akin to those in the Roaring Forties and Screaming Fifties. The stay-brace attachment on “Meliti” snapped, and the crew repaired it with Dyneema. The Garcia 86 put in a blistering run at 48 to 50 knots under a double-reefed mainsail. Downwind of Rhodes, hours of calm followed. The route to Kandelioussa involved tough upwind legs. Off Ikaria, “Meliti” reached a frightening top speed of 28 knots on a broad reach. “You have to be a really skilled sailor to get through that,” Andreadis summed up. He also praised the Hellenic Offshore Racing Club for the course design and announced his return.
Results:
IRC Maxi:
- 1. Aiolos (George Procopiou): VO70
- 2. Shockwave³ (Claudio Demartis): 90 feet, +7h 13min
- 3. Big Sky (Zbigniew Gutkowski): VO65
- 4. Nice (Mauro Montefusco): 78 feet
- 5. Wild Joe (Márton Józsa): 60-foot DSS
- 7. Meliti (Stratis Andreadis): Garcia 86
Line Honours:
- 1. Shockwave³: 2 days 8 mins 27 secs
- 2. Aiolos: +2 mins 9 sec
Martin Hager
Editor in Chief YACHT
