Summer 2016; Grand Prix Race (Porto Rafti-Lavrio-Triangle)

Porto Raft is at the top of the map with Lavrio at its bottom.  The island is 2.5 nm to the east of Lavrio is Macronesos.  Its name means Long Island in Greek as it is 8 miles long and 1.5 mile wide.  Today the arid island is uninhabited but served as a site of exile during the Greek civil war (1944-49). 

The day before the race my brother and I sail Okyrhoe from Lavrio to Porto Rafti a 12 nm distance in slightly less than 2 hours.  The wind was moderately strong from aft a point of sail that J 92’s excels at.  It was one of the most enjoyable sails of the entire season.

Aerial view of Porto Rafti bay.  The island of Rafti is at its entrance while Raftopoula islet is further in and to the west.

On Saturday, October 8^th, the participating boats are jockeying for a good position just before the starting gun. 

The race committee prepares to give the start signal.

Okyrhoe is leading the fleet.  It is sailing past Rafti Island flying its blue asymmetrical spinnaker. 

The first five boats are near the point where they exit the bay and turning south towards the finish line outside the port Lavrio.  Okyrhoe, our J92 is in first position and Mount Kandili, our friend Stathis boat built by Sonata in Australia with its blue and white spinnaker, is in fourth place with 10-15 more boats following the leaders.

Aerial view of the course heading south towards Lavrio.  The strait is between the eastern shore of Attica peninsula and the island of Macronesos.  To the east of Macronesos the island of Kea is visible on a clear day. 

Next day on Sunday the race was a classic triangle around the buoys.  Nikos our skipper is at the helm as customary during the races.

At the completion of the Grand Prix Regatta (four races) Okyrhoe was first.  I included the list of the first 15 of the 27 sailboats that participated in the Grand Prix regatta in the picture above (please click on the table for a magnified view).  Many friends and family crewed in Okyrhoe's 2016 season.  I will mention the names of all participants starting with our skipper Nikos Spigos, his wife Alexandra, his children George and Vasilis, his older brother Dimitris and his nephew John.  A special mention is made to the Tridemas cousins (Kostas and Vagelis) the former, a most able sailor, who sailed with us in our passage from Spain to Greece.  Nathanael Dimitris an experienced sailor who also made the crossing from Spain to Greece on his J105 boat graciously advised us when we were preparing for our trip.  Syris Alecos a talented cinematographer and friend who recorded the videos of the early summer races.  Alecos an experienced sailor and bicycle enthusiast also crewed in key races.  Stathis Yannacopoulos, the skipper of Mount Kandili, is our friend from the Lavrio Yacht Club.  An interesting group are those who came from afar to race.  They were; Goulountas Manos who came from Berlin, Germany, Palioudakis George from Rethemnon, Crete, John Spigos who came from Dublin, Ireland and Kamarotos Stylianos from Amsterdam, Holland.  I am listing the following in alphabetical order and were Bahakis Yiannis, Derani Katerina, Kostiopoulou Mirto and her daughter Daphne, Klavdianos Dionysis, Kontos Harris, Koutris Kostis, Kountouris Andreas, Skotida Kynthia and last but not least Zannes Nikos Okyrhoe’s anointed photographer who also crewed at our legendary passage when our J92 was called Vol de Nuit. My brother and I sincerely thank all of them for making 2016 a successful but above all a most enjoyable season.