Aegean Regatta 2017 – Patmos to Rhodes.

Every year several sailboat races take place in the Aegean Sea.  This year 76 sailboats from 15 nations participated in the Aegean Regatta from the island of Patmos to the island of Rhodes.  

The first leg of the race was from the island of Patmos to the island of Astypalea.  It was a 50 nm passage during which a 10-15 knot north wind propelled the boats in their southern course. Okyrhoe was 2^nd out of the starting line.  The large spinnaker was used all the way to the uninhabited islet Levitha.  After rounding the next waypoint Cape Exopetra we reached the finish line at sunset, 16^th of the 48 boats.  

Astypalaia is a charming island that belongs to the Dodecanese chain, an archipelago of twelve major islands in the southeastern Aegean Sea.  The small town with the white houses and the Venetian Castle on the hilltop is reminiscent of the architecture seen in the Cycladitic group of islands to its north and west.

The second leg of the race from Astypalea to Nisyros was a stretch of 40 nm that was sailed at broad reach in moderately strong north winds.  

Okyrhoe reached the finish line near the port of Mandraki at 3 pm.     

The early arrival allowed plenty of time to visit the beautiful island that is known for its famous active volcano.  I have described the island of Nisyros in detail in a prior post in 2014.   

The third race from Nisyros to Rhodes was 50 nm and took place in shifty light northerly winds.  Okyrhoe reached the finish line at night in 28^th place in corrected time.  There was a fourth and final inshore around the buoys race on Sunday in moderately strong 20-25 knots winds.  This was our best race with Okyrhoe finishing 5^th in its class.  We moored at Rhodes newly constructed beautiful marina.  Okyrhoe is the boat bearing the number 75 on her bow and flies proudly the Lavriotiki Yacht Club flag.  

For those interested to learn about Rhodes the largest of the Dodecanese chain of islands, you may wish to refer at four posts I wrote in 2014.  The first was about the Knights of Rhodes, the second was about Diagoras whom I described as the happiest man who ever lived, the third about Rhodes itself and the final about one of the eight wonders of antiquity the Colossus. 

 In closing, I will mention only the boats that took first place in the three categories.  In the IRC category first came Shak Shuka an A 35 from Turkey which skipper was Hasan Uktu Cetiner.  First in the IRCi category was Black Jack-Status Maritime from Greece a GP 42 with P. Mantis at the helm.  First in the ORC Club category was Ipsili an Elan 40 from Greece with D. Sofitsis as its skipper.  Okyrhoe a J92 came 22^nd.  Her skipper was my brother Nikos Spigos.  The interested reader can find photographs, videos and detailed results of the race at the AegeanRegatta site.