Unfavorable weather conditions did not prevent Olympic medalists Takis Mantis and Pavlos Kayali, who, together with the crew of their boat, dominated the first sailing race of the 55th International Sailboat Andros Race “Ioannis V. Goulandris”. The route was dominated by squalls of rain and puddles, with the result that it took the participants several hours to complete the race from Vouliagmeni to Andros.

Andros’ organization has been described as “the toughest race ever” and lives up to its reputation every year. He seems to want to challenge the sailors to show off their maritime prowess, as their destination is an island that, according to petroglyphs found, has been associated with maritime transport for at least 6,000 years. From the very beginning, Aeolos showed that he will have his own… games and the crews will have to work hard to win the coveted trophies. Gusts of rain, wind changes, with many changes in direction and strength, sharp cuts, Cabo Doro “upstream” and a dark night with hundreds of lightning, made up the puzzle of a sailing race that challenged, but also challenged the participants.

“The match was very difficult. We stopped twice because of a bump. Especially before Cabo Doro, we were “stuck” for more than two hours. Then we found air first and left. It was a dark moonless night, and there was also a sense of fear. In the end, we got the result we wanted, which we wouldn’t have had if we didn’t have this team,” said Olympic champion Takis Mantis, co-captain of Velos Eurobank Private Bank, who, in addition to first place in performance category, and also won line awards as its crew was the first to see the beautiful country with its captain’s houses and magnificently preserved mansions.

The top three in the Performance category was completed by Pete D. Paleologos, with the crew of the former champion 470, with the participation of the 1976 Olympics, Dimitris Gerontaris, experienced sailor Christophoros Stratos, and young children from sailing families who wrote a story in the triangle and the high seas . On the 3rd place “Black Jack – Porsche” M. Hatsikiriakakis – M. Kurtezis. In sports, the winner was “Bluescape” (N. Simpouras), the second – “Adra” (Z. Grigoriadis). The rest of the boats in this class did not complete the race.

Tomorrow’s program includes a local sailing race. Residents and visitors of Andros will have the opportunity to see some of the country’s finest racing boats in racing conditions from Riva Square, where the statue of the Invisible Sailor rises.

The event was launched by the Deputy Minister of Tourism Sofia Zacharakis, who stressed the importance of sports tourism for the country. “The great participation of Greek and foreign yachtsmen in this race and its holding for many years shows the great importance of this event both for Andros and for sailing. The sailors will have the opportunity to get to know Andros from the other side. This is a special gift of sports tourism. Greece, with its natural beauty, generously offers such experiences and is an ideal destination for this type of tourism,” said the Deputy Minister of Tourism.

The Andros International Sailing Race led by Ioannis V. Goulandris was first held in 1967. The organizers of the “55th International Sailing Race of Andros Ioannis V. Goulandris” are the Andros Nautical Club and the Nautical Club of Greece.