Kalamaki, July 12th, 2019.
Last season we celebrated the 25th Anniversary of OPTIMUM Yacht Racing Team (1994-2018) by competing successfully in the 50th Anniversary of the ROLEX Middle Sea Race in October in Malta. Onboard their trustworthy 2000 Farr 52 One DesignOPTIMUM 3 for 7th time in the toughest Mediterranean Offshore Race they set a new own time record for the 607 nautical mile unique course at d3 h4 m9 s25! By doing so the team from Nautical Club Kalamaki managed the top position in IRC2 class and finished 7th in IRC overall among 133 entries from 30 countries around the world. Additionally, under ORCi handicap scoring, Team OPTIMUM finished 2nd in ORC2 class and 5th in ORC overall. That’s 25 years of winning performances but more importantly loads o memories and great friendships.
The 2019 season will mark the 25th participation of Team OPTIMUM in the 56th edition of the AEGEAN Rally, the toughest and longest offshore sailing race so far in Greece. OPTIMUM Yacht Racing Team will participate one more time with their proven turbo Farr 52 OPTIMUM 3 for 16th time since she hasn’t sold yet. “We thought we would have easily sold OPTIMUM 3 after proving that she is a winner last October in Malta. The sale did not materialize but our children grew up and they asked to have a go on their first AEGEAN Rally on board OPTIMUM 3. How happy to sail and share our racing offshore sailing world with Stamatis Lazos(16), Vassilis Livas(15) and Vassia Liva(14), we are soexcited”, commented Team OPTIMUM co-owner/skipper Nick Lazos. “The boys are enthusiastic dinghy sailors and my daughter is and incredible dancer who loves the sea and being on board any kind of boat. They have been on board OPTIMUM 3 a few times before on daily easy going coastal races but nothing like crossing the Aegean Sea day and night continuously, on racing mode against tough competition. I am a happy father”, declares co-skipper/owner Periklis Livas.
So, more youngsters than ever before will be found on board OPTIMUM 3, this time around the age of 30 like Harris Mavrogeorgis, Gary Gabrielan, Vaggelis Nikolopoulos, Fanis Dalezios and a second woman sailor Evi Dellidou, a great team supporter of the Team in the last two participations in the ROLEX Middle Sea Race. The rest of the 17-strong gang has even more grey hair than last year but still thirsty to better last year’s 2nd place finish. Nikos Apostolakis, Kostas Makridis, Manolis Markogiannakis, Giannis Kavalaris, Lambros Nakis, Gerry Petratos and Manos Roudas are happy to experience again the optimum camaraderie and teach the winning secrets to the new generation.
Let the fun begin!