Spetses Classic Yacht Regatta
On the crystal clear waters of Spetses island, something special happens every summer. Elegant sailboats from another age weave beautiful arcs on the glass surface of the Argolic Gulf, their elegant wooden hulls are silent as cut through the waves.
The Yacht Club of Greece organizes the Spetses Classic Yacht Regatta and this year it will take place from June 23-26 2022. It began ten years ago and has since become a well-established part of the Mediterranean sailing scene.
The regatta drew 85 boats in 2018, with crews coming from the United Kingdom, France, Turkey, and even Australia. Throughout the four-day event, a record number of people attended.
The island’s history is interwoven with Greek shipbuilding culture, and it grew to prominence as a naval and economic force in the 19th century. Many of the regatta’s exquisite wooden boats, called locally “Kaikis,” are still being built and repaired at Spetses’ shipyards.
The Argolic Gulf is shielded by the gentle «boukadoura» breezes flowing in from the southeast, making sailing conditions perfect around the island.
The races testing skill and endurance put sailors against one another in five different categories: Classic Boats, Aegean Schooners, Traditional Workboats, Traditional Open Boats (Dinghies), and Contemporary Classic Yachts.
Cocktail parties and champagne receptions enable sailors and spectators to socialize before the race concludes, with a prize-giving ceremony outside the Grand Hotel Poseidonion’s majestic premises.
