For the first time in the six-year history of the AEGEAN 600, the event’s Silver Trophy has been claimed by a French team. Following two consecutive German victories, with BEST BUDDIES in 2025 and BLACK PEARL in 2024, PALANAD 4, skippered by Antoine Magre, won the 600-nautical-mile contest in the overall IRC standings.
The French yacht finished ahead of compatriot DAGUET 5, skippered by Frédéric Puzin, while Greece’s AIOLOS, led by George Procopiou, secured third place.
“PALANAD 4 is a new yacht. It has been racing offshore for only a year, and this was its first major race,” said owner Olivier Magre. “It was a fantastic experience, and we are thrilled to have won. It was an extremely demanding challenge, and I would like to congratulate every crew as well as the organisers of the AEGEAN 600.
“Sailing past the Greek islands is an extraordinary experience. We thoroughly enjoyed the Greek hospitality, and you can be certain that we will return next year.”
Olivier Magre received a rapturous welcome as he lifted the prestigious trophy during the prize-giving ceremony at the Lavrion Technological and Cultural Park.
In the ORC division, overall victory went to the American yacht FINAL FINAL, ahead of Italy’s PROSECCO DOC SHOCKWAVE 3, which also claimed Line Honours in this year’s race. The Czech yacht MARY S finished third.
Greek Successes
Among the Greek achievements at the sixth AEGEAN 600, AIOLOS, skippered by George Procopiou, secured a notable victory in the IRC Maxi division, repeating the success it achieved in 2024. The same yacht finished third overall under IRC scoring and sixth under ORC. Paris Kyriacopoulos’s XIPHOS completed the race in second place in ORC One and seventh in IRC One, while Stratis Andreadis’s MELITI finished seventh in IRC Maxi. Periklis Livas’s OPTIMUM 4 took fourth place in ORC Double-Handed, Spyros Papantoniou’s AIOLIA finished fifth in IRC Two, and Evi Delidou’s AETHER placed sixth in the same division.
From Meltemi Winds to Complete Calm
Once again, the Aegean Sea tested the sailors aboard the 71 yachts that began their race on Sunday, 5 July, beneath the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion. More than 700 sailors took part in the non-stop 600-nautical-mile offshore marathon. Over six days, Aeolus appeared to play a different game with the fleet each day. Winds reached up to 45 knots near Kasos, while several yachts were left almost motionless in windless conditions around Mykonos. The crew of XIPHOS experienced both extremes.
“The Aegean is clearly a very interesting sea,” said skipper Paris Kyriacopoulos. “We encountered winds of up to 43 knots while passing Kasos, and then, after Mykonos, we found ourselves completely becalmed with zero wind.
“That is the nature of offshore racing. Not every yacht experiences the same conditions at the same time. We were rather unfortunate to become trapped in that low-pressure system.
“Nevertheless, it was an extraordinary race. We thoroughly enjoyed it and, from a tactical perspective, it was one of the greatest challenges we have ever faced. It was a race that gave us immense satisfaction.”
Among those attending the prize-giving ceremony were Deputy Minister of Health Marios Themistocleous, President of the Greek National Tourism Organisation Angela Varela, Regional Councillor Vasiliki Kavallari, President of the Hellenic Olympians Association Voula Kozompoli and President of the Association of Greek Olympians Stavroula Zygouri. Representatives of the Hellenic Navy General Staff and the Chief of the Hellenic Coast Guard were also present, alongside the Mayor of Lavreotiki Dimitris Loukas, prominent figures from the shipping and business sectors, and representatives of the event’s sponsors and supporters. The crews of the 71 yachts representing 21 countries renewed their appointment for the next edition of the AEGEAN 600, which will begin on Sunday, 4 July 2027.
Results by Category
Line Honours
- PROSECCO DOC SHOCKWAVE 3, Italy
Claudio Demartis
IRC Overall
- PALANAD 4, France
Antoine Magre - DAGUET 5, France
Frédéric Puzin - AIOLOS, Greece
George Procopiou
IRC Zero
- PALANAD 4, France
Antoine Magre - DAGUET 5, France
Frédéric Puzin - AIOLOS, Greece
George Procopiou
IRC One
- FOREVER K, Italy
Claudio Bernoni - VARUNA, USA
Chris Hemans - CHACAL, Türkiye
Oğuz Ayan
IRC Two
- COCODY, France
Richard Fromentin - KARPO IDRIJA, Slovenia
Maks Vrecko and Andrej Jereb - LIBERTINE, Italy
Marco Paolucci
IRC Three
- BOGATYR, UAE
Igor Ritov - COLOMBRE, Italy
Massimo Juris - VALENTINA, Türkiye
Viktor Zakharov
IRC Double-Handed
- COLOMBRE, Italy
Massimo Juris - PNEUMA, Poland
Andrzej Rozycki - LIBERTINE, Italy
Marko Paolucci
Maxi
- AIOLOS, Greece
George Procopiou - PROSECCO DOC SHOCKWAVE 3, Italy
Lorenzo Bressani - BIG SKY, Slovenia
Zbigniew Gutkowski
ORC Overall
- FINAL FINAL, USA
Russell Whitworth - PROSECCO DOC SHOCKWAVE 3, Italy
Lorenzo Bressani - MARY S, Czech Republic
Peter Podunavac
ORC Zero
- FINAL FINAL, USA
Russell Whitworth - PROSECCO DOC SHOCKWAVE 3, Italy
Lorenzo Bressani - FOREVER K, Italy
Claudio Bernoni
ORC One
- ABOAT TIME, Bulgaria
Petar Dimitrov - XIPHOS, Greece
Paris Kyriacopoulos - DARKWOOD, Great Britain
Michael O’Donnell
ORC Two
- KARPO IDRIJA, Slovenia
Maks Vrecko and Andrej Jereb - XCALIBUR, Greece
Darren Wright - BE CALM, Czech Republic
Vitek Sprdlk
ORC Three
- MARY S, Czech Republic
Peter Podunavac - VALENTINA, Türkiye
Viktor Zakharov - PNEUMA, Poland
Andrzej Rozycki
ORC Double-Handed
- PNEUMA, Poland
Andrzej Rozycki - COLOMBRE, Italy
Massimo Juris - MOWGLI OF PORTSMOUTH, Spain
Patrick and Vincent Harris
MOCRA
- QUICK DECISION, Great Britain
Stuart Austin - TURBOLENTA, Italy
Marcello Bellacicca
Rolex, Official Timepiece of the AEGEAN 600
Rolex has long been associated with activities driven by passion, excellence, absolute precision, the constant pursuit of perfection and a strong sense of teamwork. For the third consecutive year, Rolex served as the Official Timepiece of the AEGEAN 600.
The AEGEAN 600 is one of the prestigious 600-nautical-mile sailing races supported by Rolex, as part of the brand’s 71-year association with the sport of sailing. Participating crews face the compelling challenges and distinctive characteristics of this race, as they do in the historic Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, Rolex Fastnet Race and Rolex Middle Sea Race. A natural affinity exists between Rolex and international sailing competitions, where plotting a successful course requires unwavering commitment, extensive experience and finely tuned intuition to respond to constantly changing winds, powerful currents and the force of the waves. The 600-nautical-mile course encompasses much of the Aegean Sea. The AEGEAN 600 attracts one of the largest international fleets among comparable offshore races, contributing significantly to the promotion of Greece around the world.
