The Hellenic Offshore Racing Club (HORC), along with Olympic Marine, are pleased to announce Rolex as the Official Timepiece of this year’s edition of the AEGEAN 600 yacht race.
Starting on 7 July, just under the sea cliffs of Cape Sounion, with the ancient Temple of Poseidon as a fitting backdrop, this 600-mile annual race tour of Greece’s scenic Aegean islands has quickly become a new offshore racing classic.
Nearly 70 monohull and multihull entries from 25 countries have registered to participate, a new record level of international interest. The event is based at the world-class facilities of Olympic Marine in Lavrion, Attica, where pre- and post-race activities are held for the race participants and their families and friends to enjoy the generosity of Greek hospitality.
Teams entered for the race are competing for not only the large perpetual trophy awarded the overall winner of the race – an exact silver replica of an ancient Attican ceramic vessel from the 5th century BC – but for the fastest entries a chance to also break the course record set in 2023 by the 100-foot monohull LEOPARD 3 (MON) of 45 hours, 5 minutes, and 25 seconds. Individual division and category winners will also take home trophies provided by the Benaki Museum which are silver copies of ancient artifacts that date from 3,000 BC of the Early Cycladic Civilization until the 5th century of the Greek Classical Age.
The strong participation of foreign teams in this year’s fourth edition of the race indicates the importance of the AEGEAN 600 in the promotion of Greece worldwide.
ABOUT THE AEGEAN 600
Five years ago the Hellenic Offshore Racing Club (HORC) with the invaluable support of the Olympic Marine shared a vision to create a new annual 600-mile offshore race that would bring attention to both the beauty and challenge of offshore sailing in the Aegean Sea, a venue of countless generations of sailing history and heritage.
The race course for the AEGEAN 600 combines all these elements, with the start and finish located at the ancient Temple of Poseidon on Cape Sounion, transits past 23 scenic islands in the Aegean Sea and a shoreside venue at the world-class facilities at Olympic Marine in Lavrion. Since the first edition held in 2021 nearly 1000 sailors on teams from 27 nations have participated, with growing interest every year in what Seahorse Magazine has called “the world’s perfect 600-mile race.”
ROLEX: OFFICIAL TIMEPIECE OF THE AEGEAN 600 YACHT RACE
The Aegean 600 is one of several 600-mile races supported by Rolex as part of its near 70-year partnership with the sport of yachting. As with historic counterparts the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, the Rolex Fastnet Race and the Rolex Middle Sea Race, crews are drawn to its compelling challenge and unique characteristics.
There is a natural affinity between Rolex and international yacht races such as the Aegean 600, where charting a successful course requires an unwavering commitment, a wealth of experience and a sharp intuition to deal with the whims of the wind, the pull of the current and the force of the swell. Adapting to the elements, constantly seeking to improve, summoning one’s deepest resources– these are qualities that resonate with Rolex’s own defining philosophy.
ROLEX AND YACHTING
Rolex has always associated with activities driven by passion, excellence, precision and team spirit. The Swiss watchmaker naturally gravitated towards the elite world of yachting six decades ago and the brand’s enduring partnership now encompasses the most prestigious clubs, races and regattas, as well as towering figures in the sport, including ground-breaking round-the-world yachtsman Sir Francis Chichester and the most successful Olympic sailor of all time, Sir Ben Ainslie.
Today, Rolex is Title Sponsor of 15 major international events – from leading offshore races such as the annual Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and the biennial Rolex Fastnet Race, to grand prix competition at the Rolex TP52 World Championship and spectacular gatherings at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and the Rolex Swan Cup.
It also supports the exciting SailGP global championship in which national teams race identical supercharged F50 catamarans on some of the world’s most famous harbours. Rolex’s partnerships with the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, Royal Ocean Racing Club, Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, Royal Malta Yacht Club, New York Yacht Club and Royal Yacht Squadron, among others, are the foundation of its enduring relationship with this dynamic sport.
