Entry open for 6th edition of the AEGEAN 600

AEGEAN 600 © Deea Buzdugan

Organizers at the Hellenic Offshore Racing Club (HORC) are pleased to announce that the entry process is now open for the sixth edition of the annual AEGEAN 600, held from 5 - 11 July 2026 at Olympic Marine in Lavrion, Greece.

Since its inaugural edition held in 2021, this race created by HORC "by sailors, for sailors" has attracted an ever-growing fleet of monohulls and multihulls who want to challenge themselves in all the essential elements of offshore sailing: navigation, performance, safety and seamanship.

The entry process can be started at the official website www.aegean600.com.

Comments from this past year's competitors make it clear why this race is unique and keeps attracting both new and returning entries from all over the world.

"This was a fantastic race, one of the best," said Frederic Puzin, French skipper of the Carkeek 54 DAGUET 5, and he should know: his impressive offshore race record includes podium finishes in other 600-mile classics such as the Caribbean 600, Sydney-Hobart and Middle Sea races.

"I really liked this race not only because of its toughness to have skills tested in all conditions, but also the spirit of this race and its place in history," said Puzin. "The setting here is amazing: the islands, the sunset, and the feeling of all the legendary sailors that have been here doing what we did for thousands of years."

Paul Larson, Australian world speed sailing record-holder and skipper of the largest entry in the 2025 fleet, Swiss-based Adrian Keller's 84-foot luxury performance catamaran ALLEGRA, said "We finish this race every time and say 'never again' and this is my third time because it is a tough race, a monster of a race, it's a real challenge. You know it's going to be a love-hate battle because there's plenty of love and plenty of hate out there and that's the thing that brings you back."

For Chris Hemans and his mostly California-based team on the Cookson 50 VARUNA. this was their first AEGEAN 600. "This race is vastly different than racing the Transpac to Hawaii," said Hemans. "This is only one fourth the length but three times as much action in sail changes and tough choices in navigation and tactics. We fought hard throughout this race, even after a disastrous first night. Every member of our team made outstanding contributions and I'm really proud of the entire effort."

Entry teams members and their families and friends also enjoy generous Greek hospitality from the organizers and hosts at Olympic Marine. This world-class full-service marina is the venue for the boats in the fleet and site of pre-race social events and seminars, with an impressive post-race awards ceremony held in nearby Lavrion.

• Monday December 1, 2025 - Online registration opens
• Thursday April 30, 2026 - Entry submission deadline
• Sunday June 28 - Free berthing commences at Olympic Marine
• Tuesday June 30 - Secretariat opens at Olympic Marine
• Wednesday-Friday July 1-3 - Registration and Inspections
• Thursday July 2 - Safety Training Seminar
• Friday July 3
  • Warm-up Race, Skippers Meeting & Media Briefing
  • Welcome Ceremony followed by Crew Party
• Saturday July 4 - Visit to Temple of Poseidon
• Sunday July 5 - Start of AEGEAN 600 at Sounio
• Saturday July 11
  • Expiration of Race Time Limit, Prize Giving
  • Ceremony followed by Reception Dinner
• Monday July 13 - Free berthing period expires at Olympic Marine

Besides Opening and Prize giving ceremonies, other highlights of this schedule include a Safety Seminar organized for those who need to comply with the offshore race safety standards, and tours of this historic region are available for all those affiliated with the race, including sailors along with their families and friends.

Also for those that want to do some tuning of their boat and crew, a Warm-up Race is offered to all entries on Friday July 3rd, two days before the Race Start on Sunday July 6th. This Warm-up Race will be held on a course set in the straits between Olympic Marine and the adjacent island of Makronisos to the east.

The event website at www.aegean600.com has further information on the Notice of Race, a map and features of the race course, the history of the event, past results and logistical information about Olympic Marine.

HORC and Olympic Marine, co-organizers of the race, hope you can join them in the sixth edition of this amazing offshore racing event, called by Seahorse Magazine "The perfect 600-mile race."