The biggest Classic Yacht Race in Greece was organized by the Yacht Club of Greece, with a record participation and spectacular races at the “Bogazi” in Spetses, with a view of the imposing building of the Poseidonion Grand Hotel and with the support of Spetses Yacht Club.
“The ambition of the Organizing Committee is to establish Spetses Classic Yacht Regatta as an example worldwide and convey the values of good seamanship and fair play on an international level”
Alexandros Papadogonas,
President of Yacht Club of Greece (Race Organizer)
Why is Spetses famous
In two words: wealth and glory-achievements not usually linked with small places. For about a century, starting around 1750, its shipowners built hundreds of large sailing ships that carried heat from the granaries of Russia and Romania on the Black Sea to Italy, France and Spain. But while other nations had warships to protect their merchant vessels, the Greeks were helpless against the Maltese and Barbary pirates who preyed on the sea routes. But a weakness can be turned into a strength. The shipyards in Spetses-which you can still see in the Old Harbor-designed ships that carried both cargoes and cannon. They were large enough to be profitable and fast enough to outrun the pirates. With their trading profits, the shipowners built the mansions which are a hallmark of Spetses, for example that of Hadjiyannis Mexis (now the state museum) and of Lascarina Bouboulina (now the Bouboulina museum). But the truly great fortunes were made by running the British blockade of Napoleonic Europe. Spetses thus became a wealthy island with a well-armed fleet, as witnessed by Auguste de Jassaud, French Consul in Istanbul, who reported in 1808 that it had 90 large ships with 1000 cannon and 9000 sailors. Wealth was followed by a glory, thanks to the War of Independence which began in 1821. Spetses joined the revolution and fought in several sea battles, with numerous heroic attacks by the nimble Greek ships against their much stronger enemies.