A fleet of 10 maxi yachts is preparing for a fast and demanding start to the 2026 Aegean 600, with strong Meltemi winds forecast for tomorrow's race from Cape Sounion in Greece.
The sixth edition of the 605-nautical-mile offshore race starts at 2 pm local time beneath the Temple of Poseidon. A northerly breeze of around 25 knots is expected to drive the fleet south before easing later in the race. Organised by the Hellenic Offshore Racing Club and Olympic Marine, the Aegean 600 has attracted a record fleet of 71 yachts this year. The event is the penultimate round of the International Maxi Association's Mediterranean Maxi Offshore Challenge.
The anti-clockwise course takes competitors past islands including Santorini, Milos and Mykonos before returning to the finish at Cape Sounion.
Maxi yachts have dominated the race in recent years, claiming three of the previous five overall victories.
Leading the line honours battle is Claudio Demartis' 90-footer Prosecco Doc Shockwave³, helmed by Italy's Lorenzo Bressani. "We want to take part in the Aegean 600 simply because it's a fantastic regatta," said Demartis. "We've actually wanted to participate for years, but we weren't ready because it's a challenging race, often with strong winds."
Line Honours Favourite — Claudio Demartis' 90-foot Prosecco Doc Shockwave³, the scratch boat for the 2026 Aegean 600, starts among the favourites for line honours in the 605-nautical mile Greek offshore classic. Photo: Studio MAP
A strong favourite is the VO70 Aiolos, owned by race supporter George Procopiou. The yacht has claimed monohull line honours twice and won the maxi class in 2024. "It is a great pleasure to see so many very fast boats, with very good sailors, again in Olympic Marine," said Procopiou. "The weather conditions will be challenging with strong winds. I wish everybody great success and good competition."
Navigator Konrad Lipski expects demanding conditions throughout the course. "The Meltemi will be well established for the start and we are expecting strong breeze all around the course," he said. "Coming out of the lee of an island, there can be a 20-knot increase in wind strength in as little as 10 minutes."
Two Volvo Ocean 65s from Poland, Big Sky and Selma Racing-Sisi, are also expected to challenge, alongside Hungarian canting-keel flyer Wild Joe, the 78-footer Nice, and the Garcia 86 Meliti.
Foil Factor — Hungarian skipper Márton Józsa's Wild Joe, fitted with a DSS foil and a new mast, is expected to relish the strong Meltemi conditions forecast for the 2026 Aegean 600. Photo: Studio Borlenghi
Meliti owner Stratis Andreadis is making his Aegean 600 debut after returning to competitive sailing. "Some of the last unexplored race courses in the Mediterranean lie in the Aegean, so it's great to take part," he said. "The Aegean 600 can become one of the great races, if it's not already."
Also returning is Gregor Stimpfl's Hagar V, overall IRC winner in 2022, racing for the first time since suffering a dismasting in the 2024 Rolex Middle Sea Race. Crew member Dede De Luca said the forecast should suit the yacht. "The boat is strong and well-built, so we can push hard," he said. "It is really enjoyable."
With strong reaching conditions expected early in the race and lighter winds forecast near the finish, the tactical challenge may prove as decisive as outright speed in the battle for overall IRC honours.
