The Rally

The 2003 Rally will be memorised as the ultimate test of crew and equipment, for 23 boats have started, only 13 have reached the finish line. Wind force increased from 5 to 35 knots for two hours and was dying at the end of the day. Ten boats had to give in for difference reasons: from failure of equipment, injury of crew, blow up of Genoa's to simply lack of booze.
In Askeli Bay two tiny yellow buoys laid from South to North formed a start line of 300 meters for the 23 yachts. A wind from northerly directions, but not more than 5 to 7 knots, drove all the yachts with a speed of a herd of sheep over the imaginary line. Merlina Mercouri-Mostra Bistro, Andromeda-Navigare Yachting en Hadi-Lalizas started best and first. Hadi-Lalizas took the lead followed by Elenara V -Greek Sails, Jayanta-Red Zone DVD Video, Andromeda-Navigare Yachting and Ithaka-Pavlou Chandlery. Aeolos, the god of winds got the brand-new Hadi-Lalizas deep heeled when approaching Modi Island. None of the yachts had expected a wind of35knots and more. Great sailing and great exercise in quick reefing of genua'sand main sails. Not every yacht was prepared for this spectacular challenge. As said ten of them had to give up. Two hours later the wind decreased considerably, but Hadi-Lalizas used her profitable position and just got the last push to finish in 2 hours and 31 minutes 31 seconds as winner on corrected time. The Greek Sails Cup will be hers and must be defended next year. Jayante-Red Zone DVD Video and Vergina- Yachting Cafe finished with a tight difference of 27 seconds (on corrected time) which gave Vergina- Yachting-Cafe her second position. : -'Legend 3-Asteria Cafe sailed her own race and finished on a well deserved fourth place, while the 38 footers Carmen-Oasis Taverna, Andromeda- ~Navigare Yachting and Nirvana-Sweden all came in with time differences of just some minutes. Andromeda-Navigare Yachting won the Mr. Gadi Ketz Cup as first Non-Greek crewed yacht. While the wind was completely dying the brave Ellin-Remezzo Cafe, Sunlight-Caravella Restaurant and last but not least Rappel-Panorama Apartments finally finished an overall exciting sailing around the island of ~Poros. Racing always brings a lot of learning and a lot fun. So we were all winners, More than 100 sailors attended the Price giving, the Lottery and enjoyed the well organised dinner at Sotiris Taverna.

RESULTS OF THE RALLY ROUND OF POROS 2003