12:00, Tuesday 20th May 2025, Alimos Marina, N.C.Kalamaki, Greece.
The second weekend of racing around the cans on Windward/Leeward courses for the ATHENS TROPHY was completed with the Race Committee managing to put up two more races each day. Team OPTIMUM-Samos Steamship scheduled plan to compete in this top W/L event served its purpose and allowed Team OPTIMUM to perform and practice starts and timely crew work under pressure from a very competitive fleet of boats, including TP52 Velos Team of Olympic 470 medalists Mantis-Kagialis. Following the 12, 1, 6, 11 scorecard of the first weekend, Team OPTIMUM-Samos Steamship proved more consistent with a scorecard of 3, 6, 3, 9 and a crew narrowing out mistakes and happily concentrating on the details of perfecting their act from bowman to helmsman. As such, a respectable 6th place overall was well received by Team OPTIMUM members who displayed a fighting spirit and enjoyed getting back in full racing mode.
“It is important to include high end Windward-Leeward racing in our performance build-up for our offshore program that includes Aegean 600 and probably Rolex Middle Sea Race. Race after race we felt we improved our comms, starts, crew chorography, mark roundings and ended up much more confident on our overall playbook. Personally, I did not expect to win any races against these guys on the fully oriented inshore TP52 VELOS, but we managed to do so in three out of the eight races and come really close in two more I believe. The variable wind strength conditions from 6 to 18 knots true that prevailed, along with the boat-to-boat competition with the TP52, allowed us to verify the crossover points of our headsail arsenal that includes a brand new Quantum No.1Jib. More importantly, we had the chance to rotate crew positions from day to day and give the chance to all sixteen Team members that are registered for the Aegean 600 to perform under pressure, build their confidence and chip into the OPTIMUM spirit. We all know that although only thirteen will board for the 600s, 32 seasons of experience says that even the last day, life play games and a good Team that has put down the work need to have enough prepared and spirited reserve Team members. We are happy where we are today and will keep working to peak at the start of the Aegean 600”, says Charis Piperakis, long time friend and newcomer to Team OPTIMUM since late last season, with an overall coaching role and member of the afterguard.
The crew lineup for the racing weekend for Team OPTIMUM-Samos Steamship included Lefteris Grispos, Vasilis Kritidis, Nikos Apostolakis, Giannis Kapos, Nikos Kountouriotis, Charis Piperakis, Manolis Markogiannakis, Periklis Hoegger-Anemogiannis, Stavros Papadopoulos-Kouklakis, Nikos Stavropoulos, George Voutsas, Nikos Lazos and Periklis Livas.
Looking forward for next weekend and switcing mode to offshore racing by competing in two coastal races, so stay tuned!!!