N.C.Kalamaki, Alimos, Sunday 17th December 2023.
Christmas Cup is the last race of 2023 and Team OPTIMUM did not miss the opportunity to close its 30th season on a high. OPTIMUM 4 – LALIZAS/PERFORMANCE/QUANTUM managed line honors and won convincingly 1st place on handicap in cold, overcast and windy day in great OPTIMUM spirit.
“It is always a pleasure and fun to “borrow” one of OPTIMUM Sailing Academy’s Dehler 30ods and go for a day race with the guys. Today was windy, about 20 knots gusting up to 30 from the shore and almost flat seas. Christmas Cup is a 15-mile coastal course from Faliron, around Green Island and back, more or less downwind and then upwind. We clocked up to 20 knots boatspeed and led the fleet around Green island with a good margin ahead of the bigger and faster boats competing. Under full upwind sail area, we hiked our guts out and trimmed every gust in a relentless effort to cross the finish line first, which we did and enjoyed immensely. It is not the first time we get line honors with these fantastic 30 footers but every time we achieve that , we are thrilled. We did race well and tight and managing 1st place on handicap too, was the cherry on our Sunday cake”, says skipper of the day Apostolos Serraos, an enthusiastic and hardworking Team OPTIMUM trimmer/driver/navigator/you name it member, since 2018.
Mily Tirla, Vaggelis Nikolopoulos, Kostas Dufexis, Nikos Kountouriotis and Periklis Livas completed the crew line up and offered O.S.A. sponsors LALIZAS, PERFORMANCE TECHNOLOGIES and QUANTUM SAILS, apparel partners HELLY HANSEN and rope technology partners KAPA ROPES another top result as a small thank you for supporting the Academy’s initiative of seducing and immersing the Greek youth generation in the sport of offshore sailing.
Next year, 2024, we celebrate the eve of the fourth OPTIMUM decade which we plan and work to be the handover decade from the grey hair members to the up and coming young, eager, spirited and as passionate Team OPTIMUM members.
Seasons Greetings to all of you!!!