International Race of Classic and Traditional Boats of Spetses

The International Race of Classic and Traditional Boats in Spetses (Spetses Classic Yacht Regatta, SCYR), has become an institution, bringing together classic yachts, caiques and Latin sailboats for exhilarating races that captivate both participants and the crowd of tourists who flock to the island for this unique spectacle. Launched in 201, it has since become the most popular race of its kind in Greece and one of the most important in the Mediterranean. Organized every summer, usually in June, by the Yacht Club of Greece, it is held under the auspices of the Municipality of Spetses and with the support of the Yacht Club of Spetses.

The event has gained recognition as a cornerstone of Greek and international sailing, with classic yachts, caiques and Latin sailboats offering exhilarating moments and fierce competition for both participants and the multitude of tourists who converge on the island. Each year, prominent figures from the sporting and business worlds, both from Greece and abroad, grace the event with their presence, with over 75 boats and 400 crew members.

This special race extols the principles and values of fair play and healthy competition, allowing spectators to admire rare boats from Greece and abroad and enjoy high-level sailing competitions, in a true celebration of nautical sports and wooden boat-building art. A focal point of the Race remains its international innovation of bringing together classic yachts, traditional Greek caiques and Latin sailboats to complete simultaneously in a sailing race. Some of the country’s most famous caiques, such as the Faneromeni, the Panagia of Tinos, the Alkyoni, the Aeolos Spetson, the Notios Anemos, the Afroessa, the Stratis, the Marida, St. Georges, built in the traditional shipyards of Perama, Syros, Koilada and Spetses have participated in the Greece’s largest classic yacht race.

The Yacht Club of Greece, as the race organizer, has proven that wooden caiques are a strong magnet with their beauty and simple luxury. Closely linked to the maritime tradition of the island of Spetses, the event highlights, in a challenging era, not only the values of the sport of sailing but also the art of wooden boatbuilding, which has not exhausted its ticket to survival in the future.”