The Hellenic Offshore Racing Club (HORC) was founded in 1961 in Piraeus. Its primary and constitutional aim is to spread and promote offshore sailing throughout Greece. The Club strives to ameliorate the nautical seamanship and maintain the Greek nautical tradition. Since its establishment and for many years on, it was the only sailing club exclusively involved in offshore sailing.  Since 1969, HORC has been operating the first Offshore Sailing School in Greece with six training courses per year, which to date have been successfully attended by more than 30,000 students. It also operates the unique naval communications school for non -professionals. The Club Premises are in Mikrolimano, Piraeus, in a privately owned four-story neoclassical building.

Based on its constitutional aim to spread sailing throughout Greece, HORC established eleven branches on several Greek islands, among which Psara, Kastelorizo, Agathonisi, where the first telepediatrics system in Greece was installed.

The Club’s prestige and its flawless organization of major sailing events, led “World Sailing” to assign to HORC the organization of five World Championships.

Furthermore, HORC represents Greece in the International Mediterranean Classic Yachting Committee since its foundation, while it is the only recognized Club in Greece to conduct the Offshore Personal Safety Course of the International Sailing Federation (World Sailing). HORC organizes many important annual sailing races, but the most famous is the Intl’ Aegean Sailing Rally and the AEGEAN 600 Yacht Race.

HORC is the only Club with a rich bibliography which includes: "Sailing and Nautical Art" in 30,000 copies (currently in its sixth edition), "OPTIMIST, The little captain's boat", "Laser secrets" and "Nautical Communications". Since 1987, HORC publishes the quarterly magazine “Istioploikos Kosmos” (Sailing world) which is printed in 5.000 copies and is distributed to main locations of sailing and yachting interest. “Istioploikos Kosmos” is currently the only purely sailing publication in Greece and it is additionally available online (https://istioploikoskosmos.gr). The magazine's content includes articles mainly of sailing interest for races in Greece and abroad, but also a multitude of other topics such as travel, technical, historical.

HORC cooperates with Higher Educational Institutions for the promotion and diffusion of sailing, such as the National Technical University of Athens and the University of Piraeus as well as with other institutions for the organization of lectures and cultural events.

The Academy of Athens, appreciating the sports and cultural activity of the Club, awarded the Hellenic Offshore Racing Club the award of the Academy of Athens in 2013.

In 2022 Tourism Awards, HORC was presented with the top awards in two categories: For the Club's contribution to Offshore Sailing in the category Sports Organization, CSR Campaign/Activity and also for the Aegean Rally in the category Sports Events / Branded Events, Watersports / Summersports.