The Hellenic Offshore Racing Club was established on 1961 in Piraeus. Its primary and constitutional aim is to spread and promote offshore sailing throughout Greece. Since its establishment and for many years on, it was the only sailing club exclusively involved in offshore sailing and today is the main offshore club in Greece.
The clubhouse is sited in Mikrolimano, Piraeus, a very traditional and local colored area near Athens.The clubhouse main building hosts all administrative activities, the student’s club, lecture and tutorial rooms, the members club, the library, and the Aegean special events and activities room and terrace. The club’s sailboats are docked in Mikrolimano moorings, together with a number of boats belonging to club members.
The club is organizing many big annual sailing races, but the most famous is the Aegean Rally or International Aegean Sailing Week (IASW). This race, being the oldest offshore sailing event in Greece since 1964, gathers contestants from around the world as well as all of Greece’s top sailing teams.
Apart from these racing activities, HORC is operating an Offshore Racing School since 1969, including 4 different courses, run 6 times a year. There are more than 30000 graduates to date. The school includes special Racing and Advanced courses, taught by sailing champions and specialists. There is also an annual Skippers course for those graduates that have sailed over 1500 miles and wish to become professionals.
Other international sailing events organized by HORC are:
- Offshore International Championship for 1/2 Ton boats, in 1982, in conjunction with Nautical Club of Greece, sponsored by DUNHILL.
- International Championship for MINI TON boats, in 1984, taking place in Corfu.
- International Championship for 3/4 Ton boats, in 1989, in conjunction with Nautical Club of Athens, sponsored by ‘ETHNIKI ASFALISTIKI’ SA and ‘ELLINIKOS NIOGNOMON’ SA.
- •”TP52 ATHENS TROPHY” in 2006, part of the BREITLING MEDCUP TP52 Mediterranean Championship, sponsored by NATIONAL BANK OF GREECE and ETHNIKI ASFALISTIKI’ SA
• ORCi World Championship in 2008, sponsored by Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company SA. with the product AMITA MOTION and WIND HELLAS
Since 1987, HORC is publishing a two-monthly journal called “Istioploikos Cosmos”, i.e. ‘Sailing World’, in approximately 3.500 copies per issue with the online version reaching over 15,000 views. The journal contains various articles on Sailing in Greece and worldwide, as well as other relative subjects. The journal is posted free of charge to all major relative authorities, the government, sailing clubs, etc. and to all the members and graduates of the club.
At the same time, HORC in collaboration with the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) and the University of Pireas, is organising lectures and seminars. In conclusion, it must be said that HORC represents Greece to the International Mediterranean Committee for the last 25 years.