After five days of action, the 9th Mediterranean Yacht Show (MEDYS) concluded on 1 May with commemorative blasting of horns in the Port of Nafplion. The moment marked a decade of MEDYS, which has placed an ever-important spotlight on Greece as a cruising destination and the growing fleet operating under the Greek professional license.
The 9th edition of the show saw a record number of 102 superyachts registering their participation, that together came to a cumulative LOA of 3.9 kilometres. More than 750 industry professionals from 30 countries came to experience the glory of the Greek fleet during the show, which was peppered with a stream of entertainment, events, competitions and talks.
Since its conception, MEDYS along with the Greek Yachting Association (GYA) has been at the forefront of the charter market in Greece, waving the Greek flag before the wider yachting industry, championing the region and the fleet.
On 27 April, the president of the Greek Yachting Association (GYA) Michael Skoulikidis, took to the stage at the opening ceremony at the historic Palamidi Fortressto to honour the occasion. “This year’s show holds special significance for all the members of the Greek Yachting Association,” he said. “It marks a decade of continuous growth and unforgettable moments - a milestone that speaks volumes about our collective journey, passion, resilience and dedication to excellence.
“A decade ago, it was anchors aweigh for a dream. A dream to share the allure of Greek yachting with all the world and create a platform unlike any other for industry professionals,” he continued. “It took time and teamwork, but we turned that dream into reality. We are the world's largest crewed yacht charter show and have been so for several years. And we are certainly one of the most influential B2B events in the superyacht industry.”
Marking the significance of the occasion, Elena Rapti, Deputy Minister of Tourism, representing Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Prime Minister of Greece, Dimitris Ptochos, Governor of the Peloponnese region, Tryfon Kontizas, Second Deputy Commandant of the Hellenic Coast Guard Vice Admiral HCG; Dimitris Orfanos, Mayor of Nafplion; and George Pateras, President of the Hellenic Chamber of Shipping were also in attendance.
With the execution of MEDYS, the GYA has worked to present Greek yachting in the global spotlight. With this, the GYA has established connections, exchanged knowledge and raised awareness of maritime leisure in Greece. The dedication to championing the region was palpable and attendees could even partake in a daily tour of the historic city of Nafplion, which was the first capital of Greece.
Brokers including IYC, Torrance, Fraser Yachts Greece, Parsifal Yachting, Athens Yachts, Istion Yachting, Ocean Independence, Riginos and others had yachts in attendance. All singing the praises of Greek yachting and its ever-growing fleet.
Superyachts in attendance were also a fine example of the variety and standard within the Greek charter fleet, with yachts such as 50-metre, La Pelligrina 1 (for charter with Camper and Nicholsons), 43-metre Sanctuary (for charter with IYC), 95-metre O’Pari (for charter with Fraser Yachts Greece) 33.7-metre Can’t Remember (for charter with Istion Yachting) and 73.2-metre Lady Vera (for charter with Parsifal Yachting)
This year also saw the return of the chef’s competition, which challenges Greece's culinary talents to showcase their gastronomic prowess and compete for the coveted prize. Honouring the region of Argolis, participating yacht chefs were challenged to create main dishes with oranges as the focal ingredient.
To judge the chefs, this year’s panel included chef George Papazacharias, of the two Michelin-starred Delta Restaurant in Athens, and Luca Piscazzi from the Michelin-starred Pelagos Restaurant at the Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens. Broker Stefania Cappiello of Mondovela was also invited to judge the competition, applying a superyacht focus to the panel.
After two days of fierce competition yachts competing the judges sat down to deliberate the dishes and decide who should take the crown in the two categories (Category A and Category A Platinum)
Stepping into first place for Category A was chef Sotiris Mpempedelis of the 18.9-metre sailing catamaran Nova. Closely running up was chef Polixeni Marina Velli of the 17.9-metre sailing catamaran, Alma in second and chef George Elekidis of the 25.3-metre sailing yacht Meliti. The category also included the table scaping award, which was won by Myrto Bampeti also on board Alma.
For Category A Platinum, first place was awarded to Aristeidis Vlachogiannis of 47-metre Africa I. Following closely behind, was chef Dimitrios Paidis of Motor Yacht 44.5-metre Lady G II in second place, and chef Eleftheria Varelaki of 22.8-metre sailing catamaram, Sameli. For this category’s tablescaping competition, Michael Papalekakos of 45.7-metre Ancallia received first place.
As the commemorative horns reverberated through the historic town for the completion of MEDYS, the Greek charter season officially began with many participating yachts heading straight to collect their first charter guests of the season. During this moment, Skoulikidis reflected on the show and the adventure it has been to date.
“There is heart and soul that goes into each year's show, the dedication of our team, and the support of our attendees, have been the wind in our sails. It was all of us, together, who firmly placed Greek yachting in the global spotlight,” says Skoulikidis. “We are proud that the 9th MEDYS showcases the finest collection of crewed yachts with a Greek charter license. We are honoured to welcome back the wide array of professionals, sponsors, and exhibitors who have supported us throughout this decade and we are happy to open our doors to many new attendees.”