A small Greek sailing ship that goes by the name “PYTHEAS” with a Piraeus sailor as the sole crew, Giorgos Kesses, will travel to accompany the French sailing ship “Belem” and the Olympic flame upon their entrance to Marseille.
The captain of “PYTHEAS”, Giorgos Kesses from Piraeus, who will realize his lifelong dream and will pass through various places where Greek colonies existed, spoke on “Voice of Greece” and the show “Fair Winds and Following Seas” with Antonis Karagiannakis:
“I will sail at dawn on Saturday, April 20th with the Greek flag and the flag of Piraeus. “PYTHEAS” is the first vessel to cross the Isthmus of Corinth, after the works done recently. I will cross to Argostoli in Kefalonia, then cross the Adriatic to reach Messina or Reggio in Calabria. From there I will reach Bonifacio in Corsica and later I will meet the French sailing ship “Belém” before reaching its final destination with the Olympic Flame and entering Marseille together”, says the Greek sailor.
Born and raised in Piraeus since he was a young child on boats, Giorgos Kesses does not forget those who helped him enter this wonderful world of sailing and thanks them all, while “there are many who helped me in this great venture and want to remain anonymous”, emphasizes the Piraeus sailor.
He also explained the peculiarities of the trip, the symbolism, the preparation, the many voluntaries, etc. Giorgos Kesses and “PYTHEAS” want to convey to his meetings with Greek expatriates, Greece, and the Olympic event.
Outside the port of Marseille, “Pytheas” will wait for the “Belem” and, accompanied by the armada of dozens of boats, enter with the Olympic Flame the port of the twinned city with Piraeus.
For the record, we should mention that the Municipalities of the two ports of Piraeus and Marseille have been twinned since 1984, symbolizing the strong bonds of friendship between the two port cities of the Mediterranean. In this spirit, the escort of the Olympic Flame under the Greek flag and the flag of the “sister city” of the Municipality of Piraeus to Marseille, a city founded by Greeks, is particularly important.
The total time of the trip from Piraeus to Marseille is estimated to be about 20 days, taking into account the filling stations and any weather difficulties or damages. Under normal circumstances, it would be about 12 days. The time of return will be the same.
The distance from Piraeus to Marseille and the return to Piraeus, given that the trip will be made mainly using sailing, totals about 3,000 nautical miles.
The departure will take place at least 10-12 days before the delivery of the Olympic flame to France, as on April 26th, 2024, the “Belém” will sail from Piraeus at a much higher speed.