How it all started

 Hi everyone!

My name is Peter Papageorgiou and I am a professional Yachtmaster and Sailing Instructor, based in Corfu. My home waters are the Ionian Sea and throughout the last few years I have extended these to the Peloponnese, Patras ans Corinth Gulf and the Saronic Sea.

It all really started quite some time ago, when, at the young age of 19, I enrolled in the HORC sailing school in Corfu. I had already been sailing a few times with friends, often skipping school to do so, in a Carter 30 that belonged to a friends uncle. But the first time I ever went on a day's sailing, was when I was about 10, with some friends of our family. They were from Finland and had their own boat.

Here it is:

Going to the sailing school was the logical next step. The club had a busy racing season and I was quickly invited to join one of the teams. 

I had tried my hand at various sports till then, from javelin throwing to cricket, but sailing just clicked.

I loved every aspect of it. Navigation, being practical, trimming the sails, learning about the weather and nautical traditions, and just plain sailing. Holding the tiller, setting the sails for the wind and making the boat come alive. There were moments when I felt I would be very happy to just keep going, and never return, onwards to new seas.

Here are a few photos from that time:

 

 

 

The first picture is of Kyma Too, a boat I was to crew on soon. The second is of Lena, a boat designed and built by Andreas Bottis in his garden next to my high school. This is the forst boat I learned how to sail on. The engine did not work so we learned to sail in and out of harbour during our outings over the three months the lessons lasted. The third photo is Glafki II, heeling over on our way to Lefkas during a race and the fourth photo of me and my fellow crew members on an Aloa 27 I also trained on.  

This was my beginning in sailing. The first few times I went to the club, all the boats looked alike to me, white with masts. Soon I would be able to tell makes and models from miles away...