ORC mourns the loss of George Andreadis

24. Jun 2023

June 24, 2023 - Athens, Greece - The world of sailing has lost a great advocate whose dedication and passion for decades has helped shape our sport.

George Andreadis (1941-2023) embraced nearly all aspects of the sport his entire life. Starting from an early age sailing in Athens, his climb through the competitive ranks led him to represent Greece in Mexico at the 1968 Olympics in the Flying Dutchman, then again in Kingston in 1976 in the Soling.

This experience started a long-term involvement in the governing body of the sport, named IYRU, then ISAF and now World Sailing. In this he served in many roles, such as chairman of the Keelboat Committee, member of the Council representing Greece, a member of the Offshore Committee, and eventually a Vice President. He served on numerous Olympic committees in many capacities, including as a technical committee chair.

For this tireless long-term dedication over decades of service, World Sailing in 2016 awarded Andreadis its highest honour: the Beppe Croce Award for an outstanding voluntary contribution to the sport.

George Andreadis recieved the Beppe Croce Award for an outstanding voluntary contribution to the sport © World Sailing

Andreadis also served ORC as a Congress member since 1982, a member of the Policy Steering Group from 1986-1992 and a member of the Management Committee.

Even with all this service, Andreadis remained successful and active in big boat racing on his various 16 boats named ATALANTI and 4 boats named MELITI, the last of which won the ORC World Championship in 2009 in Brindisi, Italy and a silver medal at the 2016 ORC European Championship closer to home in Thessaloniki. All his racing crews were treated as family members, and with his gentle attitude he made many friends around the world.

“It is a great loss for the whole sailing community and for the ORC especially where George has been one of the helmsmen for so many years,” said Bruno Finzi, Chairman of ORC. “His contribution, dedication, friendship, knowledge and education will stay forever with all of us. When we had last cruised together two years ago in the Aegean on his beautiful power boat, he made me promise that we will continue to steer the ORC boat in the direction he contributed for the last 10 years in the Management Committee.