George Andreadis (1941-2023)

Not easy to share with you the passing of our 2005 / 2006 TP52 class member George Andreadis  in which years he raced his two TP52s; Atalanti XV and XVI.

An Olympic sailor representing Greece in ’68 with the FD and in ’76 with the Soling who kept sailing all his life and found his other passion in being on the administrative, management and political helm of our sport in a dazzling number of functions. George was Team Leader of the Greek Sailing Team at Moscow 1980, Chairman of the Measurement Committee for the following three Olympics, and Chairman of the Sailing Committee at Atlanta 1996. In 2010, he was awarded the Silver Olympic Order of the International Olympic Committee.

Within IYRU / ISAF / World Sailing George served as a member of the Keelboat Committee and later became Vice President and eventually Chair. He was Vice President of World Sailing from 1986-1994, 1998-2009 and 2012-2016, a member of Council from 1994-1998 and again from 2008-2012, and a member of the Offshore Committee from 2000-2008.

George has been active in many yacht clubs and sailing associations, he was Honorary President of the Cyprus Yachting Association since 1995, Vice Commodore and Commodore YC of Greece, Honorary President Cyprus Yachting Association, the World Olympians Association, one of the main initiators of organizing disabled sailing in Greece, Vice President of the International Maxi Association and ORC Congress member since 1982.

George was a member of the NYYC, YCCS, YCM, RORC, Coral Reef, Gstaad, Piraeus Sailing Club and of course the Yacht Club of Greece, no wonder his network was one of the most impressive in our sport. Professionally most of his functions were banking and insurance related, as director or member of the board. He was decorated and awarded many times but would say one he likely appreciated most must have been in 2016 when awarded the Beppe Groce Award for outstanding voluntary to the sport of sailing, World Sailing’s highest honour.

I got to know George, his wife Anna and their son Stratis well over the past 10 years, regularly meeting at maxi events, World Sailing meetings, IMA officer’s meetings, etc. Especially remember the support of the Andreadis family when creating a Maxi72 event in Corfu and of course when discussing how to promote the Aegean 600 and meeting there last year. It is hard to imagine a kinder man, George firmly believed in calm and intelligent diplomacy to come to a better world and he was so good at it.

On the Atalanti website I found the following text:
George Andreadis soon realised that a sporting activity such as Sailing, multifaceted in its reach, encompassing a wide age and skill groups is more than a sport. It is part a vibrant part of human civilization, ever since the first wooden sailing boats sought to catch the wind with their sails and go out exploring, millennia ago.
This passionate thinking was behind the creation of the Atalanti Racing Team in 1974. It is a team that George Andreadis still actively runs today, which by now has become synonymous with excellence in the sport, with promoting the values of Sailing for over 40 years now. Decades of sailing experience and contacts around the world have enabled George Andreadis to bring major sailing events to his native land; to have the Atalanti team associated with some of the best sailing talent in Greece and at the same time fostering excellence and innovation in sailing competition. Above all, George Andreadis has contributed – not only through his roles in sailing administration, throughout the years, dealing with the organization and image of the sport, as well as obtaining a wider recognition for the sport of Sailing. George Andreadis and the Atalanti Racing Team’s vision is one of a sport always evolving, whilst its core values remain the same: that of exploring and enjoying the sea, of exploring every sailing area from a barrier into a broad welcoming avenue of new experiences.

Another legend has left us, my thoughts are with Anna, Stratis, the family and many friends. Sail on George, I and we all miss you,

Rob Weiland