NEW YORK, May 26, 2004-- Two Greek-Americans are undertaking a modern-day
odyssey to Greece from Brooklyn's Miramar Yacht Club, in honor of the 2004
Olympic games. Departure is scheduled for 4PM on May 30, 2004. The journey
by sailboat will take approximately 10 weeks. New York's Greek-American
community will be there to wish them a "kalo taksidi" as they embark on
their voyage.
Seeking adventure and self-discovery on the high seas, the two mariners will
sail across the Atlantic Ocean, through the Mediterranean Sea, and north on
the Ionian Sea to Kerkyra (Corfu), Greece. The stops en route include the
Azores and Gibraltar. Estimated arrival in Kerkyra is on or about August 5,
2004.
Mr. Katehis, owner of a food service/catering business on Wall Street, was
born in Kerkyra in 1964. His parents, in search of a better way of living,
moved to America when he was seven. Since that time, he has often visited
his grandparents and other family members who stayed behind. "During my
trips to Greece, I would get goose bumps all over my body. It's an
exhilarating feeling of deep-rooted homesickness," says Katehis. "Anxiety
would build inside as I came closer to reliving my ancestral past. I would
be the happiest of kids visiting the storekeepers and small Venetian-style
streets of Old Corfu Town that I had left behind."
A technology consultant in the investment industry, Andonis Prikas was born
in the US in 1967. His father is from the island of Kos and his mother from
the Greek mainland. "The trip is inspired by my grandfather, who was killed
in the 1946 Civil War," says Prikas. "His name was Captain Kostas Ladas, and
he fought proudly for what he believed in."
Katehis and Prikas will be sailing on their 40-foot sailboat, "Adele." After
two years of vessel preparations - and searing criticism from both family
and friends - they have finally made the trip a reality. Although all
necessary safety measures are being taken, it is the thrill of the
unexpected - the lure of adventure in the old Homeric tradition - that
drives them on.

MAY 30th 4pm Brooklyn's Miramar Yacht Club we will be there to wish you KALO TAKSIDI everyone is welcome to join