Castaways team competes in European Match Racing Tour Finals
- Maryn Wilkes
- Nov 24, 2025
- 4 min read
Written by Teodor Tiryaki
The event was sailed in Fareast 28Rs at the Cyprus International Sailing Club between 13-16 November 2025.
The Castaways squad touched down in the Eastern Med for the European Match Race Tour Finals with a crew list that would make any uni alumni officer tear up with pride: Julian Fung (Helm, Imperial ’24), Matthew Wright (Main, Imperial ’23), Angelos Angelidis (Jib, Imperial ’26), and Teodor “Please Stop Emailing Me” Tiryaki (Bow, Imperial ’25). Eight teams. Asymmetric kites. Fareast 28Rs. Sunshine (…allegedly). What could possibly go wrong?
Arrival Logistics - or, “Match Racing but in Airport Mode”
Matt and Angelos flew out first on the 12th, instantly entering Larnaca Home Comfort Mode™, staying at Casa Angelidis where Angelos’ mum personally made Matt’s bed like he was the chosen one.
Julian and Teo were less fortunate. Both flew in at criminally early hours on the morning of the 13th. Teo arrived Istanbul → Athens → Cyprus “because geopolitics”, then immediately sprinted to an airport café to enter email warfare mode (he did in fact not have enough vacation days) over airport Wi-Fi that was holding on by prayer. Julian endured a Heathrow flight best described as a test of emotional resilience.
Once reunited, the boys were collected by Matt and Angelos in Angelos’ dad’s BMW (rawr) and were immediately reminded that Cyprus highways apparently feature random wheelchair skid-marks for decoration.
Training Day - Angelos’ Spinnaker Awakening
Straight to the sailing club, straight onto the water. Breeze: hopeful. Boat handling: rust shaking off rapidly. Most importantly, Angelos - born and bred Laser sailor - lost his spinnaker virginity in spectacular fashion, discovering that asymmetric kites are neither optional nor “just big genoas”.
The event briefing took place, as tradition demands, at TGI Friday’s, where Luigi (Chief Umpire and secret fan) absolutely did not mock us relentlessly. The Polish HRM squad were also present, signalling that the usual cross-border rivalry would resume shortly.
Dinner followed. And drinks. And more drinks. And an arcade. And ice cream. No further questions.
Friday 14th - Monsoon Simulator 2025
Friday began exactly as advertised: sunshine, breeze, optimism… and then the heavens absolutely nuked.
Mid-day, the sky went black and the fleet was hit with 25 knots of sideways rain, turning the racecourse into a budget remake of The Perfect Storm. The Castaways - outfitted in shorts and T-shirts only, because waterproofs are for people with sponsors - spent the opening phase absolutely sending it through the downpour.
During all this, Angelos delivered his now-iconic statement:
“The wind ALWAYS dies when it rains in Limassol, trust me.”
He was technically correct, but only after the fleet got pummeled for an hour. Once the storm had fully soaked us inside our souls, the breeze disappeared entirely, validating his theory (just not in the advertised order).
With thunder and lightning rolling in, racing was abandoned and the fleet limped ashore, soaked, traumatised, and 40% seawater.
Saturday 15th - Sunshine, Clean Racing & The Spinnaker Incident
Saturday was the exact opposite of Friday; blue skies, stable breeze and textbook match racing conditions. The Castaways settled into rhythm quickly: better starts, tighter boathandling, and some very spicy tactical exchanges that did not convert into wins. And then… the spinnaker incident.
A “lazy” drop where one decided to not hoist the jib resulted in the kite perfectly wrapping itself around the forestay, a sculpture so comprehensive that racing effectively paused for ~20 minutes while:
Other teams laughed
Umpires laughed
Angelos’ aunt laughed
At the peak of the chaos, Julian hopped onto an umpire boat for a “rules chat”, though most eyewitnesses are convinced he was simply trying to escape. Meanwhile, the remaining three sailors heroically liberated the spinnaker and sailed on, dignity unrestored.
The rest of the day was sunny and productive, with the team finishing strong and setting up nicely for Sunday.
Saturday Night - Politics, Buzz Lightyear & Chaos Round Two
With hypothermia narrowly avoided, the squad headed to dinner with Angelos’ parents.
Politics was debated with athletic intensity
Angelos’ dad christened Matt “Buzz Lightyear”, a name instantly adopted
The group then descended into Larnaca’s nightlife ecosystem, consuming mysterious shots with Angelos’ friend Pedro, whose energy level could power the island
Memories from this section are available only in fragments.
Sunday Racing - Calm Seas & Closure
Sunday brought yet another day of clean, warm racing - the complete opposite of Friday’s monsoon trauma. The Castaways wrapped up the round robin 6th out of 8, showing moments of brilliance and occasional tactical chaos.
Then came King of the Castle, in which the team:
Won the first two matches with authority, and then
Lost to Matt Greenfield in a close battle, sealing 6th overall
Winner of the overall event: Magnum Racing - clinical, fast and fully deserving of the trophy.
The Journey Home - A True Test of Elite Athleticism
Prize giving → drinks (again) → airport drop-off for Julian and Teo.
Airport security reports confirm the two were seen wobbling through passport control like newborn deer.
Teo then landed in Istanbul at 3:00 am, slept approximately 2 hours, and showed up to work at 9:00 am Monday - physically present, spiritually absent.
Final Thoughts
Did we win the event? No.
Did we win the aesthetic category of “four idiots in shorts match-racing a thunderstorm”? Absolutely.
Did Angelos conquer the spinnaker? He is no longer the man he once was.
Did Luigi pretend not to like us while secretly loving us? Without question.
Will the Castaways return to the European circuit soon - ideally with sponsorship, jackets, waterproof trousers, and maybe dignity? Unclear, but hope is a dangerous drug.
