Captain Vasilis Constantakopoulos has passed away

Founder of Costamare and an aristocrat, captain Vasilis Constantakopoulos drew his last breath at 76, early this morning, stricken by cancer against which he had been fighting in the last years. Before passing away, he managed to see his great dream become a reality.

After 25yrs he managed to turn his hometown into one of the most ideal destinations in the Mediterranean, creating in Costa Navarino inMessinia, in an area of ten thousand acres, Costa Navarino, a resort lacking nothing when compared to French and Italian ones.

Captain Vasilis always wanted to build a unique structure in his birthplace to help the local economy. Demonstrating unparalleled tenacity, he managed to sail through the clashing rocks of the Greek bureaucracy, which raised the amount of the investment to 1.2bil euros.

His ambition to transform his homeland into a luxury tourist destination began to take shape in the 1980s, when he purchased large tracts in the region. About twenty years later, the baton was passed on to his son, Achilles, who has proven to be the perfect man to complete the projects of his father. He graduated from the famous "Tourist School of Lausanne" in Switzerland and returned to Peloponnesus to take advantage of his studies in tourism and undertake the completion of the operation of Costa Navarino. The resort will make full use of all available alternative energy sources and to this end a solar farm that will provide full coverage of all energy needs is being built.

The company's effort to promote local agricultural production and highlight the natural beauty of the area includes the important initiative of Achilles Constantakopoulos to exploit the famous commodities of Messinia, olives and olive oil. He proceeded to transplant 6.500 perennial olive trees and plans to sell homes with olive yards to individuals who will be able to produce their own oil.

Vasilis Constantakopoulos decided to retire just before turning 70 in 2006 and devote his time to his grandchildren and his favorite sport, golf.

This decision caused a sensation in the global maritime community. Besides, it is not often the case that the founder of an empire such as Costamare voluntarily decides to retreat from the business after a 30-year course as a ship owner.

The corporations were passed on to his three sons and he said that the company is in much better hands now.

Costamare, introduced this year to the U.S. stock market, controls a fleet of 51 container ships with a total capacity of 256.972 TEU and besides Cosco, the company works with ZIM and Maersk.

Achilles, as mentioned above, is engaged in tourism investment in Messinia (TEMES). Christos, the youngest son of captain Vasilis, is responsible for a manufacturing plant in Kozani.

The captain is the businessman that brought the Chinamen of Cosco to our port. “The two peoples have ancient civilizations and once were together. At some point their paths were divided and now they meet again” he said then.

Captain Vasilis, as he liked to be called, was born in Diavolitis, Messinia in 1935. He studied at the Senior Public School of Seamen in the Commercial Navy. In 1953, the 18yo Vasilis went to sea without a wage for three months. Since then, the sea became his great mistress. He took on all the different ship duties. In 1962, he met Carmen and 2 years later they got married. In 1974 he acquired his first “small ship” – a thousand-tonne one – and went on to create an empire over the next 32 years. In 2006, Costamare celebrated 32 years in the maritime business, employing about 2.000 people.

He made many donations to initiatives for seafaring parents who have children with special needs.

His long course was characterized by understated tones and silent activity, both in the common issues of the business and in social matters. He did not want to be “bathed in the spotlight” and for that reason he rarely appeared in the media. On his initiative, he created Helmepa Junior, which is the “branch” of the Greek Marine Environment Protection Association, the programs of which he funded out of his own pocket.