NO Vouliagmeni or "NOV" (Greek: Ναυτικός Όμιλος Βουλιαγμένης, "NOB" = Nautical Club of Vouliagmeni) is a major aquatic sports club, founded by local sportsmen in 1937 in the seaside resort of Vouliagmeni, Athens, Greece. The club is located on the eastern edge of the Mikro Kavouri peninsula, adjacent to the Astir Palace Hotel and overlooking the bay, town and lake of Vouliagmeni.
The club also takes particular pride in being an "extended family" for all its past and present athletes. Almost all its coaches and sports staff are past club athletes, and members are encouraged to involve their children in club sports from the youngest age possible.
Activities The club admits members and their guests and operates a marina, a waterskiing school, junior and Olympic competition sailing boats and facilities, an open-air, heated swimming pool, two rocky beaches, members' indoor and outdoor lounges, reading and conference rooms, a first-aid station, a gym, and an upscale restaurant. The club publishes a quarterly illustrated newsletter, the "Tríaina" (Τρίαινα, "Trident"), distributed free. As part of the celebrations for the club's seventy years, a memorial volume, "In Search of the Sporting Ideal", was published in 2008, in commemoration of the club's history. The volume chronicles the club's foundation and development, and pays particular tribute to the many club athletes who have taken part in Olympic Games and won Olympic medals. The most notable Olympic athlete to have been fostered at the club is windsurfer Nikolaos Kaklamanakis (gold medal, Atlanta Olympics, 1996, and silver medal, Athens Olympics, 2004).
The outdoor, heated pool hosts swimming, finswimming, synchronized swimming and water polo teams and the respective training schools for children. The club hosts two annual competition meetings for youngsters, the "Tzeláteia" swimming gala and the "Chatzitheodórou" water polo Cup, as well as annual water skiing and sailing events. In addition to regular training for its young athletes, the club organises training schools for beginners, open to all children interested in swimming, finswimming, water polo, boat sailing, windsurfing, synchronized swimming, and waterskiing. Four periods are offered per year in total, two (winter and spring) during school season and two more during the summer vacations.
Sports activities for members include aquarobics, aerobics, martial arts classes, long-distance sea swimming, water skiing, and Olympic and recreational sailing and windsurfing. The club also provides mooring for recreational boats owned by members. Several social events and functions are also held at the club, including concerts, art exhibitions, lectures, receptions, dinner parties, the Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve balls, the all-day "May Day at the Club" barbecue, and the midsummer "Full Moon Ball".
Crest and colours The club crest depicts a blue anchor set inside a white lifebuoy with eight red stripes; blue, white and red being the club colors.
Water polo The women's and men's water polo teams are a traditional force in European water polo and have won many Greek and several European Championships and Cups. The club often hosts LEN Euroleague and LEN Cup tournaments, its star players consistently being capped for the Greek men's and women's national teams.
The women's team are the reigning Greek champions (2010) and also the reigning European champions for the second consecutive year (2009, 2010). In 2009 they won the LEN Champions' Cup in Kirishi, Russia, defeating the Italian champions, Orizzonte Catania, in the final. In 2010 they won the LEN Champions' Cup in Corfu, Greece, defeating the Russian champions, Kinef Kirishi, in the final.
In addition to the men's and women's teams, the club maintains water polo teams for girls and boys aged 9 and upwards, and participates in all relevant youth competitions. All teams train under the supervision of head coaches (2010) Ioannis Giannouris and Alexia Kammenou, both former NOV players.
Notable players
Men Angelos Vlachopoulos Dimitrios Nikolaidis Georgios Afroudakis Christos Afroudakis Zachos Afroudakis Nikos Darras Ioannis Giannouris Theodoros Lorantos Dimitrios Mazis George Mavrotas Georgios Psykhos Georgios Reppas Vangelis Roupakas Stefanos Santa Konstantinos Tsalkanis Anthony HrysanthosSwimming to success: Q&A with the Australian men’s water polo goalie Anthony Hrysanthos Marianna Alepidis (Neos Kosmos), 16 August 2021. Accessed 13 September 2021. Petar Trbojević
Women Rebecca Rippon Alexandra Asimaki Alexia Kammenou Angeliki Gerolymou Kelina Kantzou Dina Kouteli Georgia Lara Kyriaki Liosi Antiopi Melidoni Evangelia Moraitidou Anthoula Mylonaki Aikaterini Oikonomopoulou Antigoni Roumpesi Christina Tsoukala Patricia del Soto Heather Petri Moriah van Norman Ashleigh Johnson
Notable coaches
Men Ioannis Giannouris Theodoros Lorantos Dimitris Mavrotas Vangelis Roupakas Josep Brasco Cata
Women Alexia Kammenou Giorgos Katsoulis Vangelis Roupakas Akis Tsatalios
Water polo titles Men: Greek water polo championships (4): 1991, 1997, 1998, 2012 Greek water polo cups (4): 1996, 1999, 2012, 2017 Double (1): 2012 Greek Super Cup (1): 1996 LEN Cup Winners' Cup (1): 1997 LEN Euro Cup Runners-up (1): 2004 Women: Greek water polo championships (12): 1991, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2025 Greek water polo cups (1): 2019 Women's LEN Champions' Cup (2): 2009, 2010 Runners-up (3): 2008, 2012, 2014 Women's LEN Trophy (1): 2003 Runners-up (3): 2000, 2005, 2016 LEN Women's Supercup (2): 2009, 2010
European honours +seasonmen's water polowomen's water polo1993-94LEN Euro League semi-finals1996-97LEN Cup Winners' Cup Winners1999-00LEN Trophy Final2000-01LEN Euro Cup semi-finals2001-02LEN Trophy 4th place2002-03LEN Trophy Winners2003-04LEN Euro Cup FinalLEN Euro League semi-finals2004-05LEN Trophy Final2005-06LEN Euro League semi-finals2007-08LEN Euro League Final2008-09LEN Euro League Champions2009-10LEN Super Cup Super ChampionsLEN Euro League Champions2010-11LEN Super Cup Super Champions2011-12LEN Euro League Final2013-14LEN Euro League Final2014-15LEN Trophy 3rd place2015-16LEN Trophy Final2018-19LEN Euro League
References
External links Official website The photographic archive of NOV, tracking the club's course from the 1940s to the present (in English and Greek) "La regina Alexia" - news item from the Water Polo Development World website (in Italian and English)