Nicholas G Fistes News

Over 70 Greek shipowners supported the Korean Register of Shipping’s (KR) 5th Hellenic Committee meeting held in Athens on October 15. Chaired by Adam Polemis, this important gathering meets annually to discuss KR’s performance and to guide the classification society to further its twin aims of ensuring quality shipping and safeguarding the natural environment in which its vessels operate. Senior representatives from the Athens shipping community heard how KR’s classed fleet had continued to grow year-on-year and had now reached 38.2 million gt comprising 2,393 vessels. At the same time, the quality of the KR fleet had also improved significantly.

Aries Maritime Transport Limited (NASDAQ:RAMS) announced that Grandunion Inc., a company controlled by Michail S. Zolotas and Nicholas G. Fistes, acquired 18,977,778 newly issued common shares in Aries in exchange for three capesize drybulk carriers. Of such shares, 2,666,667 were transferred to Rocket Marine Inc., a company controlled by two former directors and principal shareholders in Aries, in exchange for Rocket and its affiliates entering into a voting agreement with Grandunion. Under this voting agreement, Grandunion controls the voting rights relating to the shares owned by Rocket and its affiliates. Grandunion now owns approximately 34.2% of Aries and, as a result of the voting agreement controls the vote of approximately 71% of Aries' outstanding shares.

The fourth "Parallel Event" to celebrate World Maritime Day formally and officially outside of the International Maritime Organization's London base was held in Greece on 19 and 20 September, hosted by the Government of the Hellenic Republic. On 19 September, Athens was the location for a seminar and panel discussion on the theme of IMO: 60 years in the service of shipping, in which leading figures from the maritime community took the opportunity to outline, from their perspective, their views on the past, present and future of IMO and the shipping industry. On 20 September, the International Memorial to the Wife of the Seafarer was unveiled in the town of Galaxidi, by the Secretary-General of IMO, Mr. Efthimios E.

INTERTANKO’s Hellenic Forum last week elected its new Chairman and governing team. Emmanuel Vordonis of Thenamaris Ships Management will be the next Chairman, succeeding Ceres Hellenic’s Nicholas G. Fistes who held the position for three years, and is the Hellenic Forum’s third Chairman. Nick Fistes will remain as a Vice Chairman alongside Costis Kertsikoff of Eletson Corporation and Spyros Polemis of Seacrest Shipping. They will work together with the Steering Committee and the members of the Forum to stimulate constructive thinking and generate new ideas out of the hands-on international experience of the Greek shipping community.