Authentic Ancient Greek Warship Coming To NYC - Gothamist

Have you ever had fantasies of sailing with Jason and the Argonauts across the myths of the Mediterranean? Well, you're never going to be able to do that, but you might be able to get a whiff of it come spring 2012, when the Hellenic Navy vessel Olympias makes its first visit to the U.S.

The H.N. Olympias is a full-scale, working replica of the 170-oared Athenian trireme (warship) of the 5th century B.C, and is said to be "the fastest human-powered vessel on the planet." The vessel has only left Greece once, to visit London in 1993, and was used to carry the Olympic torch before the 2004 Olympics. You can see ancient videos of it in action here. And if you think you're fit enough to take part, the Olympias will be recruiting and training teams of 170 men and women to participate in sea-trials and other nautical events. But if you do participate, don't be surprised if you end up lost for 40 years or so; historically, Greeks aren't known for their sense of direction.