Wildwind België/Belgique

21/01/2025

Voormalig Wildwind-manager Joe Bennett, bekend van JoyriderTV, sprak vandaag op de Düsseldorf Boot-show 👇

https://boot.com

Today’s presentation on the main stage in the sailing hall was a sell out! Very good show!!
I’ll be back on tomorrow at 1400
Thanks to some of the content the 901 got the right reaction from the audience at

17/01/2025

Meet Joe in Germany and in Vassiliki

We are delighted to announce that Joe Bennett, Wildwind manager extraordinaire and now of Joyrider TV fame - now with over 10 million views on his YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/ - will not only be speaking on the main stage of the Sailing hall at the Düsseldorf Boat Show https://boot.com, but will also be holding an exclusive week of catamaran training at the Wildwind base in Vassiliki in the early season of 2025 (week of May 4th ).

Düsseldorf Boot Show

While Joe will be loosely based at the Hobie Cat Association Stand (Hall 15 D) from the 20th to the 23rd January, he will be making his presentation on the main stage at 11:00 on the 21st and 14:00 on the 22nd, talking about different types of catamaran. Anyone attending will become one of the elite 1% of the world's population when it comes to knowing about the various styles and developments of catamarans.

Advanced Catamaran Skills Week with Joe

May 4th , high-off advanced skills for experienced specialists
The training is limited to only 8 candidates and will be primarily using Hobie Formula 18 Tigers, although the Wildwind fleet also includes Tornados, Goodall C2 as well as Hobie FX One, 16's and 14 - all of which Joe has plenty of experience in during his 27 years at Wildwind.

Experience required: you should be comfortable sailing around a course, tacking, gybing, experience trapezing as a crew member at least and know how to right a capsized boat, all in winds of up to about 16 knots.

This course is designed for those who have experience sailing a catamaran with daggerboards and a spinnaker, and for seasoned catamaran sailors ready to advance their skills and start using a spinnaker

12/01/2025

Meet Joe at the Boot-fair in Düsseldorf, Germany

We are delighted to announce that Joe Bennett, Wildwind manager extraordinaire and now of Joyrider TV fame - now with over 10 million views on his YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/ - will be speaking on the main stage of the Sailing hall at the Düsseldorf Boat Show https://boot.com. While Joe will be loosely based at the Hobie Cat Association Stand (Hall 15 D) from the 20th to the 23rd January, together with the German Wildwind-team, he will be making his presentation on the main stage at 11:00 on the 21st and 14:00 on the 22nd, talking about different types of catamaran. Anyone attending will become one of the elite 1% of the world's population when it comes to knowing about the various styles and developments of catamarans.

25/12/2024

27/09/2024

This Sunday, sep 29th, voting closes for the British Travel Awards. Voting only takes a minute would be a massive support for Wildwind , as well as the sailing sports, Also, you can win over 50,000 pounds worth of great travel prizes, including a Wildwind holiday for two! Please go to https://wildwind.co.uk/vote to help Wildwind take the gold again!

02/08/2024

Last Minutes augustus en september

Voor de rest van augustus en een groot deel van september heben we nog maar zeer beperkt plaatsen beschikbaar. We kunnen nog wel een aantal late boekingen accomoderen op basis van een kamer die bij aankomst wordt toegewezen. Neem contact op met Peter Vander Linden op 050 517 065 voor actuele informatie.

Hier is wat up-to-date informatie:

3 aug., volgeboekt voor zeilen
7 sep., VOLGEBOEKT
14 sep., VOLGEBOEKT (de Ionian Regatta deze week is al geruime tijd volgeboekt!)
21 sep., Extra Intensive Laser Clinics, beperkte beschikbaarheid! Ook nog wat plaatsen over voor ons normale programma.
28 sep., Beschikbaarheid begint krap te worden
5 okt., We hebben het seizoen met een week verlengd, alleen voor zeilen. Beperkte beschikbaarheid!

22/07/2024

The Wildwind teams in Vassiliki and Mauritius proudly congratulate our founder and CEO Simon Morgan for the excellent result of him and his crew, former Wildwind staff member Bryony Spieza, at the Hobie 16 European championships in Lake Garda (Italy).

5th in the Masters
3rd in the Grandmasters
1st in the Great Grandmasters

Still going strong, Simon!

⛵🏆

18/05/2024

Three weeks of ILCA heaven: Wildwind's Intensive Laser Clinics

We started off the season with three weeks of Intensive Laser Clinics, led by Aaron Smith. The Clinics had been oversubscribed for a couple of months, so we added an additional Laser Week to the start of the season, which promptly filled up as well!

Aaron used to work for Wildwind before he became Chief Instructor at the Andrew Simpson Centre in Garda. He's now back at Wildwind as Second In Command, working closely with our new beach manager Ash.

The third and last week of the Intensive Laser Clinics will start this Sunday, but given the enthusiasm it's safe to say that they'll be back next year, again early in the season.

The lucky participants have been able to radically improve their boat handling and racing skills in a variety of conditions including, of course, the classic Force 5-6 afternoon cross-shore. Our next newsletter will include a more detailed account of what they have been learning.

Here's some feedback from Ellie Ratusniak, secretary of the UK ILCA association who has been staying with us the past two weeks and who participated in Aaron's Laser Clinics:

21/01/2024

Peter and Lilian, our wonderful agents for Germany and Switzerland, are available on the Hobie Cat Class Association throughout the BOOT show in Dusseldorf running until Sunday 28th January. Also on the stand will be Wildwind manager for the past 28 years and Joyrider TV YouTube expert, Joe Bennett, from Monday 22nd until Wednesday 24th.

They're in Hall 15 - do come along and say hello!

More info? https://www.boot.com

16/01/2024

What's it like, being European but living in Mauritius to run Wildwind's famous tropical sailing holiday? That's the question the German public broadcaster ZDF asked Klaus Gerasch, manager of Wildwind Mauritius. They sent over a TV crew and the last few days great fun was had by all!

13/12/2023

Wildwind Adventures Mauritius

Sailaway today to Grand Baie. In the morning 10 knots, afternoon less and wawes.

29/09/2023

At the risk of oversharing: we're already getting a bit nervous here! Today (Saturday) is the last day of voting in the 2023 British Travel Awards and we'd REALLY like to continue our winning streak!

For a small, independent travel company such as Wildwind, winning the BTAs has made a tremendous difference. It's the kind of external validation that tells us and others that we're doing something right.

If you haven't voted yet but you do think we deserve to win, please take some 30 seconds out of your schedule and go to https://wildwind.co.uk/vote right now. I'm sure we've already told you, but the organisers of the BTA will raffle off tens of thousands of pounds worth of travel prizes, including a Wildwind, Wildwind Adventures or Healthy Options holiday for two. So this might just be the most lucrative 30 seconds you've ever spent!

If you did already vote, let me just thank you for your support on behalf of myself and the entire team. Your love and support really means the world to us!

29/09/2023

If you have a moment, we would surely appreciate your vote - it only takes a minute and it would mean the world to us! If you believe that Wildwind offers a unique and fantastic experience, please head over to wildwind.co.uk/vote and help us win!

25/09/2023

Can you spare a minute to help Wildwind?

As you might know, we were the proud winners of the British Travel Awards in 2019, 2021 and 2022. As a small company, this meant a lot to us, as it was such a great recognition of the hard work of our dedicated staff.

Obviously, we would like to continue our winning streak - and we have indeed been nominated again. If you have a moment, we would surely appreciate your vote! It only takes a minute and it would mean the world to us. If you believe that Wildwind offers a unique and fantastic holiday experience, please head over to wildwind.co.uk/vote and help us win!

Anyone can vote. If you’re not from the UK, simply uncheck the box that says “I have a UK postcode”. Σε ευχαριστώ πάρα πολύ!

11/08/2023

Ionian Regatta (week of 16th September)

You’ve heard about it. The scuttlebutt is strong. The Ionian Regatta is set again on September 20th for another classic contest mixing beach cats and yachts on a 25+ nautical mile battle alongside some of Greece’s most majestic coastline. It’s the annual long distance race where we invite the yachties to join the fun of all things Vassiliki.

Think of it as a mini Fastnet: yachts and the Wildwind catamaran dinghy fleet jostle for position on the same start line but with different time sequences. The fleet then sails out of Vassiliki Bay, circumnavigating the stunning, uninhabited island of Arkoudi and then heading back to Wildwind for the finish line, followed by refreshments and maybe a few more refreshments. Tactics can be dubious as the top shelf of the Zeus Bar challenge the night before can scupper a few unsuspecting keelboat warriors.

Spirit of Adventure
This is one for those with a spirit of adventure and whatever comes your way. The race is 35km as the crow flies but the on water distance is a lot further as the boats tack and gybe their way along the course.

Finishing back in Vassiliki, we bid the yachts farewell as they carry on to Sivota for the night and back to a finish line off the Wildwind base. Whilst the keelboaters face the prospect of a night of sleeping on board, the Wildwind clients are happy in the knowledge they’re returning to hot showers and en suite accommodation.

The boats in the fleet will be the Tornado, Goodall C2, Hobie Tigers, Hobie Pacifics, FXOnes and Hobie 16s. How are boats for this long distance extravaganza allocated? It’s all based on your level of experience: for example if you're a strong Hobie16 sailor and you've never sailed a Hobie Tiger or a Formula 18 then we prefer you to sail a Hobie 16. Results will be calculated using the Vassiliki yardstick system so even if you’re sailing a Hobie 16 and the Formula 18s have beaten you on the water the win might still be yours.

Bowie and Hendrix
Competitors, sailors and non-sailors alike are welcome to join us on the bus over to the next village Sivota to join in the party and celebrations in this beautiful harbour which Wildwind clients don't usually get the opportunity of seeing, featuring the UK's number one David Bowie tribute band and a Jimmy Hendrix tribute band.

The Ionian tends to be a truly international lineup with the on water commentary keenly following the various teams from Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, etc. fighting it out with tactical manoeuvres all the way.

For those less experienced sailors, the golden tickets are to sail as crew with a staff member. These are in hot demand as only a few staff are available to sail as the rest are either on the rescue ribs or stay at the Wildwind base for clients who don’t want to join the Ionian.

25/07/2023

Which monohull dinghies will you find in our boat park this year?

The good news is that our fleet is even bigger than you’ve been thinking it is from our website. We have 70 boats - not 62. Yes, we now have fourteen ILCA Lasers, four RS Qubas and three Laser 2000s waiting on the beach. Apologies that with so much new kit arriving this year we didn’t get round to updating the site. We believe we have the largest range of dinghies and catamarans at any holiday company in Europe.

Decisions, decisions…
With so many different boats to whet your appetite - from Optimist though to 49er - all with their different strengths in different conditions: which will you choose to launch? With such a bonanza of choice we thought we might help you decide which to take out for your sailing adventure each light wind morning or adrenaline filled afternoon. So we got creative and lined the 15 different types of dinghy in beauty pageant style, fully rigged along Vasiliki Beach: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cF6rDBHlZ4

Who’s dance card will you mark?!

It’s back: RS800!
After a few years without one, due to popular demand, we've reintroduced the RS800 to the fleet. The 800 is the perfect skiff class regardless of your size and weight. Minimal weight and hull drag mean that the rig doesn't have to be enormous to develop awesome speeds. It's a great boat for your first double trapeze monohull experience.

78 crispy new sails
To add to the excitement there are no fewer than 78 crispy new sails on the sail racks this season. 43 are for the monohulls so it’s none of those disappointing baggy sailing holiday sails at Wildwind.

Our fleet to help you decide which to launch
Here’s a quick summary of the 46 dinghies waiting for you on the beach:

1 x 49er - Very advanced Olympic class racing skiff, experience needed even as a crew!

1 x RS 800 - Twin trapeze high performance skiff

1 x 29er - The youth version of the 49er.

1 x RS 100 - Stunning single-hander with gennaker

2 x RS 200 - One of the most successful double-handed race classes of the modern era

2 x RS 500 - Advanced single trapeze dinghy

2 x RS Aero - Fast singlehander - also with foiling kit. All three rig sizes 5, 7 and 9.

14 x ILCA XX Laser 1 - BRAND NEW - The classic Olympic single-hander dinghy, available with ILCA 7 (standard), ILCA 6 (radial) or ILCA 4 (4.7) rig. With 23 brand new sails.

2 x Laser Foilers - Allows you to fly rather than sail!

3 x Laser 2000 - Stable and fun teaching dinghy, a great introduction to spinnaker handling

1 x RS Vision - Stable and fun teaching dinghy, a great introduction to spinnaker handling

1 x RS Feva - The world’s bestselling two-person sailboat in recent years

7 x RS Zest - The model in RS 's range updating the RS Quba

4 x RS Quba - A versatile 1 or 2-man dinghy, suitable for kids or the whole family

2 x RS Tera - The next step up from the Optimist

2 x Optimists - NEW in our fleet - the no 1 racing boat for kids.

Wildwind has the largest range of dinghies and cats of any sailing holiday in Europe

11/07/2023

Which multihulls will you find in our boat park this year?

Have you ever wondered exactly how many boats we have in the Wildwind boat park all rigged and looking out over Vassiliki Bay? It’s a question we’re often asked. Well, we have 70 and for the catamaran addicts please see below the breakdown of the 25 multihulls in the fleet.

Spoilt for choice
With so many different boats to choose from - all with their different strengths in different conditions: which will you select to launch? It’s a pleasant dilemma for any sailor to have.

To help with this conundrum please take a look at Wildwind and Joyrider TV’s maestro Joe Bennett taking you through each of the catamarans that are waiting expectantly on the beach for you to grab a buoyancy aid and trapeze harness, strap in and launch to fly across Vassiliki Bay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ir_56XL4fqk

5 crispy new sails
The catamarans are proudly sporting the smart 35 new sails we have in this season. We know our clients well and crispy new sails are a must to get the most out of those new techniques and manoeuvres during your holiday with us.

Our fleet specs to help you decide which to launch
Here’s a quick summary of the 25 catamarans waiting for you on the beach:

1 x Goodall C2 - F18 high performance cat. 18’ long, 2.6 metres wide, inverted shape hulls, double trapeze, high aspect foils, dagger boards, high aspect deck sweeper 17 sq m main sail, 4.15 sq m jib and 21 sq m spinnaker. Capacity 240 kgs. Weight: 180 kgs.

1 x Tornado - Former Olympic 20ft catamaran. 20 ‘long, 3.08 metres wide, double trapeze, dagger boards, 16.6 sq m high aspect main sail, 5.33 sq m jib and 25 sq m asymmetric spinnaker. Capacity: ask a gold medalist! Weight 155 kgs.

6 x Hobie Tiger - Advanced ISAF internationally recognised F18 catamaran. 18’ long, 2.6 metres wide, double trapeze, dagger boards, high aspect 17 sq m main sail, 4.15 sq m jib and 21 sq m spinnaker. Capacity: 240 kgs. Weight 180 kgs.

3 x Hobie Pacific - 18 foot beach cat, ideal for cruising or stepping stone to the Tiger. 18’ long, 2.6 meters wide, double trapeze, skeg hulls, 15,5 sq m main sail,4.15 sq m jib. Capacity 240 kgs. Weight: 185 kgs.

3 x Hobie FX One - High performance 17 foot single-hander racing catamaran. 17’ long, 2.51 metres wide, lightweight hulls, single trapeze, dagger boards, high aspect 16 sq m main sail, asymmetric 17.42 sq m spinnaker. Capacity: 135 kgs. Weight: 154 kgs.

7 x Hobie 16 LE Race - Classic beach cat that you can take out in just about any wind. 16’ 9’’ long, 2.41 metres wide, low volume asymmetric hulls, double trapeze, 13.77 sq m main sail, jib 5.12 sq m. Capacity 240 kgs. Weight: 145 kgs.

2 x Hobie 15 Turbo - Great learning boat with lots of volume, making it very forgiving. 16’ 4” long, 2.26 metres wide, high volume deep skeg hulls, double trapeze, no boom, main sail 11.5 sq m jib 3 sq m. Capacity 320 kgs. Weight:155 kgs.

1 x Hobie 14 LE Turbo - The original Hobie that’s stood the test of time and possibly the most difficult boat to sail that we have in the whole boat park. 12’ long, 2.34 metres wide, asymmetric hulls, single trapeze, 10.46 sq m main sail. Capacity 109 kgs. Weight: 109 kgs.

1 x Hobie Dragoon - 13ft friendly single-hander/kids boat that is a great introduction to cat sailing. 12’ 8” long, 2.2 metres wide,Main 9.5 sq m jib 2.20 sq m, double trapeze. Capacity 240 kgs. Weight: 114 kgs.