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"It's the first time I've seen Andrew since he came back and he tells me it's the best beach holiday he's ever had - he's pretty much done them all"

For 25 years, the Wildwind centre has become known as the top location for windy afternoons and perfect beach sailing conditions. Set in the bay of Vassiliki on the island of Lefkas, with an informal friendly atmosphere, we’ve become one of the world’s prime holiday destinations for those who have high expectations when it comes to their sailing holiday.

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 August and September

For most of August we have very limited availability. We do have the odd cancellation and MAY be able to offer special prices if you are prepared to move room in the middle of your stay. Please call our agent Pia Lobry on 0707 334450 for the current situation, as it changes frequently.

Here is some up-to-date information:

Aug 3, full for sailing
Sep 7, FULL
Sep 14, FULL (Ionian Regatta filled up a long time ago!)
Sep 21, Extra Intensive Laser Clinics, limited availability! Also some places left for our normal programme.
Sep 28, Availability starting to get tight
Oct 5, We've extended the season by one week, for sailing only. Limited availability!

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!

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.

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.

04/07/2023

Sista chansen för Vassiliki speed veckor

Nu är det knappt två veckor kvar till Vassiliki Speed-weeks.

Kan komma iväg med kort varsel? Då har du bästa möjligheten att få en fantastisk upplevelse och verkligen testa våra båtar för maximal fartupplevelser - och dessutom med data som visar det!

Vi har precis tagit emot Velociteks hastighetspuckar som kommer att monteras på våra båtar så att du omedelbart kan se din hastighet och din bästa tiosekundersspurt kommer att registreras och placeras på resultattavlan varje dag med roliga priser i ett urval av klasser.

Och naturligtvis kommer våra expertinstruktörer finnas till hands för att ge dig tips. Vår katamaranmästare Joe har registrerat hastigheter på över 25 kt på en Hobie 16 - bättre coachning än så är svårt att få!!

Klasser:
• Generellt
• Snabbaste katten som inte är en Hobie 16
• Ungdomskatamaran (under 16)
• Snabbaste jolle
• Snabbaste ICLA/ Lasern
• Snabbaste Zest (under 16)
• Snabbaste Zest (under 12)

Utmaningen är öppen för alla Wildwind-kunder och alla som kan ta med sin egen båt till evenemanget. Ingen tävlingserfarenhet behövs - du behöver bara veta hur man seglar snabbt i en rak linje.

Om du är sugen på att hänga på, så har vi ett fåtal platser kvar. Kanske kan vi erbjuda några attraktiva sista minuten-priser baserat på rum tilldelade vid ankomst och som kan innebära rumsbyte mitt i veckan. Ring oss för senaste info om rum.

Missa inte sommarens bästa chans till dokumenterad snabb och galet rolig segling!

28/06/2023

Porto Katsiki, a little slice of heaven on earth

Porto Katsiki is a renowned beach located on the Greek island of Lefkada, situated in the Ionian Sea. It is often regarded as one of the most stunning beaches in Greece and has garnered international acclaim for its exceptional beauty. The name "Porto Katsiki" translates to "Goat Port" in English, and it is believed that the name originates from the fact that the beach was once accessible only to goats.

What makes Porto Katsiki truly remarkable is its dramatic landscape. The beach is nestled at the base of towering limestone cliffs that stretch high above the azure waters below. The cliffs provide a breathtaking backdrop and create a sense of secluded serenity. The pristine white sand contrasts beautifully with the vibrant turquoise colour of the sea, creating a picturesque setting.

Accessing Porto Katsiki involves descending a series of steps carved into the cliffside, which adds to the sense of adventure and anticipation. Visitors are rewarded with an idyllic beach surrounded by natural beauty. The crystal-clear waters are perfect for swimming and snorkelling, allowing visitors to explore marine life and underwater wonders.

Porto Katsiki attracts both locals and tourists alike, drawing large numbers of visitors during the summer months. It has become an iconic destination for travellers seeking a quintessential Greek beach experience. While it can get crowded during peak season, the mesmerizing scenery and the overall allure of the beach make it a must-visit location for nature lovers and beach enthusiasts.

This exotic beach isn’t famous just in Greece, but all around the world, as it has been listed as one of the best beaches in Greece, the Mediterranean, Europe and the entire world on many occasions, and who could argue?

Porto Katsiki is located about 40 kilometres southwest of Lefkada Town, the island’s capital city. There are two ways to access the beach. You can take a boat from Nidri or Vassiliki to Porto Katsiki or catch a daily cruise and visit Ithaka Island, Skorpios Island, Kefalonia and Egremni Beach.

However, the boats are not allowed to come onto the beach and you’ll have to swim to the shore, otherwise, you'll need to stay on the boat and enjoy the stunning sights from there.

The other way to get to Porto Katsiki is by car, however, be ready for some zigzag roads! At the top, close to the steps, you’ll find a car park and some snack bars and a cafe, where you can buy some food, drinks and other refreshments.

Once you arrive, you will be blown away by the breathtaking landscape and crystal clear blue sea. Porto Katsiki is surrounded by incredible hills and a cliff, which offers you a natural shade spot for some suntanning too.

Sunbeds and umbrellas are also available for rent on the beach when you get there, so don't worry about having to carry an umbrella all the way down and back up those stairs!

We do advise you to get there early and if you have children, come well prepared but we guarantee you this is a beach you will definitely admire!

26/05/2023

Are you any good at maintaining and fixing dinghies and cats. We need a bosun at Wildwind as our previous one had had to leave for personal reasons. Fancy a paid glorious working holiday? If you're free for a month or more let me know.

22/05/2023

Calling all nature lovers aged 6-12!

Any budding Gretas out there? Calling all Attenborough fans.

If, like many these days, your children are passionate about nature and the environment there’s a new activity in Vassiliki Bay that may both inspire and entertain. Ocean Explorer is all about marine ecology and ocean conservation alongside acquiring practical skills from snorkeling and using underwater e-scooters to scuba diving.

For those keenly anticipating the return of Ariel and the release of Little Mermaid 2023 next week - this could help ease the tension at home and prove a real treat for the kids.

Ocean Explorer in Vassiliki Bay
The courses are run by George and Elena from the established local diving and kayaking centre, Nautilus - much loved by our Wildwind Adventures clients. Numbers are limited to ensure close supervision from qualified SSI Explorers Instructors. We anticipate these are going to be popular and in high demand.

A national expert
Elena really knows her stuff as she represents Greece on numerous international environmental issues and her enthusiasm to share her knowledge is contagious. The younger members of the family will come away with a greater understanding of how to protect the marine environment we all love as well as having had a boatload of fun.

Over two mornings (Wednesdays and Thursdays) there are two options:

Eco Snorkeling (from age 6):
Day 1: interactive marine ecology with videos, environmental themed games and an hour on the Water Park.
Day 2: practical snorkeling boat trip and underwater electric scooters in the pool.
Cost: kr925 for Wildwind clients (usually kr1025).

Eco Diving (from age 8):
Day 1: interactive marine ecology with videos, environmental themed games and an hour on the Water Park.
Day 2: practical scuba diving boat trip.
Cost: kr1325 for Wildwind clients (usually kr1500).

Wildwind 15% discount
We are delighted to announce that the couple are kindly letting Wildwind clients have first call on the places as well as a 15% discount. If you would like to secure a place(s) for your child(ren) let the office know when you book your holiday and we will book the Ocean Explorer on your behalf (to be paid in Vassiliki). Please note that if you do decide to book then you are committing to the cost as numbers are limited.

Discounts for Teens and Kids
If these underwater adventures aren’t enough, remember that those between 6 and 17 years have free access to our supervised Teens & Kids Clubs whether on our Sailing or Adventures Watersports programmes. In addition there are discounts of kr1500 on a one week holiday and kr2500 on a two week holiday for Teens (13-17 years). Double discounts apply to Kids (6-12 years), so kr3150 on a one week holiday and kr5000 on a two week holiday.

04/05/2023

Nya båtar för 2023
Nytillkomlingar till flottan i år inkluderar fyra nya Hobie 16 som endast använts vid 2022 års världsmästerskap. Här är en video där Beach Manager Joe Bennett packar upp en av dem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZ2CMnKD6cY&feature=youtu.be

Och här är instruktörs-teamet som synkar första segelsättningen som vore det en danspremiär:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/ref=search&v=756040806006107&external_log_id=da76311f-1377-47fe-bf12-a8b1f0c454b5&q=wildwind

Het nyhet är också att det snart kommer att finnas en RS800 på stranden i år - för att flyga runt Vassiliki Bay i otroliga hastigheter.

I katamaranflottan har de s*x Hobie Tigrarna, tre FX1 och tre Pacifics alla nyrenoverade skrov med gummigrepp för komfort såväl som förbättrad “håll dig kvar" vid segling i trapets i den berömda termiska eftermiddagsvinden.

Utbudet och kvaliteteten på båtarna på Wildwind är helt enkelt extraordinärt
Yachts and Yachting-redaktören Mark Jardine var imponerad av flottan som väntade på honom på stranden förra året.: "utbudet och kvaliteten på båtarna på Wildwind är helt enkelt extraordinärt ... några av de bästa jollarna som finns". Mark noterade att ILCAs på Wildwind "har de rätta seglen och XD-kontroller" och att Hobie 16:orna "hålls i superbt skick". Som en påminnelse, här är länken till Marks artikel om hans semesterupplevelse med Wildwind:
https://www.yachtsandyachting.com/news/253676/Wildwind-has-it-all-and-turns-it-up-to-11?fbclid=IwAR1YDlta1pOWV69bUJLDxrJ86iAS5u57YoKek7VEHV06yX5PDBbE7Q0NpRE

14/04/2023

Wildwind & Joyrider TV Speed Weeks July 16th and August 27th

Calling all speed freaks and adrenaline junkies out there: this has your name on it. Or, rather, the Speed Week’s leaderboard may have by July 23rd or September 3rd!

High wind, flat water
To celebrate Beach Manager Joe’s Joyrider TV hitting over 7.5 million views (yes you read that right) on what has become the world’s most popular beach catamaran sailing channel on Youtube, Wildwind is putting on two weeks dedicated to really getting the most out of the unique high wind and flat water conditions here in Vassiliki Bay.

Is this really a sailing holiday company positively encouraging you to take their boats out in high wind and push them to the limit? In a word: ‘yes’.

Does sailing at over 20 knots tempt your inner Rocket Man? Were you born to be wild and looking for adventure?

GPS watch measurement
The big difference for the Speed Weeks to the speed stick trials we've occasionally run in the past is that each entrant will be issued with an identical GPS watch to measure speed. This one design consistency will deliver both accuracy and impartiality. Each competitor will be allocated a minimum one hour slot each afternoon to give them the best chance of hitting their maximum velocity. The best top speeds will be recorded on the daily scoreboard and prizes given in the following categories at the final prize giving dinner in Vassiliki:

• Overall
• Fastest cat that’s not a Hobie 16
• Youth catamaran (under 16)
• Fastest Dinghy
• Fastest Laser
• Fastest Zest (under 16)
• Fastest Zest (under 12)

This is open to all Wildwind clients and anyone else able to bring their own boat to the event. No racing experience needed - you just need to know how to sail fast in a straight line.

Can you beat 25.66 knots?
Let’s find out how fast you really sail! We’re looking to beat the Wildwind records to date:

• 25.66 knots - Hobie 16
• 23.80 knots - Hobie Tiger
• 23.56 knots - C2
• 23.50 knots - Tornado
• 18.00 knots Rob Spencer - Laser Standard
• 20.23 knots Marko Reynolds - Foiling Laser

The schedule
Monday:
safety briefing, get used to the conditions and settle in
Tuesday
Morning: competition briefing, try out GPS in morning light winds
Afternoon: one hour slots for time trials
Evening: WILDWIND BBQ
Wednesday
Afternoon: half hour slots for time trials
Thursday
Afternoon: ‘Round the Rock race’ at the outer limits of the bay, followed by one hour slots for time trials
Evening: COCKTAIL AND GREEK FEAST NIGHT
Friday
Morning: Regular Race Day followed by one hour slots for time trials
Evening: PRIZE GIVING DINNER IN VASSILIKI

24/03/2023

Yachts and Yachting says “Wildwind has it all... and turns it up to 11!”

Editor of Yachts and Yachting Mark Jardine’s opinion of Wildwind is a glowing endorsement for anyone keen to read an independent review of what it’s like to come on holiday with us. His standout points? He was blown away by the fleet waiting for him on the beach: ‘the range and quality of the boats at Wildwind is
simply extraordinary…some of the best dinghies available’.

We’re happy with that from such an experienced sailing holiday attendee! Reinforcing our last newsletter about the ILCA fleet with the 23 new sails for this season Captain Jardine confirms they ‘have the proper battened sails and XD controls’.

Spinal Tap wind conditions
What puts Vassiliki on the sailing map is the thermal wind that blows in in the afternoon, after the light morning conditions: conveniently after your break for lunch and leaving a civilised time for digestion. The Yachts and Yachting article makes the distinction when comparing Garda’s ‘Ora’ and the French ‘Mistral’ with Vassiliki’s wind ‘Eric” (yes you read that right) that here you have the option of ‘volume control’ by choosing which part of the bay to sail in: to keep it at an ‘8 or 9’ or ‘fans of Spinal Tap’ can ‘turn the dial…up to 11’.

Kids sailing at Wildwind
If you are planning a family holiday and want to make sure the kids are well catered for the review may help. For both members of the Jardine Youth Team it was their ‘first week of trapezing, on both monohulls and cats’. Mark’s kids revelled in the experience as the thermal wind left them ‘exhilarated, energised, enthused, and exhausted’. As their sailor dad notes ‘it's the kind of experience that can make a young sailor go from pastime to obsession and help them begin their journey to understanding just how enjoyable sailing can be’.

Mark and his family didn’t just stay at our base in Vassiliki but got out and about on the rest of the island including its independently judged world class beaches.

Highly experienced staff
Wildwind has always been the sailing holiday designed and provided for and by sailors. The staff have a raft of racing experience under their belts and, as editor Mark reports, are ‘highly experienced’ and keep the boats ‘in superb condition’. He notes that, Olympian, America's Cup and SailGP star Chris Draper, sums up Wildwind when he says "I was lucky enough to have worked at Wildwind for a short period before I got seriously involved in my Olympic commitments. My best memories of Vassiliki are simply blasting around in a selection of high-performance dinghies and catamarans - with the flat water and good afternoon winds it really is a fantastic sailing destination."

Please read Mark’s article in Yachts and Yachting here:
https://www.yachtsandyachting.com/news/253676/Wildwind-has-it-all-and-turns-it-up-to-11?

IHCA and UKLA class sponsorships
We at Wildwind like to give back a bit to the sport that has given us all so much in life: that’s why we are proud to have been long term sponsors of the UKLA (UK Laser Association) Grand Prix circuit as well as the Masters and our recent partnership with the International Hobie Class Association (IHCA).

Key to our support is that it isn’t only a national champion who has the opportunity to win in the annual prize draw but rather enthusiasm and commitment so the more UKLA ILCA events you enter in the year - the more entries you have in the Wildwind holiday prize draw. We love sponsoring greater participation in the sport we are all so passionate about. Equally at the Masters Nationals draw anyone can win the Wildwind holiday - irrespective of your performance at the championship.
Likewise with our new sponsorship of the IHCA in providing instructional videos and newsletters the role is supporting individual sailors to raise their race game and offer better value for their membership fees.

27/02/2023

ILCA / Laser Intensive Training Clinics - May 7, 14 and 21

A racing sailor's dream
Thoughts beginning to turn to dreams of podium glory in your ILCA/Laser this year? Whether you are relatively new to club racing with one season under your belt or a seasoned virtuoso - would a week of intensive race training in the sun set your season off to a flying start? The week covers everything from boat tuning, tactics and boat handling to leave your competitors in your wake.

The ILCA/Laser is the classic Olympic single-hander dinghy and we have all three rig sizes on the beach ready to go. There are 14 Lasers and ILCAs and 23 brand new crisp ILCA white sails waiting to be unrolled: YES you read that right 23 BRAND NEW SAILS - and those lucky enough to bag a slot on the intensive ILCA/Laser clinics will be the ones unfurling them: any racing sailor’s dream. These are on top of the 15 sails new in 2022 as we at Wildwind understand that quality kit is important to our clients:
● ILCA 7 sails: 8 x ILCA 2023; 6 x ILCA 2022: total 14;
● ILCA 6 sails: 9 x ILCA 2023; 5 x ILCA 2022: total 14;
● ILCA 4 sails: 6 x ILCA 2023; 4 x ILCA 2022: total 10.

New sails mean you can really make the most of putting all the coaching tips into action and perfect your technique without being held back with old kit. With so many sails in all three rig sizes you will also never have to wait for the rig size you want. Add in the sun and Vassiliki’s infamous ideal wind conditions and this could be the kickstart of your best racing season yet.

"The boats were superb!"
As Niall Peelo ILCA sailor and UKLA member wrote last year:
“Having done several ‘dinghy beach club’ type holidays I have always been slightly disappointed that the boats have been old, average condition and the sails had no battens. I checked out the Wildwind fleet of ILCA’s first, and was honestly amazed. The boats were superb. Some were brand new built by Riotechna, and the sails were all new ILCA logo’s sails (which had battens), and on top of that they actually let you go sailing when it’s over 15 knots!”

Positively encouraging and supporting clients to sail in the high wind afternoons, rather than grounding everyone to protect the kit, is a USP at Wildwind - thus the name. The bosun is there every day to take care of the boats - not to dampen your sailing and learning experience. Our two specialist ILCA coaches will be on hand to help improve your high wind race boat handling and tactics with a full rescue team as back up: if you approach high wind gybes with a little trepidation this is the place to tame them. The light winds in the morning are ideal for perfecting technique and superb preparation for those all too frequent low wind UKLA and club races when patience and technique win the day.

This year's Laser instructors
As always, the intensive ILCA/Laser training weeks are led by outstanding, experienced coaches. This year they will be:

Aaron Smith
Aaron Smith started off on the RYA Optimist UK National Squad with a string of podium positions, three national champion titles (also in the RS Feva) and representing Great Britain at several World Championships. He then transitioned to the Laser 4.7 (ILCA 4), worked his way up to the RYA Laser Radial (ILCA 6) UK National Youth Squad before transitioning to the Standard (ILCA 7), representing Great Britain at five World Championships across all three rig sizes: so whether you want to focus on racing the ILCA 4 (4.7), ILCA 6 (Radial) or ILCA 7 (Standard): he’s your man.

Aaron then turned his hand to coaching in 2011, kicking off in the UK, where he focused on the RYA Optimist Zone/Development Squads. With an impressive list of 16 RYA instructor qualifications to his name he then spent five years at Wildwind so he is no stranger to all things Vassiliki from instructing/joyriding and “generally drinking too much”. Having spent the last few seasons as Chief Instructor and Centre Manager at The Andrew Simpson Centre in Lake Garda Aaron will be returning to Vassiliki Bay for two weeks intensive ILCA/ Laser training: he knows where his heart and the best wind conditions lie! For Aaron book May 7th or May 14th.

Ash Deaton
Much loved and popular among Wildwind clients as a coach with a calm, gentle approach Ash has been Wildwind Beach Manager Joe’s Second In Command for the last five years. Ash ranked in the top five under 18 ILCA 6 UK sailors with top ten national championship results and qualified to compete for GBR in the Europa Cup. When not coaching in Vassiliki in the summer he is to be found coaching open UKLA East and South ILCA Regional Training and over the winter he coached youth national champions and a youth world champion at the Royal Hospital School.

Ash has worked alongside some of the best ILCA/Laser coaches including: Tim Hulse - ex British Sailing Team and Head of UKLA training; Shaun Priestly - currently coaching an ILCA 6 Olympic campaign and Joe Drake - Former ILCA 7 Youth National Champion. So he’s learned his craft from top ILCA instructors and will be sharing their techniques with the select ten who attend the clinic on May 21st.

Exceptional personal attention
Places are strictly limited to ten a week to guarantee exceptional personal attention so each person can focus on their own individual goals and needs for the best possible preparation for your season.

Niall Peelo UKLA member’s luck changed in 2021 when he won the Wildwind holiday in the raffle at the Pevensey Nationals that is part of our long standing support for the UKLA and the Masters Series. Covid delayed his trip until 2022 but rather than us telling you here is what he thought about the clinic he attended last year:
“All I can say is that it was superbly set up. Very similar to the ILCA training days we do in the UK, well structured, with low wind practice in the morning followed by a civilised lunch at one of the Wildwind bars and a heavy weather session in the afternoon, and then for me a blast on the windsurf board before heading into the small old town for dinner in the evening.”

Niall also suggested that we: ‘need to advertise this more in the UK, as many club mates were enduring the rain in the UK to get some pre-season practice in, probably not realising this option is available in 29 degrees of heat with Wildwind!”. With places limited to ten sailors a week we prefer to take a quieter approach. Ten is the ideal number to really focus on those critical start lines and first beat of a race whilst allowing coaches to help with bespoke, individual advice. At the start of the week we record the aspects of your sailing you would like to work on and personalise your training plan. In addition to boat park and on water sessions, each followed by an all important debrief, there will also be in-depth lectures and video feedback in the beachside bar, giving sailors a chance not only to learn from our coaches but also their peers.

As you wait for the season to start or your visit to Vass, take a look at Aaron’s video on how to improve your tacking skills as shown on Joyrider TV here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPLVXOC2mak&t=18s And Niall’s read full write up here https://ilca.uk/news/wildwind2022trip for the UKLA website.

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Your last chance to support Wildwind in the 2024 British Travel Awards is now!

Feedback from Ellie Ratusniak, secretary of the UK ILCA association

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:

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!

Vote in the British Travel Awards - go to wildwind.co.uk/vote Don't forget to check out our good friend Joe's AWESOME channel Joyrider TV on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1lHDaNse_-YIaYNeparQ_w

Straight from beach in Vass, it's Joe asking you to VOTE FOR WILDWIND in the British Travel Awards! If you haven't yet done so, you can cast your vote at https://wildwind.co.uk/vote

Joe, our excellent manager and Alex our Healthy Options manager bid you all the best from a rather chilly Vassiliki

And.... we're open!

Today, Wildwind has welcomed the first guests of the 2021 sailing season in our beautiful sailing centre in Vassiliki, Greece

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