Beach Clubs

Vitamin Sea

Sign up for a healthy start to the season with a beach club holiday in the sun. Sue Pelling takes a look at some of the most creditable companies that specialise in beach-based watersports holidays, and o ers some essential advice

each clubs are among the most popular choice for families, couples and solo travellers looking for the ultimate landbased sailing holiday in the sun. Beach clubs o er the ideal option for sailing junkies who enjoy being out on the water in idyllic conditions all day, every day. For mixed ability groups, or total beginners who want to learn to sail in relative warm-water comfort, beach clubs are also an ideal choice.

It is also good to note that some companies have recognised the need to cater for the growing sector of solo travellers. A beach club holiday for those travelling alone is, a er all, not only great way to learn a new sport or improve sailing skills, but also a fantastic way to meet and enjoy the company of like-minded adventurers. Seafarer Nikiana Club, and Trek Adventures Lixouri Bay Beach Club both o er Solo Traveller Weeks throughout the year, which are worth checking out. Also, for selected weeks this year, Wildwind has discarded the supplement for single use of a double room.

A shi in beach club holiday activities in recent years also means it is not just all about sailing. Instead there are now plenty of other beach-based activities such as stand-up paddleboarding (SUP), kayaking, yoga, cycling, and snorkeling. Some companies even o er beauty treatment facilities that are particularly popular with non-sailing members of the group.

Most beach club holiday centres also understand the need for childcare facilities, which means parents can enjoy peace of mind knowing their baby, child/children are being fully cared for and entertained by quali ed sta .

Apart from Europe, and in particular e Mediterranean, package-style beach club holiday destinations are few and far between elsewhere in the world. e Mediterranean is by far the most popular not least because of the reliable climate [sun and breeze] during the summer holiday season. e Mediterranean holiday season runs from May to October, which gives plenty of opportunities to sign up during the most convenient time. School holiday periods are naturally the busiest times so it’s worth booking early to avoid disappointment. ose with the exibility of being able to avoid the school holiday period early or late season, will probably nd some good deals, and have the bonus of holidaying in slightly less intense heat during o peak season. e Mediterranean scores highly when it comes to logistics too, with ight times generally no more than a few hours from major UK airports. is is an important consideration particularly when travelling with young children, or elderly members of the family.

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Wildwind's beach club in Vassiliki, Le as

Destinations

Beach club holiday destination choice does depend on requirements, such as type of sailing (beginners, improvers, learning to foil, race tuition, or variety to suit all levels). Although most locations in the Mediterranean are suitable for all abilities with generally light winds in the morning for beginner, and more breeze in the a ernoon for

improvers and intermediates, it’s worth checking the sort of equipment available. e more advanced sailor for example, and those who have a desire to try out new classes and equipment such as multihull sailing or foiling, should opt for a specialist company.

While there is a good selection of beach clubs to choose from including Neilson, Provela, and Club Med, companies like Minorca Sailing, Seafarer, Wildwind and Trek-Adventures report expectations of a busy year ahead with plenty to o er for the 2022 season.

Minorca Sailing is based near Fornells, on the northern coast of Minorca in the Balearic Islands, Spain and is a rm family favourite that o ers a huge range of di erent classes of dinghies, and state of the art equipment to choose from. With boats and equipment updated on an annual basis, this company is one of the most respected in the industry, which is why it never fails to attract a huge following every season. It is also a great venue for mixed ability groups, including total beginners, because it o ers a range of sailing conditions in the secluded bay. It is also, without doubt, an ideal place to have a go at foiling. e growing interest in foiling has prompted Minorca Sailing to invest in a eet of new foiling boats to add to its already huge range of dinghies. ere are now four Skeeta and three Nikki Foiling boats. Ian Aldridge – Senior Sailing Manager – commenting on the additions to the eet said: “Because guests want to try out foiling, these new boats provide a great introduction to dinghy foiling . e new Skeetas are proving very popular with the adults, and the Nikkis are great for our younger junior sailors.”

Tuition at Minorca Sailing is included in the package, as is the use of all equipment. And for those with young children the inclusive Kids’ Club is hugely popular.

Another hotspot for foiling and all things racy is Wildwind’s base in Vassiliki, on the island of Le as Greece. is company also has a base in Mauritius, which o ers year-round sailing holidays and, with winds between Force 2-4 inside the reef, is particularly suited to those looking for a quieter pace. e base in Vassiliki has been running successfully for 30 years and is one of the hot favourites, not least because it o ers a full holiday package including tuition and the use of the huge range of state-of-the-art equipment. Commenting on the jam-packed season ahead, Simon Morgan, Wildwind’s managing director said: “We have a busy year planned including a couple of special weeks – Laser Training May 8 and 15, and Ionian Regatta during the week of 11 September.”

On the reasons why the company has so much repeat custom, Morgan added: “Sailing in Vassilki Bay winds are light onshore breezes in the mornings and strong cross shore breezes most a ernoons. is makes it suitable for all levels, and we are experienced in progressing beginners to improvers, and our conditions and kit range is unbeatable for more experienced sailors.” e eet at Wildwind o ers something for everyone including Optimist, Laser (ILCA), RS Tera, Quba, Zest, Feva, Aero, 200, 500, 800, Laser 2000, 29er, 49er, foiling Aeros. Known for its extensive range of catamarans, this year expect to see the Hobie Dragoon, 14, 15, 16 FX One, Paci c, Tiger, Tornado, and Goodall C2.

Windsur ng takes place in association with Club Vass (just along the beach). is is an additional option, which gives access to Goya, Fanatic, Severne & RRD boards and sails.

Other activities at Wildwind include SUP, mountain biking, yoga, pilates, tness classes, scuba, aqua safaris, snorkelling, and kayaking.

Seafarer’s Nikiana Beach Club based on the island of Le as in the northern part of the Ionian Sea, o ers a good selection of options in terms of types of watersports and conditions. Its friendly and welcoming ‘taverna style’ club makes it ideal for those who like to socialise.

Joe Snowdon, Product Manager Seafarer Holidays says Nikiana Beach Club will be sticking with its winning formula for 2022: “Our small and friendly beach club, with a great range of equipment, o ers a maximum of about 75 guests, which makes it a particularly friendly place, whilst the kit-tosailing-guest ratio is excellent.

“Winds at Nikiana tend to be light in the morning with a Force 1-2 onshore or cross shore wind,

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Fleet racing at Wildwind

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Family fun

which picks up around lunchtime to Force 3-4 cross-shore or o shore. Because of this range of winds, we can cater for a wide range of sailors from complete beginners to experienced sailors.”

Seafarer is home to a wide range of boats including Laser Standards, Picos, Funboats, Bahias, 2000s, 4000s, Hartley Alphas, RS100s, 400s,800s, an Alto, Dart 16, Hobie 15, and Paci c. Although Seafarer say Nikiana is suited more to beginners/intermediates in terms of windsur ng, it does have a good selection of boards. Snowdon continued: “We have a wide range of boards made by Hi y, Starboard and Bic. We nd that our range of Bic Techno Cores from 160 to 130L make the perfect option for those wanting to take their rst steps into shortboards.

“For those keen on other activities we have quite a number of SUPs from Red and Aquasups. Also, we have a day yacht that o ers trips and tuition for guests in the wonderful range of islands that surround the beach club. is links in with our nearby otilla with many guests enjoying a week at the club followed by a week’s otilla sailing.”

Seafarer o er a full range of RYA Dinghy Courses at extra cost from Level 1 to Performance Sailing including RYA Start and Intermediate Windsur ng Courses, RYA Powerboat Level 2, Private Tuition, and Clinics. e company also o ers a six-week RYA instructor course, which runs early and late season.

Snowdon, in his closing comment, says the best way to enjoy a holiday at Nikiana is to join in and take in a few of the sights: “Get to know all the other guests and sta and make use of all the watersports on o er. Combining with a second week on otilla is a fantastic holiday. Also, Le as is a fantastic island so it’s hard to pin down one speci c place. As a single point of interest, I would recommend the ancient ruins at Nikopolis, on the nearby mainland.”

Trek Adventures’ two holiday bases – Paliki Beach Club, and the exclusive Lixouri Bay Beach Club (Kefalonia, Greece) – o er private villas, cool beach houses, or a simple hotel with sea views, among its range of accommodation. Both clubs, which o er free sailing and windsur ng tuition throughout the week from beginners to advanced, pride themselves on customer care and top class equipment.

James Hobart – Trek Adventures’ Director says: “We keep our club numbers around 80 guests so we can o er a friendly personal service and a good range of kit. is year we have invested in more luxury accommodation, which includes

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Expert tuition is always at hand

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ere is always a wide choice of boats available

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Trek Adventures are based on the Ionian island of Cephalonia new villas with swimming pools, all just a short stroll to the beach. We’ve made signi cant investment in new kit at both our centres including more wing-sur ng kit, more dinghies (single and double handers), more foiling boards and a lot more windsurf kit. "We are all about welcoming guests of all ages and abilities to enjoy a range of watersports at their own pace. e conditions at both clubs are perfect for this.”

Stress-free

To ensure your 2022 holiday runs as stress-free as possible it is essential to check online for the options available for your speci c requirements. It is then advisable to make contact over the phone with customer service before you book. at way you’ll get an idea of how professional the company is from the start, which could help with dealing with any issues that may occur further along the line.

Also, to avoid nasty surprises, ensure you know exactly what is included in the overall cost of the holiday. Is it an overall package sailing holiday with ights and transfers included, or are ights, accommodation, tuition, exam fees, use of equipment extra? Knowing whether it is B&B, hal oard, or all-inclusive basis can make a massive di erence to the overall cost of a family holiday.

Check transfer times too, because some destinations can be up to four hours away from the airport.

Useful websites

seafarersailing.co.uk minorcasailing.co.uk wildwind.co.uk trek-adventures.co.uk