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Life is too short to sail just one class

Imagine turning up at your home sailing club on a Saturday morning to find every class captain has left the keys in the boats and said, "Fancy a go?" One of the things people consistently mention as a reason to return to Wildwind is the freedom to sail different boats, including some you'd never get the chance to try at home.

Many of our guests arrive as devoted club sailors. Some race ILCAs every weekend. Others spend their summers blasting around in RS classes, racing cats, or competing on national circuits. They're already experienced sailors, but they're also curious. What's a 49er actually like? How different does a Tornado feel from a Hobie? Is an ILCA really as technical as everyone says? (Spoiler alert: yes, it is.)

At most sailing clubs, you're part of a class. You know your boat inside out, and that's what you race week after week. And that's absolutely fine, but it means it's surprisingly difficult to try something completely different.

At Wildwind, that's normal.

An experienced ILCA sailor can jump into a 49er or RS800 with an instructor or experienced partner and discover an entirely different style of sailing. Someone who normally races skiffs might decide to spend the afternoon in an ILCA, rediscovering just how satisfying it is when tiny wind shifts and good boat handling make all the difference. By Wednesday, the beach is full of conversations like, "Go on, have a go in the Tiger," "You'll love the FX One," or "I've booked the RS800 at three if you fancy crewing." Before long, someone who arrived saying, "I only sail ILCAs," is hanging off a trapeze wondering why they didn't try this years ago.

Breaking out of your tribe

It's funny how sailors naturally form tribes. Dinghy sailors tend to hang around with dinghy sailors. Cat sailors stay with cat sailors. Everyone secretly thinks their fleet has worked out the "proper" way to sail.

At Wildwind, limiting yourself to one tribe isn't really our style. We like to wander across the beach, befriend everyone and learn from sailors who spend the rest of the year doing something completely different.

A dinghy sailor discovers what twin trapezes and hull-flying speed actually feel like—or has a go on an FX One and discovers that sailing a high-performance cat on your own is a whole different puzzle. Meanwhile, a seasoned cat racer hops into an ILCA or RS Aero and suddenly remembers that sailing slowly in the right direction can be just as satisfying as sailing quickly in almost the right one.

The best bit is that it all feeds back into your sailing. Skills transfer far more than most people expect. Better balance, smoother boat handling, improved communication, faster reactions, cleaner manoeuvres—they all come home with you, whatever class you normally race.

What shall I sail today?

Yes, Vassiliki has fantastic wind. Yes, the water is warm and so are the people. But perhaps the biggest attraction is that every day you can sail something different. You don't have to commit to a new class or spend a fortune buying another boat. You just wander down the beach and think, "What shall I sail today?".

Some people arrive determined to spend the whole week in an ILCA and somehow end up trapezing around the bay by Thursday. Others come for the cats and discover they've accidentally fallen in love with a humble little dinghy.

With Europe's largest holiday sailing fleet, there's always another boat to try and another skill to learn. Whether you're taking your first steps in a beginner-friendly dinghy or stepping into a high-performance skiff or catamaran, the opportunity is there.

Rather like your home sailing club. Just with a few more boats and where your wetsuit dries before breakfast.

Our fleet

Whatever your sailing background, there's something to tempt you onto the water.

Dinghies

  • Optimist
  • RS Tera
  • RS Zest
  • RS Feva
  • RS Vision
  • RS 200
  • RS 2000
  • RS 500
  • RS Aero
  • ILCA (4, 6 & 7 rigs)
  • 29er
  • RS800
  • 49er

Catamarans

  • Hobie Dragoon
  • Hobie 14 Turbo
  • Hobie 15 Turbo
  • Hobie 16
  • Hobie Pacific
  • Hobie FX One
  • Hobie Tiger
  • Goodall C2
  • Tornado

Whether you sail one boat all week or tick half the fleet off your list is entirely up to you. We won't judge. Much.

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