Club Vass Divas

Name: Bethany ‘Betty’ Mercer

Instructor level: Intermediate Planing, but taking my Advanced course this summer.

Years coaching: 4 years – this summer will be my 5^th!

My favourite level to coach has to be Intermediates; in a week you see such a transformation in ability! It’s wonderful to see a guest start their week of coaching non-planing in lighter winds and then by the end of the week absolutely loving the sport when they discover planing, speed and confidence. I love teaching the harness and footstrap techniques as I think once you have cracked these skills your attitude towards the sport changes massively – you become hooked!

Bethany Mercer

I have windsurfed from a young age, I think I first stepped on a board around the age of 6. My dad has windsurfed for years and introduced me to the sport, however learning the basics in a thick wetsuit with old school kit on the South Coast didn’t get me hooked straight away. It wasn’t until a watersports holiday in my teens that I thought I really want to give this a go. I decided to do my Flying Fish course in Vassiliki after I finished my A – levels. Then I discovered Vass and saw other girls windsurfing and decided I wanted to become just as good….Vass meant no thick wetsuits only boardies and bikinis, brand new kit and amazing like-minded people. I have been back every year!

I work in-between the UK and Greece. I spend my time working at Pendragon Productions – a Creative film agency in London as a Creative Producer, travelling and windsurfing and spending my summers teaching at Club Vass in Greece.

…and on the water!

I absolutely love teaching a sport that I am so passionate about as each day is as exciting as the next. I love meeting new people, encouraging and seeing people progress within a sport I love so much. It’s fun both teaching on and off the water. The Club Vass beach team are great fun to work with – there is never a dull moment!

Teaching new and old friendly faces, meeting new people, windsurfing everyday and developing my own skills (I have high hopes, need to crack the Vulcan and try a loop!) as well as teaching others, a well deserved mojito after a day on the water, my favourite tzatziki apple, walnut and avocado salad at Stellios and of course Diva week!

I have been involved in the Diva Clinics ever since my first summer working on the beach at Club Vass. The atmosphere that week is amazing – quite a lot of girl power around. Each year I seem to progress in the level I teach therefore am so excited for this summer!

This year I will be coaching alongside the wonderfully talented Amy Chambers, Emily HR, Maisie Squibb, Laura CH and Emily Smith.

Not only is Vassiliki the most incredible place for wind and improving your skills but Diva week is especially non intimidating for women – there is something comforting about having a female instructor who understands different problems women tend to have when learning. For instance we understand when it’s time to have an afternoon off to read your book or sunbathe after a full on morning of tuition!

It’s also a great opportunity to meet other likeminded women – we tend to swap email addresses and home windsurf spots at the end of each week, many women discover a windsurfing buddy for when they get back to the UK or a friend for life!

Also, if you have children or a keen bean windsurfer husband/friend it is fine to all come along for Diva week – we have childcare facilities; a kids club and crèche and our usual classes will also be running that week so there is something for everyone.

Club Vass Divas

Diva weeks are for any female whether you are a COMPLETE beginner, have dabbled in the sport a couple of times, or you are comfortable planing in the harness to absolute pro! We have female instructors teaching all levels.

The week is designed for women not only to improve their skills but also to meet and socialize with other like-minded female windsurfers. During the week you can windsurf as much or as little as you like but definitely expect to be sharing achievements and cross-shore stories over a mojito at the bar in the evening.

Expect windsurfing all day, optional fitness in the morning along the lines of Yoga, supping on the tranquil water in the morning, and then enjoying the Greek cuisine and cocktails in the evening. Everyday and evening there will be activities and partying to suit all including the legendary Club Vass BBQ with dressing up themes.

• Windsurfing is a sport you really have to pursue to begin with – it can be tough when first learning as it is a sport like no other but I promise after all the clambering on and off the beginner board and finding your balance it will suddenly click and you will learn to love it!
• Never be put off by thinking you have to be physically really strong to be able to go out in high winds – look at me: I’m 5’’2 and not the strongest looking and I love going out when it is howling. It’s not about strength it’s about believing you can do it and practicing your technique.
• Don’t be put off by thinking it is a male dominated sport – I mean there may be more guys that windsurf however come and join us for Diva week and you will realise how many other woman are passionate watersports lovers. However, it’s not all so bad windsurfing with tanned topless boys!

Club Vass Diva weeks will be taking place 2^nd – 9^th June and the 1^st – 7^th September. No extra charge for Divas! See the Club Vass website here for more details.

Top Coaches and Guests

As it’s our 25^th year, we’re making Speed Week extra special this year. Join the Mighty Dave White, special guest Dutch speed record holder Jurgen Van Der Noord and top Club Vass coaches including Colin Whippy Dixon for an unforgettable week. As well as a phenomenal week of windsurfing, there will be plenty of 25 year celebrations – don’t miss it!

est the Top Gear – Leader Board & Jurgen’s Winning Sails

Jurgen Van der Noord will be bringing along the actual Severne Sails he broke the record on in Luderitz speed canal, Namibia. You will be able to use these sails with specialised speed kit including the Starboard Isonic and Futura. As well as various slalom events we will have a Top Gear style Leader Board so you can pit your skills against Jurgen, Whitey and the best of Club Vass.

More than Just Speed – the FAST Track to Success

Why FAST Track? Many previous ‘Speed Weekers’, including girls & kids can attest to the massive all-round progress they have made and how much sheer fun they’ve had. As Dave says, it’s all about getting comfy on your kit – the key to developing confidence and control that will help all aspects of your sailing. If you feel like you’re on a plateau, struggling with getting planning, carve gybes or other moves, this week is for you.

Dave White ‘’Confidently fast’ sums it up for me, it’s the key to planning gybes.”

Coaching Aids

The team will use coaching aids Go Pro, video and GPS speed guns to help bring out the best in your sailing. Dave will also be behind the camera alongside our resident photography force globalshots.co.uk to record all your best moments on and off the water.

For more info check out the Club Vass website here. 

Opens: 31^st June – 13^th October

Capacity: 30 guests

Hotel Delfini, 3 Star

Prices from £399; including flights, transfers, accommodation, breakfast, equipment and tuition.

Nidri, windsurfing boards ready to go!

Equipment:

40 Sails and boards from Tushingham and Starboard – beginner and intermediate kit with plenty of freeride boards and big sails for lightwind blasting.

Starboard SUPs

A range of 26 dinghies (nearly one each!) from Laser, Topper and RS.

Kayaks

Specialised and Kona bikes

Blasting!

Tuition:

The calmer conditions in Nidri mean it is a haven for beginner/intermediate windsurfers and all levels of dinghy sailors.

Windsurfing tuition will cover the Start and Intermediate Non Planing courses (Level One and Two), with Levels One, Two, Three and Seamanship Skills being taught on the Dinghy side of things.

The stunning waters of Nidri are full of islands just waiting to be explored. We will be taking full advantage of this fact and running plenty of day sails throughout your week. Coupled with the three weekly regattas, you’ll be spoilt for choice!

There are two daily guided bike rides, ranging from tough morning ascents into the mountains coupled with technical downhill, right through to flat cruises into town to grab an ice cream.

Of course, if you don’t want to join in any tuition and just fancy a blast, you are more than welcome to grab a board or boat and go freesailing. We will be on hand to help get you rigged and keep an eye on you from the safety boat.

Children’s Clubs

For any keen kids under 13, our awesome Youth Squad is even better this year. The Squad will now spend a full day on the water, perfecting their skills in dinghy sailing, windsurfing and kayaking. Not everybody is watersports mad, so for the little ones who want to take it a bit easier, the inclusive Sea Tigers and Sea Urchins have them covered. More info on the Kids Clubs can be found here.

EXTRAS

Alongside the extensive and inclusive watersports tuition groups, you can also opt for some extra private tuition in your chosen sport. Whether it be perfecting your harness technique or working on your gybes, pick your instructor and enjoy an hour of one-on-one coaching.

For those who’d rather feel the throb of an engine instead of the wind in their sails, we offer RYA Powerboating courses too! The perfect introduction to driving a boat, the Level One and Two courses will provide you with all you need to know as well as an internationally recognised qualification.

Any high-intermediate or advanced windsurfers would be better suited to our centre down the road in Vassiliki. Vass offers stronger wind conditions and a much wider range of kit, with a great selection of freeride, slalom, freestyle and wave boards down to 82 litres. The Vass sail rack boasts 100+ sails from 1.5 kids rigs to 8.5 cammed slalom machines! Everything up to 5.7 is rigged on RDMs and the tuition extends right up to carve gybes, jumping, loops and beyond…

Check out more about Nidri and Vassiliki Ocean Elements centres here. 

Edd Seater, with his shiny new North Sails and Fanatic set up! Image credit Georgina Craig Harvey.

How did you get involved in windsurfing?

I have been windsurfing for just under two years now. I got into it after getting a job in the restaurant at Club Vass. A combination of epic hours, lots of wind and tips from some of the best instructors in the world meant I could progress quickly.

Where are you now?

I am now an intermediate planing instructor and getting ready for another season!

What have you been up too this winter?

I have been out in Dahab since October, gaining more teaching experience and improving my personal sailing. It’s been great…sunny and windy all winter, happy days!!

Any sponsors?

Yes! I have just got my first sponsor, Drift Innovation. They are a company that make extreme sports based action cameras, similar to GoPro, however they are more user friendly. The newest model, the Drift Ghost HD is the one I use, and it is epic!

They are waterproof so you don’t need to worry about water housing’s, they also have a small LCD screen on them which allows you to change settings and view your last recording or photo whilst on the water!!

You can check out all the info on the Drift camera here, and with Tech Trial you can even try before you buy!

Edd Seater. Image credit Georgina Craig Harvey.

Drift HD Ghost

What are your plans for the future?

I’m heading back to Vass this summer, so will be pushing to get my advanced teaching qualification. I’m planning a trip out to Brazil in October for six weeks which, hopefully, will be where I can really improve my personal sailing.

Also now that I’m working with Drift Innovation, I want to use my new camera equipment to teach with. The simplicity and versatility of the Drift Ghost HD will allow me to get great angles and footage of my students windsurfing, giving them the opportunity to view and analyse their sessions throughout the week.

Windsurfing in Vassiliki

The first in a new blog series that aims to catch up with various members of the overseas Ocean Elements team. Who better to start with than our bubbly Greek Operations Manager, Maz!

For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Maz, she heads up both of our resorts on Lefkada. Working on the island for over 5 years, Maz has a huge wealth of experience and knows the area inside out.

We dive right in to discuss the new resort, the Boat Show and what Ocean Elements is all about.

Maz

So Maz, for those who haven’t heard about Ocean Elements yet, can you give them a quick summary of what is on offer?

Ocean Elements is all about making watersports achievable to everyone! In particular we focus on sailing and windsurfing, but we also offer kayaking, stand up paddleboards and powerboating. Our aim is to create a relaxed holiday atmosphere where guests of all ages and abilities can enjoy being afloat. We really do mean all ages and abilities; in recent seasons we have enjoyed teaching both 4 year olds and 84 year olds to windsurf! We do offer tuition for all levels, but it’s by no mean compulsory, guests are free to use the equipment as and when they want to.

What is it that sets us apart from the competition?

Besides our incredible team, I’d have to say that it is our range of activities and equipment. We offer FREE use of sailing boats, windsurf kit, SUPs, kayaks, mountain bikes and also stretch & relax classes. We offer FREE children’s clubs and FREE RYA tuition for all levels of sailor and windsurfer. In addition we understand that not everyone who visits us has the same idea of the perfect holiday, so all activities are ‘pick and mix’, you can do everything or do nothing! It’s all at your fingertips and there when you want it, but there is no pressure to join in if your sunbed, book or cocktail are calling!

Everyone is really excited about the new resort in Nidri, when does it open?!

We are certainly very excited too! I know Nidri waters very well and am very excited about the day sails we can offer there. Day sails will involve taking groups of boats for ‘jollies’ to nearby islands, mooring up outside a waterfront taverna, enjoying a lovely lunch with toes in the sea and then cruising home again. We will also be running frequent dinghy races in Nidri, so we can really make the most of the conditions and the great kit we have there. Our watersports centre in Nidri opens its doors (or raises it sails should I say?) on the 30th June.

Tell us a bit more about the town of Nidri itself, how does it compare to Vass?

Nidri is a already a well know holiday destination with a great reputation for being a family resort. Nidri is a little bigger than Vassiliki, with more tavernas and bars to choose from. The quayside restaurants offer a great variety of cuisine including Chinese, Italian and of course traditional Greek. The main street boasts a huge mix of souvenir shops and mini markets, and in the evening it is pedestrianized for holiday shoppers. Although Nidri can get quite lively, if you’d rather a quite night, you can opt for dinner at one of the beach tavernas where all you can hear is the lapping of the sea just metres from your table. Our hotel is a 5-minute walk from the quayside, either along the road or the beach.

What’s is available for families in Nidri?

Our tried and tested Children’s Clubs will all be running in Nidri. Sea Urchins for 4- 7 year olds, Sea Tigers for 8-12 year olds and Youth Squad for 6-12 year olds. The big change with children’s club this year is that Youth Squad is getting bigger and better. By popular request, Youth Squad hours have been extended to run ALL day, meaning young watersports enthusiasts can be afloat getting dedicated RYA coaching for even longer!

In terms of equipment and conditions, how would you compare Nidri to Vassiliki? And which resort do you think will offer more for advanced windsurfers and dinghy sailors?

Our base equipment will be the same in both resorts, with the latest kit from Tushingham, Starboard, Laser, RS and Topper on offer for all guests. Not forgetting  our excellent Specialized mountain bikes. We are lucky enough to be able to offer excellent conditions for both advanced sailing and windsurfing. Nidri conditions lend themselves perfectly to sailing enthusiasts and therefore we will be offering a large range of boats in Nidri, to include some great toys such as the RS 100, 200, 500 and 700.  Whilst advanced windsurfers can enjoy the ever famous high wind conditions of Vassiliki with such toys as the Isonics, Flares and Kodes.

The London Boat Show is coming up soon, what can we expect from the OE team at Excel? I hear there’s an incredible team manning the stand!

As ever you can expect the smiley faces and an eagerness to chat! As much as we are there to meet new people and sell holidays, it is also great to have a chat with our previous guests. See how many people have dared to hit the water in the UK? Not me, it’s cold! From the overseas team we have our Activity Supervisors Jamie and Steve, and me!

We are there to explain in more detail about what we can offer and to answer any questions people may have. There will be a Boat Show Discount on offer for anyone that wants to get their summer sun booked and in the diary now!

Come and meet Maz at the London Boat Show, January 12th-20th on stand D139.

For more about Ocean Elements check out their website here. 

Don't Let Go, hitting screens soon!

The next two videos that caught our eyes came out at the end of the week, firstly it’s amazing to see Zara Davis on the BBC here and if you fancy something totally different check out Brawzi and Levi shredding in Maui here. 

Coming up the Christmas there has of course been a lot of penny saving present ideas and competitions around too: Lagoon Watersports in Hove have some great voucher offers, Tech Trial are selling the Drift Camera at an insanely low price, the Baker Academy are running a competition to win 8 hours of coaching, Juice Boardsports have vouchers with 10% extra free, Tushingham are running a competition to win a Starboard fin bag,  Ocean Elements are running some early bookers deals for 2013, as are Club Vass (with holidays to both Vassilki and Dahab centres)! Now that’s a whole lot of offers!

Finally in this weeks news, our sister site Boardseeker are proud to announce that the shiny new site is now up and running, so if you haven’t checked it out already head on over there now for more of an international windsurfing fix.

Club Vass Special Offers

Save £100 for June 2nd and June 9th departures if booked before the end of December – be quick!
Offer includes return Gatwick flight, local transfers, accommodation at either Andromeda or our Hotel, sport and group tuition.

2012 rates being held for 2013 in Andromeda Studios and Apartments!

Club Dahab Special Offers

£50 off for Jan 5th to Feb 9th departures if booked before the end of the year!

Summer 2012 rates being held for 2013 – don’t miss out!

Any Day  – Any Length of Stay

We can also offer fully flexible holidays in terms of arrival date and duration of your stay – feel free as the wind!

Check out Dahab in the Boards travel guide here. 

PLUS don’t forget the Club Vass are still running a competition to get a FREE holiday for two in June! All you have to do to enter is head to the Club Vass Facebook page, like and share the images!

There's still time to win with Club Vass!

Ocean Elements, based in Vassiliki, Greece have some fantastics deals on across the whole 2013 season. If you book now, before the new brochure is released in the new year you can make a saving of over £300!

Ocean Elements Vassiliki

• Book now for £150 OFF p/per – web discount
• PLUS get 10% OFF the Surf Hotel in Vassiliki
• Free RYA Windsurf and Sailing tuition all week!
• Brand new 2012/13 Starboard & Tushingham windsurf kit
• Brand new 2012/13 Sailing Dinghies: Laser, RS and Topper
• Free bike hire, kayaking, paddleboarding

The windsurfing at Ocean Elements will be headed up by none other than top freestyler Jamie Drummond, so we are sure there will be some fantastic coaching on offer! Check out the Ocean Elements website here to find out more and check out the latest deals. 

Club Vass Calendar 2013

“Coming soon, the limited edition Club Vass 2013 wall calendar. Celebrating 25 years of perfecting the ultimate in Windsurf and Active holidays. Stay Tuned for the release !!!”

Keep up to date with all Club Vass news here on Boards, plus head to the Club Vass Facebook page here. 

“Coming to this page on the 1st December is the easiest online competition to date…. With the greatest prize in the world. A FREE holiday for two to ClubVass on the 2nd June 2013 includes flights, accommodation, the best windsurf tuition in the world, SUP’s, Mountain bikes, BBQ’s, awesome Apre Surf, Professional photos, fancy dress parties, & the celebration of ClubVass 25years !!!!! Stay Tuned ”

For more info stay tuned to all Club Vass news here on Boards, or head to the Club Vass Facebook page here. 

This could be you in Club Vass! Image credit Global Shots

Aktes Villas, Vassiliki

The Aktes luxury villa complex comprises of 4 detached villas (x2 double storey and x2 single storey), located on the beach next to Club Vass hotel.

• 60m² swimming pool, children’s pool
• Large master bedrooms with vaulted ceilings
• En suite bathrooms with bath & shower
• Double storey villas – 2 separate bedrooms & open plan living room/kitchen/diner (up to 4 adults & 2 kids)
• Single storey villas have 1 double bedroom with open plan living room/kitchen/diner (up to 2 adults and 1-2 kids)

Call 0844 463 0191 for availability and prices of the villas

Find out more about Club Vass and the windsurfing holidays they offer here. 

• For more info: Aktes Villas