What's new for 2019
One week May delivery flotilla
South Ionian Flotilla,
Greece
Do you love sailing and have plenty of experience under your hat? If so, come and join our first ‘delivery' flotilla of the summer. It's a bit of an adventure, as you'll be helping us sail our flotilla boats from their base at Vounaki Beachclub in the south Ionian to their home in the north for the rest of the summer.
You'll be covering quite a distance in just a week, taking in some of the more popular Ionian destinations including Preveza, Parga and the island of Paxos.
This year, the delivery is starting 5 May 2019 and our lead crew will be with you all the way. It's a one-way route, so you'll end your journey at the Retreat Beachclub.
Your flotilla route
This flotilla route will give you a flavour of what to expect from your week on flotilla, it's not fixed however and may vary from that listed below (nm = nautical miles).
7
days
Sunday Vounaki Beachclub | Arrive at Vounaki Beachlcub, the start point of the delivery trip. Familiarise yourself with your yacht and meet the lead crew for a yacht briefing (from 5pm). | - |
Monday Spartahori | First, it's up to the island of Meganissi, you'll be mooring up in the harbour at Spartahori, the town itself sits high above the bay (about a ten-minute walk). | 8nm |
Tuesday Preveza Town | You'll be sailing past the islands of the south Ionian towards Preveza Town on the coast of mainland Greece. If you have the chance nip off and explore the charming back streets of the old town. | 22nm |
Wednesday Gaios | This is the longest leg of the trip and gets the flotilla firmly in the north. After a long day sailing, you'll love to relax in one of the open air cafés. | 32nm |
Thursday Parga | Head back on the open seas and set sail for the mainland and Parga. Set your moorings for the night and then immerse yourself in the hustle and bustle of quayside life. | 11nm |
Friday Lakka | Criss-crossing back across the channel between the mainland and Paxos, towards the town of Lakka. You'll find yourself in a natural horseshoe bay with turquoise waters. | 13nm |
Saturday Retreat Beachclub, Sivota | Back we go to the mainland and your final destination, Retreat Beachclub. You'll need to get the boats back by six pm and will spend the night on the pontoon in the bay. | 11nm |
Sunday Departure day | Your yacht checkout time is 9.30am. If you have time before you catch your flight, you're free to make use of the facilities at the Retreat Beachclub and if you've the energy for more, try a few activities (small supplement, payable locally). | - |
Arrival and departure info
The flotilla boats at Vounaki Beachclub marina (south Ionian) will be ready from five pm on your arrival day. Once settled on board, the Neilson crew will give an individual boat briefing. If you arrive after 7.30pm the crew will give a short briefing on essentials such as lights, loos and gas with a full briefing the following morning.
At the end of the delivery flotilla, all boats will need to be back at the Retreat Beachclub (north Ionian) yacht pontoon before 6pm on the final sailing day, and vacated by 9.30am on the day of departure.
Your experience
Before you're let loose on one of our yachts, we need to know you can sail. You'll need at least two people who have sailed before and are over 18 years of age, and one will need a piece of paper to prove they can sail.
If you have any of these certificates, you're good to go: International Certificate of Competence (ICC), RYA Yachtmaster, RYA Day Skipper, RYA Coastal Skipper, RYA level 2 Keelboat, RYA level 2 sailing certificate (completed on yacht). If you don't have the necessary level of experience, a stay and sail holiday, coupled with one of our sailing courses might be a better option for you.
A few extras
Our sailing holidays include damage waiver, marine insurance and fuel, plus we don't ask for a security deposit. There's a few bits we don't include in your holiday, such as mooring fees. If you do need to pay it's usually just a few Euros per night.
Stay and sail
If you'd like to go on a sailing holiday but don't have the experience, our stay and sail holidays might be just the thing. Exclusive to Retreat and Vounaki Beachclubs, we can get you to the right level of experience or even a qualification (if you prefer) during a week of yacht training in one of these two beachclubs. You can join the flotilla in the second week relaxed, fresh and experienced.
Travel Info
Departure airports: London Gatwick, London Heathrow, Manchester or Bristol
Departure days: Sunday
Arrival airport: Preveza (PVK)
Flight duration: approx. 3 hours 35 minutes
Airlines: British Airways (BA) / Titan (ZT) / Thomas Cook (MT)
Transfer time: approx. 40 minutes to Vounaki Beachclub and 1 hour 15 minutes from Retreat Beachclub
Departure date
Sunday 5 May 2019
Flight times
London Gatwick (MT) outbound dept: 09:10 / inbound arrival: 16:35
Bristol (MT) outbound dept: 13:35 / inbound arrival: 21:00
Manchester (MT) outbound dept: 14:10 / inbound arrival: 22:20
In-flight meals and drinks are not included a buy on board service is available. Flight timings are provisional and will be submitted for approval by UK and overseas scheduling committees and are therefore given for guidance only are subject to alteration and confirmation. Your ticket will show the final timings of your flight and your luggage allowances.
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