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South Ionian sailing holidays
South Ionian Flotilla,
Greece
The sheltered waters and light winds between mainland Greece and the beautiful islands of the south Ionian create ideal conditions for less experienced sailors. You'll never be more than a few miles away from shore and distances between ports are relatively short – giving you plenty of time to explore hidden coves and anchor to enjoy the beauty of the area.
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Keep a close eye out for dolphins, turtles and rays, as they all enjoy the Ionian waters at certain times throughout the summer. Bring or buy masks and snorkels, so you're able to explore life below the waterline too.
The one week south Ionian flotilla starts and ends from our yacht base at Vounaki Beachclub in Paleros. (Approx. half of the fleet departing on 17 May 2020 will join the south to north flotilla starting at Vounaki Beachclub and ending at Retreat Beachclub).
Your flotilla route
This flotilla route will give you a flavour of what to expect from your week on the flotilla, it's an example, is not fixed and may vary from that listed below (nm = nautical miles).
7
days
Sunday Vounaki Beachclub | Arrive at Vounaki Beachclub yacht marina. Get used to your boat and listen to briefing from the Neilson lead crew. Yachts are available from 5pm. | - |
Monday Vathi (Meganissi) | Sail to this picturesque inlet with charming tavernas and restaurants amongst the whitewashed houses. | 8nm |
Tuesday Vassiliki | A pretty, cosmopolitan village on the southern coast of Lefkas, which is also big on windsurfing and mountain biking. | 13nm |
Wednesday Fiscardo | Mix it up with the super yachts of the rich and famous in Cephalonia's lovely harbour village. | 10nm |
Thursday Frikes | On the island of Ithaka, this is a beautiful, secluded spot, home to some wonderful restaurants. | 10nm |
Friday Kalamos | Tightly packed houses on the slopes down to the harbour give you some wonderful photo opportunities. | 16nm |
Saturday Vounaki | It's the last day of the flotilla, so you'll be heading back to Vounaki Beachclub and the Vounaki yacht marina. | 15nm |
Sunday Departure day | Yacht check out time is 9.30am. If you have time before you catch your flight, you're free to make use of the facilities at Vounaki Beachclub and if you have the energy for more, try a few of the beachclub activities (small supplement, payable locally). | - |
If you want to spend longer afloat on a two-week flotilla, you can choose to do two one-week flotillas back-to-back. After your first week on flotilla, you will return to the yacht pontoon at Vounaki Beachclub with the rest of the flotilla. That evening and the following day you will have the chance to stretch your sea-legs and relax at Vounaki Beachclub, making full use of the facilities, you can even have a game of tennis, go on a bike ride or take out a kayak. (Use of facilities (with exception of the spa) and activities is free of charge). 


You will then be refreshed and ready to set sail again for the second week of your holiday with a new bunch of sailors. Please note, we may re-visit at least one of the harbours from your first week on flotilla.Â
Arrival and departure
Your flotilla boats 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.
The main flotilla briefing for all yachts is the following morning at 9 or 9.30am and boats are free to depart at any time after the briefing is over. All boats will need to be back at the Neilson base before 6pm on the final sailing day, and vacated by 9.30am on the day of departure.
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Your sailing 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 Coastal Skipper, RYA Sailing Skills: Basic Skills - Level 2 (completed on yacht), RYA Keelboat Level 2 (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 are 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.
For £100 per week, you can book inflatable stand up paddle boards (SUP) to take with you. This includes paddle, pump and buoyancy aid. Due to limited storage space, we recommend no more than two SUP per yacht.
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. Stay and sail holidays are exclusive to Retreat and Vounaki Beachclubs, we can get you to the correct level of experience during a week of yacht training at either Vounaki or Retreat Beachclub. You can then join the flotilla in the second week relaxed, fresh and with the required experience.
Travel info
Departure airports:Â London Heathrow, London Stansted, London Gatwick, Manchester and NEW for 2020 Birmingham
Departure days:Â Sunday
Arrival airport:Â Preveza (PVK)
Flight duration:Â approx. 3 hours 35 minutes
Airlines: British Airways (BA) / Jet2 (LS) / TUI airways (TOM/BY)
Transfer time:Â approx. 1 hour 15 minutes
Departure dates for summer 2020
First 7 night dept: Sun 10 May / Last 7 night dept: Sun 25 Oct
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Flight times for summer 2020
Heathrow (BA): outbound dept: 11:25 / inbound arrival: 19:10
Stansted (LS): outbound dept: 07:00 / inbound arrival: 14:50
Gatwick (TOM/BY):outbound dept: 13:55 / inbound arrival: 21:30
Birmingham (LS): outbound dept: 13:10 / inbound arrival: 21:00
Manchester (LS): outbound dept: 14:45Â / inbound arrival 23:00
Stansted (LS): outbound dept: 07:00 / inbound arrival: 14:50
Gatwick (TOM/BY):outbound dept: 13:55 / inbound arrival: 21:30
Birmingham (LS): outbound dept: 13:10 / inbound arrival: 21:00
Manchester (LS): outbound dept: 14:45Â / inbound arrival 23:00
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In-flight meals and drinks are not included, a buy onboard 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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