Andy Barnes sums up Flying Fish’s busiest ever summer season
Pre season 2009 had us looking with some concern at the forthcoming summer. With all the forecasts and media looking at recession, predictions were for the overseas travel industry to struggle through the coming months. The only smart thing to do seemed to be to batten down the hatches and prepare for tough times over the next few months..
Bex and I did this by spending five weeks “training “in Maui (justified by a wedding) just to make sure our windsurfing was on the ball!
training in Maui
As the season drew closer however, the bookings kept coming in and we started the season with a great group of 14. Alongside the usual Brit contingent, the Fish are becoming ever more multi national and diverse with representatives from Australia, Eire, New Zealand, America and Scotland (I know its British but it’s definitely different!). Fish welcomed back the “dream team” of Bex, Stevo and Toby to the staff ensuring top class training through the season.
Vass kicked off delivering the right goods of wind, sun, and great music courtesy of pros Andy Lewis, Johnny 2 shots and Big dipper. SB3 match racing and Laser coaching clinics with guest Olympic coaches and the Laser world champion (Masters)
In week three we had the now annual visit of Portsmouth University whose course in Water Sports Science includes a week “at the front line” developing skills and gaining qualifications with us in Greece putting us up to a record 33 students in resort. Thanks to Scott and Amy for helping us out with training in that week.
Portsmouh Uni at the front line
Our second set of courses started 14 June and alongside the usual trainees in windsurfing and dinghy sailing we had our first Divemaster Internships of the year. With very limited places working with George and Harry at Nautilus diving, the girls became a fixture of the Vass beach scene with Amanda Sims from the USA adding to the growing international Fish flavour.
Joining the divers for week one and then dinghy and power boating in week two, Sam Wells joined us from our Yachtmaster training program in the UK. Our Yachtmaster professional course starting in April now includes a two week visit to Vass where our yacht trainees get in and under the water as well as on it. To help with the numbers we also welcomed back a guest appearance from Fish instructor Ben Donald, fresh from the centre of the sailing world, the Isle of Wight.
19 June saw the return of the now infamous Vasiliki watersports festival with a sailing regatta, mountain bike race, windsurfing freestyle, windsurfing slalom and speed, BMX music and parties.
Whilst the wind took an inconvenient break, the festival was a great success with great Fish representation by Superstar instructor Becky Ellis winning the ladies cycling and trainees Stu and Anthony getting on the podium for sailing.
Mid season passed in blur with most courses full and the wind reliably delivering the goods. I managed to slip out of the sun and wind for a couple of weeks to head back tour spiritual home, the Isle of Wight, for training and then racing in Cowes week. After nothing but sun it’s quite nice to sail in a bit of damp conditions (briefly) and we had a great couple of weeks ending up a creditable 12th.
September once again upped the anti for the International Fish with Andrew from the states, Mikhail from Russia, Gints from Latvia and Ian from Ireland. Whilst some of the conditions during September might be described as “interesting” our students for the last month all put in a fantastic effort and were a pleasure to teach culminating in a 100% pass rate on our final set of courses. Special mention must also go probably the best fancy dress effort ever with the group turning up for “Back to School” as a school bus.
This rounded up our busiest season ever and a fantastic success rate on our courses. All that remained was to pack up and we managed to sell all our dinghies thus next year we can look forward to an all new fleet.
With Vasiliki returning to a quiet fishing Village, Bex and I picked up a boat from Porto Heli in the Peloponnese and delivered it Via Corinth back to Nidri. Starting with gale force winds in Porto Heli (renowned as a light wind venue” we had an amazing trip back. I strongly recommend everyone involved in the ocean getting yacht experience as well
Huge thanks go to the core team of Bex, Stevo and Toby for a fantastic effort in training this year. Thanks as well to all Fish of Vass 2009- keep in touch via the message board and any good photos can be shared in the Vass Fish Facebook group. We hope to see you all in the future for upgrades, different disciplines or just working in the industry. For world domination the Fish need you - spread the word.
Yamass
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