THE CLUB VASS EXPERIENCE: FREDDIE SARGENT

THE CLUB VASS EXPERIENCE: FREDDIE SARGENT

K66 Team Rider Freddie Sargent shares what makes a week at Club Vass in Lefkas so unique…both on and off the water.

Photos: PROtography Official

ARRIVAL IN VASSILIKI

FS: “On the southern tip of the Greek island of Lefkas lies Vassiliki Bay, a world-renowned windsurfing hotspot since the early 1980s. As the sport has grown, so too has Club Vass and it has become the largest centre on the bay and a true mecca for windsurfers from across the globe. Since its humble beginnings in 1987, it has expanded year on year, not only boasting an unrivalled selection of the latest windsurfing gear but also embracing wing foiling with a purpose-built wing foil centre.

This summer I headed down with my family and a couple of friends, excited for another week of progression, sunshine and the unique Club Vass vibe. With the newest sails from Goya, Severne and Duotone ready and waiting, there’s no need to bring your own kit; everything is taken care of from the moment you step off the plane. Sure enough, when we landed at Preveza airport, the Club Vass bus was waiting to take us straight to the beach. By the time we checked in at the hotel and were welcomed by the instructors, it already felt like we’d arrived somewhere special.

MONDAY MORNING: INTRODUCTION TIME

All the guests meet in the Club Vass restaurant for a briefing in which the manager Ollie Scott introduced us to all of the team members and talks through the different activities that are available throughout the week such as E-foiling, Mountain biking / E-biking, Paddleboarding, Yoga and Pilates. The guests are then broken down into smaller groups where we met our instructors for the week who talked us through the windsurf and wing kit available for the week.  

Each small group then holds a meeting where members get to know their instructor, who in turn learns about their skill levels and personal goals. This helps ensure the best possible windsurfing progress throughout the holiday. 

MONDAY AFTERNOON: FIRST SESSION

My personal goals for the week progression wise were to land Funnels and Grubbies. We had a couple of days with only around 15 knots but the majority of the time we scored around 25-30 knots, so it was a perfect week to improve my freestyle skills!

The first afternoon session is all about shaking off the travel, getting comfortable on the water and letting the instructors quietly observe. For most people it’s the first proper blast of the week and the excitement keeps everyone out for hours, soaking up flat water, steady wind and the unbeatable Greek sunshine.

TUESDAY MORNING: LEARNING CUVE  

Morning coaching is focused and personal. Instructors give each rider targeted tips based on what they saw the day before, turning every mistake into a clear plan for improvement. My own focus was speeding up my Funnels and Grubbies, working on timing and sail handling. 

During the next session I worked on going more across the wind and speeding up the step to switch and sail ducking stages of the Funnel in order to carry more speed in making the actual move easier. 

TUESDAY AFTERNOON: PHOTO SHOOT SESSION  

The groups regroup for more focused coaching, including practice on an on-land simulator to physically rehearse new tips. Then it’s back on the water, sailing out to the red buoy where the camera boat awaits, with Miles, the Club Vass photographer and videographer on board. Guests are encouraged to attempt their tricks in front of the boat so the footage can later be analysed for progress. The camera’s presence always raises the stakes, pushing people to commit fully to challenging moves…often leading to big breakthroughs and occasionally, a spectacular wipe out.

There were a couple of funny moments as a friend of mine embarked on the gruelling and treacherous journey to learning the infamous forward loop. After a long session I enjoyed a couple of beers at the beach bar…what a way to finish the day after an epic session on the water!

TUESDAY EVENING: PIZZA NIGHT

The day finished with the famous Club Vass Pizza Night, followed by a party at the beach bar, complete with DJ. Everyone, from first timers to instructors gets involved, making it one of the most social nights of the week.

WEDNESDAY MORNING: VIDEO LOOK BACK

The next morning, the instructors hosted a video analysis session to watch through the clips captured on the boat the day before. This is a very effective way of seeing exactly what you are doing wrong looking to correct it. This was a fun, productive and social session. This session taught me a lot about what were wrong with my Flakas and how to speed them up to progress towards Air-Flakas (a normal Flaka but with the whole rotation is in the air.) 

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON: BREAKTHROUGHS

The new information learnt in the video analysis session is taken onto the water for a very progress focused afternoon session. This is usually the part of the week where the most improvement occurs as technique is adjusted according to the issues addressed in the morning. 

I focused on making the changes to my Flaka technique, I felt some visible changes and felt very satisfied with my progression. 

WIND KICKS IN

There is a weird frantic vibe when the wind switches from the light onshore wind in the morning to the stronger cross shore wind in the afternoon as everybody scrambles to get onto the water, but when it isn’t windy the vibe off the water is very laid back and chilled out. The instructors are super social with the guests, making them feel really welcome and not intimidated by the whole experience. 

WEDNESDAY EVENING: BEERS ON THE BEACH 

After epic another day on the water, we enjoyed a refreshing beer or two from the beach bar and watched the sun set behind the mountain. There is such a nice vibe at the bar as everyone is stoked from the session and of course, very thirsty. 

THURSDAY MORNING: FORWARD LOOP SESSION 

On Thursday morning we used the windsurf simulator for practice and training. For example, the instructor (EFPT professional windsurfer Andreas Roessler) taking my group this year set up a forward loop simulator. This involved half of a board connected to a ghost rig. Andreas had a rope attached to the tail of the board that he would pull when people initiated the forward loop movement to simulate the motion and feeling of rotating a forward loop. 

THURSDAY AFTERNOON: SENDING IT! 

With newfound confidence we took our forward loop training onto the water and sent it in front of the boat, generating some Impressive and some less impressive attempts, and the odd spectacular wipe out. Oli Barden (my previously mentioned friend trying the forward loops) performed some of the most impressive and spectacular crashes of the trip! During his forward loop attempts, he had a habit of accidentally rotating over his kit like a cheese roll. But that’s the Club Vass spirit, encouragement, commitment and plenty of laughs along the way.

FRIDAY MORNING: EARLY START! 

Friday morning and it was business as usual with morning coaching that is targeted and individual. We woke up at 6am for a guided E-bike tour around the stunning surrounding mountains and down to a bakery in Sivota for breakfast before coaching started. This was amazing and definitely worth doing but does tend to knacker you out before the days windsurfing even starts. 

FRIDAY AFTERNOON: THE FINALE

This is the last session of the holiday for most of us, so tends to be a very long session as we make the most of our last day in warm, flat water and consistent wind. After a very long and powerful session most of the guests return to shore stoked and in dire need of a cold beverage. I loved every moment of the last day on the water and enjoyed every moment of being able to windsurf in boardshorts in the stunning surrounding outside Club Vass. 

FRIDAY EVENING: PARTY TIME!

After enjoying a drink at the beach bar, we all retreat to their hotel rooms to prepare for the legendary Club Vass BBQ. Every week there is a different theme for the fancy dress. This year we had pirates for our theme. After a bit of socialising, we were invited to start queuing for the BBQ. There are multiple tables snaking from inside the restaurant to the carpark outside, each table is stacked with food, including vegan and vegetarian options so that each guest can eat as much as they like.

Once we devoured the delicious food, a video compilation captured over the course of the week is screened, with a section for kid’s club, pro-kids, the light wind mornings, wing foiling and the high wind afternoons, as well as instructor playtime. This video allowed us to relive the highlights of the week. There were plenty of laughs and good memories to look back on.

After the video there is a small awards ceremony held before the instructors perform a sketch that is full of slapstick humour and hilarious to watch. The Vass DJ then performs a banging set inside the restaurant building. Most guests then finish the holiday by heading into town and enjoying the Vassiliki night life with a couple of drinks and some dancing in Zues Bar. This night is usually the most fun and social night! Probably not the best prep for an early flight home, but the perfect way to end the week.

LOOKING BACK 

I arrived with my sights set on Funnels and Grubbies and left with motivation to chase ambitious new moves like Konos and Willy Skippers. That’s the beauty of Club Vass…you always leave better, more inspired and already planning the next trip. For me and my family, it’s become an annual tradition, because it ticks every box: world-class coaching, an unbeatable social vibe and the best windsurfing playground in Europe.”

 

Club Vass | Windsurfing & Watersports Holidays In Greece

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