Q&A SIMON MORGAN, WILDWIND

How did you do in the recent Hobie 16 Worlds? Having trained with a former 420 world champion, she contracted Covid three days before the event and I was lucky to find another crew from the Wildwind team in Vassiliki. Our ‘training’ consisted of three tacks on the way out to the start line. We had a first place on the last day - we finished on a high at least!

What is behind Windwind’s sponsorship of the International Hobie Class Association?

My dad (Tony Morgan) was Keith Musto’s crew in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics finishing with a silver medal in the Flying Dutchman. He never really had enough time to teach me racing and although I raced Cadets as a youth I only ever did well when it was blowing – true to this day. I was 25 when my best mate suggested we bought a Hobie 16 – and from then on I spent every weekend sailing, including some fairly adventurous organised events such as the Hogs Breath 1000, 727 miles non-stop around the Florida coast over four days, and some distinctly unorganised events such as a jaunt from Highcliffe SC to Cherbourg one fine Sunday.

Are Wildwind’s beach clubs back to full bookings post-pandemic? 2022 was our best year ever, and 2023 looks like it will be completely full too.

Sailing is changing rapidly. How do you keep your fleets up to date?

We spend a fortune keeping our fleet up to speed and with our clients regularly sailing (and capsizing) in winds of 20 knots and more, our bosuns work really hard. The maintenance alone is about £100,000 a year, including depreciation, at a very rough guess.

This year we have 79 brand new sails being delivered, four brand new Hobie 16s raced at the Worlds in Spain, a racing RS800 and an upgrade to all of our hulls and equipment.

How do you guarantee the safety of children at your bases? We are RYA-recognised and also wellcontrolled by the Greek port police authorities. Being at such a windy spot, safety is critical, whether it’s for children or adults. We have three safety boats, manned both inshore and further out and a tower with a keen eye on all craft at all times. We have a target of one minute to be with any boat that’s capsized, if we can’t see they’re safe. And we keep an even closer eye on kids.

What is there to do if we don’t want to go sailing? Lefkas is one of the most beautiful islands in all of Greece. From our base in Vassiliki, there are daily ferries to Cephalonia. As well as sailing the Wildwind base offers free mountain bikes and SUPS, and we also have our Wildwind Adventures programme which offers newcomers a chance to try out sailing, windsurfing, SUPS, kayaks and scuba and more, ideal for anyone wanting a taster experience of a wide variety of watersports. Our award-winning ‘Healthy Options’ programme includes yoga, Pilates and fitness classes.

In the evenings, is it a party vibe or a family with young kids vibe? Either. We are not an inclusive holiday and almost all of our guests head into the village which is a ten minute walk away for evening meals, and while the bars stay open until late and there is a fun atmosphere, in no sense can Vassiliki be termed a real ‘party’ resort – just busy with exuberant sailors.

A