Poseidon Sports
The Poseidon Adventure
“Watch out for the turtles!” Kris Thomas enjoys sunshine & sailing in Porto Heli, Greece
If you thought sailing was for ‘other people’, people brought up on boats and ski-slopes then think again. My eyes were opened on a recent visit to the laid-back resort of Porto Heli in the Greek Penepolese. Approximately two hours south-west of Athens by ferry, opposite the island of Spetses, Porto Heli is a charming seaside town popular with wealthy Athenians who moor their impressive boats in the pretty bay. Porto Heli has all the amenities you’d expect of a beach resort but not the tacky atmosphere associated with more mainstream destinations.
Chris “Biff” Smith and Amy Edmonds own and run Poseidon Sports offering watersports tuition and equipment hire from Porto Heli beach. Amy and Chris were both Neilson sailing instructors until two years ago when they decided to open their own sailing school. Their business has gone from strength to strength and whilst the Neilson resort along the bay is also thriving, Chris and Amy are able to offer a very personal, tailored service ideal for beginners just like me! Their watersports centre is also a popular meeting point for locals and ex-pats of various nationalities, during our week we met lots of interesting people.
Chris and Amy also own the Poseidon Studios, four bright, spacious apartments with balconies just a five minute cycle ride from the beach.
Having enjoyed a busy couple of days sightseeing in Athens we arrived in Porto Heli ready for some serious relaxation. The other main objective of the trip however was to have a go at sailing and windsurfing. Although we were both initially anxious about this ‘active’ part of the holiday, our hosts assured us that everything would be taken at our pace (slowly!) and that having fun would be top of the agenda.
DAY 1 - Lessons begin with some sailing basics. Where is the wind coming from and what to do about it. Chris’s enthusiasm is contagious and before we know it we are aboard one of the Poseidon catamarans and sailing out into the bay! The catamaran is amazingly manoeuvrable and easy to handle. In less than an hour we master the basics of turning - pushing the tiller to tack into the wind (“save your pulling for the disco” - Chris has a memorable adage for most situations!). By the end of our first day we are deemed competent enough to sail back from nearby Hinitsa bay on our own (supervised by Amy in the safety boat). A fantastic achievement which demands to be celebrated with a cold beer or two back on dry land.
DAY 2 - We practise our new sailing skills on the Hobie Cats and navigate around the bay. Chris (below) teaches us some sailing terminology and how to “see” the wind. Incredibly we both get it and begin to be able to predict the gusts of wind which feels a bit like a magic trick at first and is extremely useful!
DAY 3 - No sailing today, except on the ferry which takes us to the gorgeous island of Spetses. We visit the museum and walk to highest point of the island through fragrant pine woods. After a picnic, we relax on ’Paradise’ beach in the afternoon and enjoy a spirited game of scrabble - ’Aa’ is a type of volcanic lava according to Amy...! We go to a delightful, lively taverna in the old harbour for an evening meal and sample a variety of typical dishes served by a buxom Greek waitress who speaks not a word of English! The water-taxi ride home is another unique experience. Bouncing along the somewhat choppy water at about 20 knots (@ 23 mph) we get back in around 15 minutes!
DAY 4 - Back on the water. Today it’s Amy’s turn to teach as we prepare to windsurf! Like Chris, Amy is a positive and patient teacher. After her faultless demonstration I am keen to do well in front of the watchers on the beach. I get the sail up without too much difficulty and once I find my balance I’m off! My impatient streak gets the better of me and I make life difficult by trying to rush my turns. Fortified after a picnic lunch and with a bit more coaching from Amy I’m soon getting on well. My husband Jeff also makes good progress but falls in about five times (but who’s counting?).
DAY 5 - It’s a bit windy first thing so we decide to take a 2-person kayak out around the bay. “Watch out for Turtles” says Chris, apparently large sea Turtles can often be spotted on the other side of the bay. Kayaking is great fun although sitting up front I feel I’m doing more paddling than Jeff... The wind drops so Chris suggests we try out the small “Catsy” catamarans. These scaled down cats can be sailed single-handed and are ideal for beginners and younger sailors too. The youngest Poseidon customer to date to sail the “Catsy” is a 5 year old girl so what am I worried about? We set off in convoy with Chris coaching from the safety boat. The small cats are super-easy to sail (yes now I see, a 5 year old could do it!). I am only doing about 5 knots but it feels much faster especially when the wind catches in the sail making the cat skim across the water.
DAY 6 - Today we learn how to steer the windsurfs. Leaning the sail towards the back to turn into the wind and to the front to go with the wind. The water-ski boat is making plenty of waves but still I manage not to fall in. After lunch I go out for a ride on Amy’s mountain bike while Jeff tries out the hammock. The Porto Heli area is great for cycling and there are plenty of safe, off-road trails to explore. We are invited upstairs to Chris and Amy’s for a barbecue in the evening along with two of the other Poseidon guests, Alf and Kari. Whilst watching the glorious sunset and enjoying a delicious meal we feel rather smug about our sailing achievements thus far.
DAY 7 - Another beautiful day and our last chance to practice our new skills. Jeff goes off on the catamaran with Chris whilst Amy and I do some windsurfing. Being the weekend the beach is busier than usual and plenty of people drop by for a chat and a coffee. We spend our last evening at a delightful beach-front restaurant on the other side of the headland.
We travel back to Athens by road which takes around 2 hours, the same as the ferry. The slightly longer transfer time is well worth it to visit such a lovely place and I am confident we will return.
For more information on Porto Heli and Poseidon see www.poseidon-sports.com
Call/text: 0030 6947 102425 or email Chris and Amy at info@poseidon-sports.com
“Watch out for the turtles!” Kris Thomas enjoys sunshine & sailing in Porto Heli, Greece
If you thought sailing was for ‘other people’, people brought up on boats and ski-slopes then think again. My eyes were opened on a recent visit to the laid-back resort of Porto Heli in the Greek Penepolese. Approximately two hours south-west of Athens by ferry, opposite the island of Spetses, Porto Heli is a charming seaside town popular with wealthy Athenians who moor their impressive boats in the pretty bay. Porto Heli has all the amenities you’d expect of a beach resort but not the tacky atmosphere associated with more mainstream destinations.
Chris “Biff” Smith and Amy Edmonds own and run Poseidon Sports offering watersports tuition and equipment hire from Porto Heli beach. Amy and Chris were both Neilson sailing instructors until two years ago when they decided to open their own sailing school. Their business has gone from strength to strength and whilst the Neilson resort along the bay is also thriving, Chris and Amy are able to offer a very personal, tailored service ideal for beginners just like me! Their watersports centre is also a popular meeting point for locals and ex-pats of various nationalities, during our week we met lots of interesting people.
Chris and Amy also own the Poseidon Studios, four bright, spacious apartments with balconies just a five minute cycle ride from the beach.
Having enjoyed a busy couple of days sightseeing in Athens we arrived in Porto Heli ready for some serious relaxation. The other main objective of the trip however was to have a go at sailing and windsurfing. Although we were both initially anxious about this ‘active’ part of the holiday, our hosts assured us that everything would be taken at our pace (slowly!) and that having fun would be top of the agenda.
DAY 1 - Lessons begin with some sailing basics. Where is the wind coming from and what to do about it. Chris’s enthusiasm is contagious and before we know it we are aboard one of the Poseidon catamarans and sailing out into the bay! The catamaran is amazingly manoeuvrable and easy to handle. In less than an hour we master the basics of turning - pushing the tiller to tack into the wind (“save your pulling for the disco” - Chris has a memorable adage for most situations!). By the end of our first day we are deemed competent enough to sail back from nearby Hinitsa bay on our own (supervised by Amy in the safety boat). A fantastic achievement which demands to be celebrated with a cold beer or two back on dry land.
DAY 2 - We practise our new sailing skills on the Hobie Cats and navigate around the bay. Chris (below) teaches us some sailing terminology and how to “see” the wind. Incredibly we both get it and begin to be able to predict the gusts of wind which feels a bit like a magic trick at first and is extremely useful!
DAY 3 - No sailing today, except on the ferry which takes us to the gorgeous island of Spetses. We visit the museum and walk to highest point of the island through fragrant pine woods. After a picnic, we relax on ’Paradise’ beach in the afternoon and enjoy a spirited game of scrabble - ’Aa’ is a type of volcanic lava according to Amy...! We go to a delightful, lively taverna in the old harbour for an evening meal and sample a variety of typical dishes served by a buxom Greek waitress who speaks not a word of English! The water-taxi ride home is another unique experience. Bouncing along the somewhat choppy water at about 20 knots (@ 23 mph) we get back in around 15 minutes!
DAY 4 - Back on the water. Today it’s Amy’s turn to teach as we prepare to windsurf! Like Chris, Amy is a positive and patient teacher. After her faultless demonstration I am keen to do well in front of the watchers on the beach. I get the sail up without too much difficulty and once I find my balance I’m off! My impatient streak gets the better of me and I make life difficult by trying to rush my turns. Fortified after a picnic lunch and with a bit more coaching from Amy I’m soon getting on well. My husband Jeff also makes good progress but falls in about five times (but who’s counting?).
DAY 5 - It’s a bit windy first thing so we decide to take a 2-person kayak out around the bay. “Watch out for Turtles” says Chris, apparently large sea Turtles can often be spotted on the other side of the bay. Kayaking is great fun although sitting up front I feel I’m doing more paddling than Jeff... The wind drops so Chris suggests we try out the small “Catsy” catamarans. These scaled down cats can be sailed single-handed and are ideal for beginners and younger sailors too. The youngest Poseidon customer to date to sail the “Catsy” is a 5 year old girl so what am I worried about? We set off in convoy with Chris coaching from the safety boat. The small cats are super-easy to sail (yes now I see, a 5 year old could do it!). I am only doing about 5 knots but it feels much faster especially when the wind catches in the sail making the cat skim across the water.
DAY 6 - Today we learn how to steer the windsurfs. Leaning the sail towards the back to turn into the wind and to the front to go with the wind. The water-ski boat is making plenty of waves but still I manage not to fall in. After lunch I go out for a ride on Amy’s mountain bike while Jeff tries out the hammock. The Porto Heli area is great for cycling and there are plenty of safe, off-road trails to explore. We are invited upstairs to Chris and Amy’s for a barbecue in the evening along with two of the other Poseidon guests, Alf and Kari. Whilst watching the glorious sunset and enjoying a delicious meal we feel rather smug about our sailing achievements thus far.
DAY 7 - Another beautiful day and our last chance to practice our new skills. Jeff goes off on the catamaran with Chris whilst Amy and I do some windsurfing. Being the weekend the beach is busier than usual and plenty of people drop by for a chat and a coffee. We spend our last evening at a delightful beach-front restaurant on the other side of the headland.
We travel back to Athens by road which takes around 2 hours, the same as the ferry. The slightly longer transfer time is well worth it to visit such a lovely place and I am confident we will return.
For more information on Porto Heli and Poseidon see www.poseidon-sports.com
Call/text: 0030 6947 102425 or email Chris and Amy at info@poseidon-sports.com
