Blesma Member Nigel Smith took 11 of his fellow Members to Greece for a week of sailing around the Ionian Islands.

On their arrival at Preveza Airport in Lefkas they were taken to their destination – Vounaki Beach Club – where three yachts were waiting to be crewed. They were split into groups of four and each group was given a safety briefing by their skipper to make them ready for their first day of sailing. Two boats were manned by qualified Day Skippers and the third by a Yacht Master.

The Yacht Master would be teaching a crew of three Members the basics of sailing as well as training them to become fully qualified Competent Crew; a qualification recognised by The Royal Yachting Association.

Each day brought new challenges and opportunities. On the first day, they anchored for a bite to eat and went for a swim in the beautiful Ionian Sea. The nature of sailing requires each Member to be able to get on, off, and around the boat safely and unaided, including using a gang plank with no railings from the jetty to the boat.

Entering the water was easy, but getting back on the boat from deep water was not for the faint-hearted. Veterans never say never though, and they were there to give each other a helping hand.

The wind would get up most afternoons, giving the morning to learn knots, navigational skills, and the basics of sailing. This put everyone in a good position for a race on the Thursday against some seasoned sailors.

On the day, they had to sail 15 nautical miles just to reach the starting point. That required an early 07.30 start, but what a beautiful time of day to set sail, with the sun coming up and the only sound being that of the sea (and your crew mates!)

The race demanded that the Members apply the whole week’s teachings, and what an experience it was! Two boats entered as the third worked towards achieving the Competent Crew qualification. Both yachts gave a credible account of themselves; out of 42 participants Orion, skippered by Nigel Smith, came 19th and the other came 15th. Not bad for novice sailors!

“Members felt the expedition gave them a sense of purpose, and allowed them to learn new skills and push themselves”

Meanwhile, two of the three Members working towards the Competent Crew qualification passed the course, whilst the third decided it wasn’t for them.

The sailing was incredibly worthwhile. The Members gained valuable experience and made great friendships with other Members and civilians alike.

Many Members felt that the expedition gave them a sense of purpose, and allowed them to learn new skills and push themselves to limits they had previously thought unreachable. Most valuable, of course, was the camaraderie between the veterans. Money can’t buy that but, thanks to Blesma, it was there for all to enjoy in Greece.

To apply for one of our Sailing trips in 2020 via the app visit activities then sailing.