Press

Despite Brexit, Wildwind Sailing expects record growth for 2019 holiday season

Wildwind, the British sailing holiday company with bases in Greece and Mauritius, expects 2019 to be record breaking in terms of number of guests. The company has seen year-on-year growth over the past decade and is experiencing an increased number of early bookings for the 2019 holiday season. Says director Simon Morgan: “With the uncertainty surrounding Brexit, the increased demand comes as a surprise to us. But it seems people are making more conscious decisions about their holiday earlier on, to ensure a top-quality option is available to them”.

Wildwind was founded in 1988 by avid sailors who found the island of Lefkas in Greece particularly suited for watersports. The bay of Vassiliki, where Wildwind’s centre is based, has unique climatic conditions that all but guarantee gentle mornings yet windy afternoons throughout the summer. Starting with a modest fleet of 4 boats, the company has grown to offer Europe’s widest range of dinghies and catamarans, with more than 75 boats in 2019, for sailors at all levels, from novices to Olympic hopefuls. Expanding on its flagship operation in Greece, in 2014 Wildwind started offering year-round sailing holidays on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius. Morgan: “We aim to give our clients the absolute best beach-based sailing holiday experience and our growth and high customer satisfaction tells us we’re succeeding”.

Since its inception, Wildwind has seen steady growth, largely thanks to high numbers of repeat customers, well over 60%. The additional base in Mauritius has allowed growth to further accelerate over the past few years. Says Morgan: “For years, we have been consistently fully booked in peak season. There just aren’t too many places in the world that offer conditions of similar quality to sailing enthusiasts, so there is a natural limitation to our growth. Our expansion now mainly comes from the off season, and from our year-round tropical offering on the island of Mauritius”. The majority of Wildwind guests come from the UK, with a substantial number of visitors hailing from the rest of Europe, most notably The Netherlands, Germany and Sweden.

In 2019, Wildwind’s main base in Greece will be open from May 4th to October 6th. Flights with British Airways are included when booking from the UK. In May, Wildwind organises a number of specialised training weeks taught by Laser and Catamaran experts, as well as a Laser Regatta in association with the Vassiliki Sailing Club.