Sunsail Vounaki is closing :-(

jordanbasset said:
It was a very good company, credit to you
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Thanks. But real credit to the Tyler twins, whose insistence on treating staff the same way we wanted them to treat the customers led to several awards "Investors in People". That made the company a first choice for those looking for employment . . . with great staff continuity.
 
Sunsail bloody sunsail (Richard and his wife wrote down those 2 words and made it a song sang at New Bar the second week into the season
 
The creme de la creme of dinghy sailing holidays: Minorca sailing. Not much to do if you're not sailing, though.
 
jimbaerselman said:
Thanks. But real credit to the Tyler twins, whose insistence on treating staff the same way we wanted them to treat the customers led to several awards "Investors in People". That made the company a first choice for those looking for employment . . . with great staff continuity.
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Jim, I worked for Falcsovsunworld, then Neilson in Brighton, you got the whole thing of to a fantastic start and changed many instructors and clients loves for the better , I'm one of many who are now married to ex clients or staff ;)
 
Been once and thoroughly enjoyed Vounaki. Particularly liked the irresponsible and relaxed kiddies who were the staff there - dodgems with the yachts in the final regatta!
 
Neilson's was owned by Thomas Cook not TUI Travel (First Choice) The only other company TUI owned was Club Vass, they handed this back to the owners after a year.
 
Tis is true although my favourite was always Colonna which I visited many times.

I did Vounaki once and enjoyed it a great deal although there was no wind for much if it which kinda defeats the object but the staff were always exceptional as well as entertaining with one of them nearly always sharing a flight back after being sacked!

And yes I also cycled to the top of the mountain to se the nun although she was not in..
 
Jamesuk said:
Sunsail bloody sunsail (Richard and his wife wrote down those 2 words and made it a song sang at New Bar the second week into the season
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I'm very humbled to be mentioned in the thread - thank you. I'd like to put the record (ha ha) straight though. The song "Sunsail Bluddy Sunsail" was actually penned during a particularly bleak winter refit programme in Punta Zeza, Lavrion in 1994. Long before the days of internet and iPads, there really was very little entertainment for the winter crew, and after exhausting my existing list of humorous songs, I sat down with friend Mike Sutton after another freezing day in the yard and together we wrote the infamous song. This was January or February 1994 I believe. The song refers to "wearing a suntan to work" - the then advertising slogan for the recruitment of overseas staff - and also "Drachma" (or Drachs actually), the then currency.

I have lost count of the number of times I have declared "This is the last time I will sing this song....", but the latest rendition was actually performed during the Ionian regatta 2011 (I THINK). If ever a song needed context it's this one, and I always reckoned the audience needed at least half a crate of Amstel before they were going to find it funny. Best rendition in memory was in the upper room of the pub round the corner from the Earls Court International Boat Show, circa 1996. There was a decent band playing and I swiped a guitar at the interval before the crowd had time to be distracted by the bar. Chris Gordon was at the front of the crowd, singing with gusto, (who's since gone back to Argentina).
The worst rendition was in recent years in my own back garden to a bunch of fairly sober, (now parents) ex-Sunsail crew who probably expected it to be funnier!! Final word - it was singing silly songs that landed me my first job as a skipper, after which I made a determined effort to learn how to sail!!

PS I also took the very first ever yacht into Vounaki marina before it opened in 1995. Her name: "Foolish Pleasure". What a name and what a place. The whole site is leased incidentally, and the concrete "pontoons" are pretty ghastly now. The owners (Greek American I believe) have invested very little in the upkeep.
 
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Much earlier in the thread someone was quoted £9,000 for 2 adults and 2 children 2 weeks this year at Vounaki with Sunsail. Neilson's quote for 2 + 2 + 2 in peak season 2015 is £6,500.

Sounds like high prices killed the occupancy rates . . . and the cost of promotion to fill the vacancies ate up the income from new business.
 
jimbaerselman said:
Much earlier in the thread someone was quoted £9,000 for 2 adults and 2 children 2 weeks this year at Vounaki with Sunsail. Neilson's quote for 2 + 2 + 2 in peak season 2015 is £6,500.

Sounds like high prices killed the occupancy rates . . . and the cost of promotion to fill the vacancies ate up the income from new business.
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We went with Hartley Boats in a group booking of 200 (to fill the charter plane) just after Easter this year. Price was £500 each for 2 weeks at a time that they would otherwise have been almost empty (kids all back at school).

I appreciate that sunsail want to maintain prices but they are missing the 95% occupancy that Centre Parc achieves IMHO There is a whole untapped market out there with Sailing Clubs etc doing block bookings at what would otherwise be slack times.
 
jimbaerselman said:
Much earlier in the thread someone was quoted £9,000 for 2 adults and 2 children 2 weeks this year at Vounaki with Sunsail. Neilson's quote for 2 + 2 + 2 in peak season 2015 is £6,500.

Sounds like high prices killed the occupancy rates . . . and the cost of promotion to fill the vacancies ate up the income from new business.
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I made a similar comparison Jim, a 2 week flotilla for 2 on a 34 footer. Sunsail £5000, Neilson just under £3k. I understand that Neilson's boats are a few years older than Sunsail's, but for many this would be the difference between going and not.
 
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