Sunsail Vounaki is closing :-(

Hiya all - one of the 'Tyler twins' Jim mentions earlier here.
Don't want to use this forum to promote our business - but just to add that we are very pleased to be taking over Vounaki - SS have been there 20 years or so and we've always rated it as a great place to be and judging by the feedback here and elsewhere they've done a great job to date -
But they have other priorities now and we are looking forward to adding the Neilson touches and bringing our economies of scale to the party here and keeping the prices keen for all - though we have a business to run too - so dont all get too excited!!
Jim is being modest here too - as the founder of 'Dinghy Sailing in Greece' many moons ago - a company that did what it says on the tin - that later became Falcon Sailing etc etc - he was a driving force in the development of 'proper' activity delivery in the Med - The 'twins' learned a lot from him and are hopefully continuing to improve what he started!!
 
Just back last night (Sunday 12/10/2014) from a one week flotilla out of Vounaki.
All of Sunsail boats are moving to Levkas Marina or 2015 and Neilson will run the whole site from 2015.

I have no idea of the politics behind the change of franchise but there must be lot more to it that what we outsiders are able to glean on the surface.

For my own part, I have sailed with all of the three main players and, in the most part, they all do it well. However I have always had a feeling that Sunsail (and some of their clients) have attached a degree of elitism to the Sunsail Brand. Just this week the Sunsail skipper told us a good place to empty the holding tanks was near to Neilson or Sailing Holidays flotilla boats, which bothered me, as I have had great holidays with both companies.
When sailing on the Neilson flotilla in turkey this summer, we were will some people that had learnt to sail with them years ago and had only ever sailed with Neilson since.

As mentioned in previous posts, Sunsail have been more expensive to sail with. This summer our two week Neilson Turkey flotilla, (last two weeks in June) cost £2,200 for a couple on a Dufour 325, while the similar Sunsail quote was nearly £3,000.

I for one, am glad that Sunsail have got the boot (perhaps a wake up call) and hope Neilson do well in Vounaki, I’m sure that they will bring a breath of fresh air to the place and having thoroughly enjoyed their beach clubs in Turkey, would put Vounaki on my hit list.
 
PipT said:
Hiya all - one of the 'Tyler twins' Jim mentions earlier here.
Don't want to use this forum to promote our business - but just to add that we are very pleased to be taking over Vounaki - SS have been there 20 years or so and we've always rated it as a great place to be and judging by the feedback here and elsewhere they've done a great job to date -
But they have other priorities now and we are looking forward to adding the Neilson touches and bringing our economies of scale to the party here and keeping the prices keen for all - though we have a business to run too - so dont all get too excited!!
Jim is being modest here too - as the founder of 'Dinghy Sailing in Greece' many moons ago - a company that did what it says on the tin - that later became Falcon Sailing etc etc - he was a driving force in the development of 'proper' activity delivery in the Med - The 'twins' learned a lot from him and are hopefully continuing to improve what he started!!
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Can you clarify please have you taken over just the beach club or the marina and larger boats too?

If an attractive deal is done with Hartley boats again for an early off peak block booking of 200 (to fill the plane!) we would probably join that group.
 
We have been taking Sunsail holidays (flotilla and beach club) since 2000 and have followed their decline since loosing independence. Having said that, they appeared to have their mojo back when we visited Vounaki in June 2012.

We took our first Neilson holiday this year (Turkey Flotilla end of June)

So pleased Neilson have Vounaki. Hoping to visit in 2016 (can only afford to do it every two years) Can we have room 121 please?
 
fastjedi said:
Our first beachclub/flotila was in June 2000. Over the years we have done lots of beachclub/flotilas in Greece and Turkey ... but always considered Vounaki as our spirital holiday home. In the mid 2000's attention to guest service was impacted by the TUI accountants. Our last visit was in 2012, guest service was up, occupancy was good and we had a wonderful holiday. We have so many great memories .... fantantic kids clubs, the walk to Polairos, Bob the photographer, numerous dinghy race wins, tea and cake in the afternoon.

Where did it all go wrong? Is it strategy? Hard to believe they can't sustain one beachclub. Anyone know if they are retaining the marina?
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It is not Check Neilson ;-)

As for sustaining one beach club, well it would be eaiser EoS to sustain 10 rather than just one. Anyway Neilson are taking over and they a professionals too!
 
It's true, I returned from there yesterday after a week on a jeanneau 33i. First time there, but my partner had been many times. Great sailing base. But last week almost deserted. Club empty and loads of boats in the marina not occupied (although it is late in the season). Apparently Neilson are taking it over and Sunsail are moving to Lefkas Marina for next year. We spent a night there too, up the canal. It was very nice but not such a good base as Vounaki. Great shame.
 
Done Vounaki once, it was ok. Much prefer Neilson Beachplus in Sivota, a couple of hours to the North. Been there 5 or 6 times. Kids enjoyed it so much that both have been back under their own steam, once old enough. I felt that the Neilson product was of a higher quality. Also, with Neilson, the water skiing's free.
 
RobbieW said:
It'd also be a shame to lose a (managed) useful resource for overnight power and watering at reasonable cost in Nidri[/QUOt

Think you will find that the Ex Neilson pontoon will be used by another small charter outfit ,so there should be even more spaces available next year --Roll on.
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RobbieW said:
It'd also be a shame to lose a (managed) useful resource for overnight power and watering at reasonable cost in Nidri
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A pontoon was first put in place there over 30 years ago, when Nidri's population was about 800, it's second hotel was being built, and it's fourth taverna was opened. I don't think it's going to fly away, even though the Vliho typhoon a few years back moved it around a bit.
 
jimbaerselman said:
A pontoon was first put in place there over 30 years ago, when Nidri's population was about 800, it's second hotel was being built, and it's fourth taverna was opened. I don't think it's going to fly away, even though the Vliho typhoon a few years back moved it around a bit.
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I didnt expect it to disappear, Jim; it was a comment on the pontoon being choked with boats that dont move from one month to the next thus leaving no casual spaces.
 
nimbusgb said:
The regular crowd of absentee owners will no doubt nationalise it in an instant if there is any hesitation.
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I believe Neilson are hoping to use it as a stopover on their flotilla route, so getting an extra place to stop without having to fight for space as in the rest of the S Ionian. We'll have to see how they're going to keep it vacant though!
 
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