INTUITION COURSE

Free Ride

"There could not be a better tailor made location to learn to waterstart than Alacati with it's massive area of standing depth water- shallow enough to be safe, but deep enough to take your feet off the bottom and learn all the skills. The flat water and relatively light winds are also perfect for carve gybing, especially as if it goes wrong, you can just step back on and try again. From a coaching point of view, these features, plus the fact that we usually have some light wind days there too, make Alacati a great place for the intermediate windsurfer to feel really confident and quickly improve. The village of Alacati should win awards for the 'most tastefully developed old town' as I've watched it turn from a sleepy ancient village into bustling narrow streets full of chic bars and restaurants  frequented by wealthy Turkish tourists from Istanbul, and very few from the rest of Europe. It is an unspoilt gem that you'd want to wine and dine in every night, and we usually do. It's also host to the Professional Windsurfers World Tour slalom racing and the European Freestyle Tour, so it's well and truly on the world windsurfing map. I can show you the best of both worlds- massive development on the water, and guide you round all the best places to eat and hang out, Turkish style."

LOCATION REPORT

WIND
Meltimi winds, increasing to 10 - 20 knots most afternoons. 5 - 15 knots during mornings.

WIND STATISTICS
Average four planing days per week, on sails between 5m and 7.5m

SEA STATE
Flat water, very small chop at sea. Turquoise clear water.

SAILING AREA.
Very large standing depth area, stretching approx 150m out to sea. Large enclosed bay with areas to rest at both sides, approx two kilometres apart.

Cribb comment-.perfect for developing waterstarting and footsrapping skills as venue feels very safe and if you do fall off, you're still standing.

WETSUITS?
Most guests wear shorts, however- a
shorty or long legged wetsuit is recommended for people learning to waterstart. These can be rented locally.

RENTAL CENTRE
Club Mistral with North Sails and 100% carbon masts. Rigging helpers, optimum position on beach.
On an INtuition course you have variety of boards to use, rather than the fixed board scheme many centres use.

HOTEL
Hotel Ileri, Ilejca. TBC
3* hotel in nearby town, surrounded by local Turkish bars and restaurants.
Owned by beach café owner, Morat.
5 - 10 minute private minibus trip, or very cheap taxi ride from beach.

TRANSFER TIME
70 mins from Ismir Airport by private bus.

Cribb comment -

TEMPERATURE
Hot! Shorts all day and night.

BEACH FACILITES
Excellent café / restaurant- best on beach (can sign for meals and drinks on hotel bill)
Showers & toilets.
Video replay.
Sun loungers & shades.

WINDSURFING ALTERNATIVES
Eating! Sight seeing, wake boarding.

OTHER STUFF

VIDEO
I film from a boat and/or from the shore. Video playback is in the beach café evenings and/or just after lunch.

MEALS
This is gastronomic heaven! In fact all my holidays are! Expect the very tastiest Turkish delicacies from breakfast to dinner at reasonable prices, great wines and traditional European dishes too. Probably the best INtuition holiday of all for eating, with the biggest flavour varieties this side of Thailand.
Breakfast - very basic in the hotel.
Lunch - on the beach with incredible 'dish of the day' local meals, amazing pizzas and salads.
Dinners - out on the town, from tiny traditional joints where our table blocks off a side street to the elegant Windmill restaurant.

DRINKS & NIGHTLIFE.
Good wine, and lots of it, around a chatty dinner for the INtutiion group- typical of INtuition courses. If you want later nights there's every opportunity at Babylon- the sister club of Istanbul's celebratory night club, but it doesn't start until 1am by which time we're almost always in bed dreaming of our next carve gybe, or we're still out playing back gammon or chess with the locals.