Veiws of Vassiliki. By Cribby.

Cribby is a regular at this windy Greek location, famed for the Vass Class madness and for Club Vass, the world's largest windsurfing school with hundreds of high performance boards and rigs.

Vassiliki 2000

'We're at Prevesa airport with a rotten hang over. My brain's a lump of feta, my eye balls giant olives. You might say "that's how I felt!" if you're one of the many thousands of windsurfers to visit Vassiliki, remembering how hung over you were at Prevasa Airport the day you left.

But this is different; we're arriving at Prevesa, from Gatwick, directly from a wedding party with no sleep. I feel like a dead goat on a Greek hillside, dry as a runway. Identical to the holiday-makers leaving, or the Vass instructors staying, but in total contrast from my fellow tourists arriving. For now at least.

"it's amazing how such a tranquil place can ever have any wind"
Roger mused over a glassy harbour one evening.

Partying in Vassiliki.
As it has been necessary to literally drag me home from the nightlife in Vass, including when there's no one left at the bar and I'm on my knees begging to stay, we felt that my experience of wild nights there would benefit our readers. Unfortunately I couldn't remember them, so I've gathered a mosaic of suspicious rumours, and thus offer my sincere apologies to the religious and / or Greek historians for my lack of tact and truth in the next paragraphs.

The Zeus Bar is the God of European windsurfing bars, attracting a congregation of boozing sinners for worship and confession every night. Human sacrifices are made to the harbour, disciples fall off bar stools, angels swing from the rafters, bathing in Holy buckets of water and the general mutilation and madness of all mortals. It's a Heavenly, Hell on Earth experience.

Most of these sermons are lead by the Vass instructors, who have to be enthusiastic, great team leaders and have never seen that show at school on what drinking and smoking does to your insides. They epithomise the 'make that a triple' spirit of Vassiliki, as they lead innocent holiday makers to Beilsibub.

So, don't stop at just falling off your windsurfer in Vass. Fall off your barstool, fall off your moped, free fall far from any responsibilities back home or fall in love with Murray, for the full Vassiliki experience. And just when you thought it was safe to go home after a night on the town, you stagger passed the Tunnel Bar and see a light....

These memorable unmemorable nights are often an extension of entertainment inspired by an infamous punch at the Club Vass or Wild Winds abstract madness evenings, where sanity is as illusive, as fact is to this feature.

Club Vass.
Until last year, Club Vass was made up of three centres, a few minutes stroll apart. Now they've all combined at the new Club Vass Hotel, one hundred metres upwind of what was formally Centre 2. Thus creating a windsurfing whirlpool with tons of kit and Vassiliki's centre stage for socialising right on the beach. Including a swimming pool, rooms and balconies all with sea views, hot and cold running Club Vass entertainment, mousaka et al, George, cocktails, a basement gym and a roof top bar. All suspended on Club Vass cloud nine, between a valley of olive groves and citrus trees, the bright white, chalk pebbled beach below and the ever changing atmosphere of the Aegeon Sea beyond. If you’re unable to stay there, they’ve also retained all their former local accommodation facilities, so don't worry.

Looking at the old Centre One building now, it's amazing Tony and Roger ever found the inspiration and ability to turn such a tiny place into such an enormous mass of untamed parties and bouyant ambiance. Roger admits of their success; "It was a fluke!" And Tony confesses "I was a wide boy with an afro".

They started as a couple of beach bums sleeping under their rigs on the unknown beach of Vassiliki, and now own the world’s largest windsurfing centre. They attract new clients every year yet also retain the old ones, frequenting Club Vass year in and year out. Tony and Roger both deserve an enormous, honorable thanks for their dedication and good will which has resulted in so many people's happy holidays. Well done and a huge thanks lads.

Fact File:
Getting there:
Club Vass
Wild Wind
Neilson

Windsurfing Conditions:
Afternoons only, 3-5 hours a day, 4-5 days a week, force 4-6. Forecast wind by doubling how many Weetabix instructor Sean has for breakfast; 3 Weetabix = Beaufort force six.

Sea Conditions:
Totally flat water under mountain, small chop downwind. Wetsuit shorties for intermediates and shorts for experts. Great for blasting and freestyle.

Mopeds:
Nick's Mopeds.

Tips:
Read Captain Corellis Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres; wonderful story based on islands just like Lefkas.
Don't arrive in Vass with a hangover, as you'll definitely leave with one.
Windsurfing Alternatives Included on Club Vass Holiday

Windsurfing Alternatives
Mountain biking
Wake boarding and skiing.
Catermaran and high performance dinghy sailing (with Wild Wind)
Tennis.
Swimming
Diving
Chilling out.
Zeus Bar tours.