FLOTILLAS

General description of flotilla sailing

A flotilla consists of a group of yachts (around 5 maximum ten boats) which all follow the same itinerary. During the day you sail independently but you can always refer back to the lead boat.
We all depart from the same harbour or bay and meet again all together in the evening in the same destination. Flotilla yachts can be any size from 31-60 feet. It is recommended to charter at least a 36-foot for the longer crossings.

Every morning a briefing takes place in which the cruising plan of the day is discussed, a weather report is given (when necessary!) and where you get useful tips about that day’s cruising. This is where we are "at home"! Once on your way you can contact the lead boat by VHF, an easy-to-handle sender/receiver radio transmitter. The flotilla leader also gives technical help if necessary. Even experienced sailors often choose to go with a flotilla because of the social advantages of sailing in a group. This kind of sailing is also ideal for large groups of people, such as Universities.

You might also call it "sailing – apart- together". You are not forced into any social obligations and certainly you are free to spend the evening without the group, but often the group finds itself together to eat and drink and share experiences of the day.("Did you also see that many dolphins?"...)
Flottilla yachting combines the safety of sailing in a group with the freedom of your own boat. The flotilla leader is more of a nautical companion and source of information than an entertainer.

Sailing experience

To join a flotilla at least one person on board must have enough sailing experience to be able to safely navigate a yacht of this size. If you can easily sail an open sailing boat on a lake, this should be sufficient experience for sailing in the Argosaronic or the Ionian area. If you feel doubtful about your sailing ability you might take a course in your own country before leaving to refresh your knowledge. Otherwise we'd strongly recommend the presence of an experienced skipper aboard your yacht.

We at Holidays Afloat, are experienced enough to organize a successful flotilla that will meet your needs. As mentioned before, this type of sailing is focused mainly on large groups of people such as University students, or the staff from a big company. In any case it is imperative to organize it impeccably due to the large number of participant and yachts. Experienced Skippers, as well as yachts in very good physical condition are two very important factors for a flotilla success.

So, are you interested in joining or forming a flotilla?
Let us know and we will give you an offer that no one else can give. We have the best prices, the right skippers -if necessary, and ofcourse the right yachts!
All you have to do is get into the holiday mood, and come to sail in what we call the Greek paradise!