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The Holiday of a Lifetime…

By February 24, 2014April 30th, 2021Uncategorized

Blazing heat, cool water, exotic cocktails and dreamy scenery. A holiday of a lifetime.

For my friend’s 21st birthday, we decided to charter three yachts with The Big Sail. Tired and disillusioned with the infamous holiday destinations such as Ayia Napa and Malia, where you come back paler than when you left, we wanted a more luxurious holiday. It was time to wave goodbye to the cultural underground of tacky clubs, sweaty flesh and desperate neon-painted-wife-beater-wearing-seventeen-year-olds and say hello to Greek culture. Sun, sea and the occasional Sex on the Beach.* The Big Sail was a holiday of a lifetime.

Lauren yacht photo
Upon arrival, we were greeted by Ollie and introduced to the fabulous skippers over lunch. The restaurant overlooked the harbour – an array of white yachts, masts and booms. The relaxed Greek atmosphere washed over us, as thoughts of our busy life at home started to float away. After lunch, we were taken to our new home for the week – the yachts. Having never sailed before, I was expecting a dark little rabbit hole – small, basic and dingy. I have never been so wrong in my life. The yachts were utterly luxurious. They were spacious; fitted with wardrobes, flushing toilets, showers, ovens, sound systems and best of all – champagne flutes! After a safety briefing and room allocations, we set off on our big sail.
As I mentioned earlier, I had never sailed before this trip. Hellish visions of swinging booms, miles of rope, perpetual sea-sickness and who would inherit my wardrobe if I were to die had been the subject of a few (several) nightmares. However, as soon as we were off, I realised that my visions were distinctively dystopian. The skippers were extremely friendly and incredibly skilled. I was put to ease immediately and after a few hilarious hours of teaching, I became the self-titled Master of The Ropes. In my former life, the only sailing I had ever done was down the aisles of Topshop. Now, after a few practice runs, I was with my best friends, tacking, gybing and racing (for fun) against the other yachts. It was an exhilarating experience. Hysterical images of my friends, frantically tying on fenders like their life depended on it, will stay with me forever.
Lauren Landon The Big Sail

And, as they say, the rest is history. Of course, what we did off the yachts is a another story. We spent days pulling into the picturesque ports of the most beautiful Greek Islands and the nights dining and wining under the pale moonlight. We explored quaint Greek towns and tasted delicious salads, fresh seafood and exotic cocktails. We visited euro-tastic Greek nightclubs, where, as one club stated, “devilry will be experienced”.** As I quad-biked around Poros with a warm breeze running through my hair, racing through a landscape of golden beaches, turquoise sea and ancient ruins from another time, I reflected on this amazing opportunity. Blazing heat, cool water, exotic cocktails and dreamy scenery. Luxurious yachts, unbelievable food and my best friends. There are some experiences in life that you simply have to seize, for you can’t control the wind but you can adjust the sail.

By Lauren Landon

 

*A delicious cocktail.
** Devilry – Wicked activity, reckless mischief, black magic, dealings with the devil

Lauren Landon is a 19 year old History undergraduate at the University of Bristol. When she isn’t studying or writing articles for University newspapers or the various blogs she contributes to, Lauren loves singing & song-writing and spends much of her time sharing her passion with her followers on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/laurenlandonx