Sunday
Well this looks promising – we’re on the bus, 10 minutes out of Preveza airport, and there are white horses everywhere. The wind appears to be coming from the west so it should be howling in Vass bay……Dave is oblivious to this as he is alone on the back seat, fast asleep – there isn’t room for anyone else!
An hour later and we’re in Vass and it is howling – the instructors are out on 4.0 and 3.7’s! Dave has woken up and has sorted out his party of 12 family and friends. Having signed in I grab a 4.0 with an 86 Kombat but promptly get flattened – the gusts are really vicious! Meanwhile Dave is out on a 6.0….Unfortunately the wind dies quite quickly so we all retire to the bar.

Monday
It’s midday and about 20 of us sign up for the speed week. Newly engaged Shaun from Club Vass explains what is going to happen and issues us with Starboard vests and numbers. There are to be 3 classes, 17 – 35, 35 – 50 and over 50’s. Dave gives us a chat at 2:00pm, ably assisted by Colin ‘Where’s the Camera?’ Dixon. Evidently Dave taught Colin when he was a grommet – he hasn’t changed very much…..
Dave gives us some advice about boards and sails, harnesses etc. Someone asks which harness is better – waist or seat? Dave replies that he hasn’t got one…a waist that is …….so a seat is the way to go for him. His advice is to use what is comfortable : a seat is probably ultimately faster. Now all we need is some wind……it goes cross-shore but never fills in properly – I got planning on a 7.0 for about 15 mins and then it died for the day.
Meanwhile Dave’s family and friends have settled in well and are enjoying themselves. Dave’s youngest Aaron is in the Kids Club and has taken a shine to Nancy from Club Vass who is running it this week. Aaron thinks she is ‘well fit’ and he’s right !! Unfortunately he makes the big mistake of telling his dad this and it comes back to haunt him later that evening.

It’s 9:00pm and we’re eating at Stelios : Nancy and friends are at the next table. Dave and party are walking past and, unfortunately for Aaron, Dave has spotted her. He grabs Aaron and drags him over to Nancy’s table. Aaron is protesting out loud but Dave ignores him and tells Nancy ‘my boy thinks you’re well fit…’. Nancy handles it brilliantly and says thank you and that she will see Aaron tomorrow. By this time Aaron is bright red – I wonder if he’s forgiven Dave yet?

Tuesday
Another clinic, this time on the simulator. Dave runs through things like what to do with your front and back legs, hand position, body position etc. After questions he tells us a story of when he was at an event in Tarifa where he managed to break a mast with his neck !! His neck wasn’t too good either as he had broken 2 vertebrae. An ambulance was called and the paramedics carefully put a neck brace on him and carted him off to hospital. ‘Carted’ being the operative word as, after taking great care with his neck the ambulance promptly drove off a 12 inch high kerb with an almighty crash. Halfway to the hospital the exhaust fell off….at the hospital he managed to avoid the doctor known as ‘the butcher’ and eventually was discharged. Oh and I forgot to mention he was suffering from a serious bout of food poisoning…..back at the event site he had a sudden need to go and change his shorts. He managed to distract his ‘minders’ long enough to get in the hire car and drive to the apartment without sitting on the seat….
It’s overcast today and the wind never materialises.

Wednesday
Dave is relaxing around the restaurant / pool, ready to talk to anyone who wants to ask him anything at all. No wind again so he goes off to do some videoing on his scooter.
Quite a big night in the Zeus Bar followed.

Thursday
This is looking better – a bright sunny morning with Cephalonia just visible through the haze – ideal conditions for cross shore winds this afternoon.
It goes cross shore at 3:30 ish and I’m out on a 6.0, fairly well powered up. Dave has been out sailing with people on the speed week and spots me at the sand bar. He suggests that we go for a sail and will give me a few tips. So we set off: I’m still on the 6.0 while Dave has an 8.0 and we head upwind to find some flat water. Dave is shouting advice including telling me to move my front hand back (which he said later sheets the sail in a bit more). According to my GPS I’m instantly about 3 mph faster, touching 30 mph. Just as I think I’m doing ok by just about keeping up with him he changes out of 1st gear and simply disappears. Within seconds he’s 50 yds in front of me…HOW DOES HE DO THAT? It’s not until you get to sail next to him that you realise just how impressive he is!
It’s 6:00pm and the speed course is open. Shaun is in the boat with the radar gun and we are to have ½ hr on starboard tack and ½ hr on port. I head upwind on a Rocket 105 and 6.0 Remedy with a smaller fin than earlier in the day. The boat is a long way out but I eventually get there and set off on a broad reach, aiming for the back of the boat. Things seem to be going ok…wait a minute, there’s someone in the water, right in the way…it’s Colin!! …there must be a camera in the boat….GET OUT OF THE WAY!!! I end up going almost on a run to avoid him and at the wrong angle to the gun…
The next few runs are a bit better (no Colin this time, the camera must have been put away) but the wind seems to have dropped a bit and I’m underpowered. I end up with about 25 knts. In the meantime Dave is trying to touch the camera as he flashes past the boat at some unearthly speed.

Friday

Another sail with Dave, this time he’s got the video camera. We sail out for a mile or so and he films me coming back in. Again I’m powered up on a 6.0 and he’s sailing one handed, sometimes upwind, sometimes in front or behind, filming all the time – again very impressive. We get back to the beach and Dave gives me one last tip before the speed course opens : ‘When you’re on a broad reach and you see a gust coming lean forward to flatten off the board…’ WHAT!! LEAN FORWARD, AT 30 + MPH, ON A BROAD REACH, IN A GUST! ARE YOU MAD? No, no, no. no…well you only live once so I try it and of course he’s right: it works but it’s pretty scary to say the least!!
It’s windier than yesterday and I’m on a 5.2 and end up with 32 mph or 27.8 knts. Mark wins overall with a speed of just over 30 knts.
There’s a prize giving at the BBQ with separate prizes for the 3 classes and one for the fastest recorded GPS speed (Mark again !)
Another big night in the Zeus follows with Dave doing some ‘shelf dancing’ : I think the shelf survived…..

Saturday

It’s raining!! Evidently the first time it’s rained at this time for 10 years, so no wind.

Great week, great coaching, great family, thanks Dave !
Same again next year please!