WindsurfingUK Issue 7 June 2018 | Page 8

8 COLUMN CLARE ELLIOTT CLARE’S COLUMN CLUB VASS DIVA WEEK Hi all! Following on from my last column on windsurfing communities I’m dedicating this one to a very special windsurfing community that are ‘The Divas of Club Vass’. Club Vass is the largest windsurfing centre in Greece; it is based in a small, thriving town called Vassiliki in Lefkada. Lefkada is an island, south of Corfu and north of Kefalonia, joined to the mainland by a causeway. Vassiliki is at the end of a north-south valley backed by a very high south facing mountain. The Club Vass hotel resort is situated right on the beach, allowing all our guests to be immersed in the action. In the morning, the wind is light and usually onshore, perfect for beginner windsurfers and paddle boarders. As the sun gets higher and moves south towards the mountain it warms the land and generates katabatic thermal winds. These winds increase throughout the day and can reach up to a F7! Ideal for our intermediate and advanced windsurfers. Mountain biking, Yoga and Pilates are also popular within our resort. So, what is Diva week? Diva week is a week of windsurfing tuition, fitness and après surf dedicated for female windsurfers of all ages and abilities. It’s a female-only group run by world class female instructors. Club Vass designed this week for female windsurfers to come together, learn and improve their windsurfing, but also to have fun, with no pressure or seriousness which I find sometimes can be a problem when learning to windsurf. (Especially being a girl) Around this week, the resort still runs tuition as normal, usually for the husbands and boyfriends! Every year we see an increase of Diva numbers. Last year we saw 35 ladies hit the water! It was amazing so many keen female windsurfers came together on and off the water. The ladies are split into ability groups, so they can benefit from specific tuition. There is a beginner group, lower intermediate, higher intermediate and advanced group. Skills uk WIND SURFING Words: Clare Elliott Pic: Club Vass Clare Elliott is a pro coach for Club Vass Holidays. She made her PWA competition debut in 2016. that are taught throughout th