Marine Infinite

(9)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A fantastic trip through the Ionian Islands – any time again!

From 25.07. to 01.08.2026 I was on GALINI, a Hanse 575, sailing from Corfu to Zakynthos – a sailing week that will remain a very fond memory.

Our route took us from Corfu via Lakka/Paxos, Lefkada with passage through the lock, Varko East Bay with a wonderful night at anchor, Nidri and Sami on Kefalonia to Zakynthos.

For me it was an ideal mix of active sailing, stunning bays, interesting harbours, swimming and relaxed evenings together on board and ashore. I particularly liked that the route wasn't simply rigidly "followed", but wind, weather and the crew's wishes were taken into account.

I would particularly like to highlight our skipper Christian O. I experienced Christian as a very experienced, confident and safety-conscious skipper, who at the same time is pleasantly relaxed and straightforward. He actively involves the crew, explains decisions clearly and gives everyone the opportunity to take on responsibility on board according to their experience.

As an SKS holder with now over 3,000 nautical miles sailed, it was important to me not simply to travel as a passenger. Even from the perspective of an experienced crew member, I greatly appreciated Christian's calm and confident manner, his good seamanship and especially his way with the crew. There was always the opportunity to sail actively, take over manoeuvres and exchange ideas professionally – without this creating unnecessary performance pressure.

It was precisely this combination that I particularly enjoyed: professional and safe ship handling on the one hand, sailing as equals and a relaxed atmosphere on the other.

On a personal level too, it was an excellent fit. Christian manages to quickly turn different crew members into a crew. Sailing together, anchoring and the evenings in the cockpit or ashore were just as much part of this trip for me as the actual sailing legs.

GALINI herself is an impressive yacht. The Hanse 575 offers a great deal of space and comfort, but at the same time is real fun to sail – especially on the longer legs between the Ionian Islands.

After a week, what remains for me above all is a great crew, a wonderful yacht, a beautiful sailing area and a skipper to whom I would entrust a boat and a crew again any time.

Many thanks, Christian, for this special week!

Clear recommendation – I would set sail with Christian and GALINI again any time. ⛵️🇬🇷

I was sailing with GALINI on two trips from 20.10.2025 to 11.11.2025 – first with Skipper Paul (William) and then with Skipper Christian Opitz. With wind strengths of up to 10 Beaufort and wonderful crews on each trip, these weeks were extremely educational and unforgettable.
Thank you Paul, thank you Christian!

Not my first, but by far the best cabin charter I've ever been on!

We – my girlfriend and I – were (sadly only) away for a week with GALINI under Skipper Christian Engl in the Ionian Sea.
As I personally regard sailing as my own passion and my focus was therefore elsewhere, I can't report much about the region, but I can about the boat, manoeuvres and skipper.

I can hardly offer any negative criticism. Much is certainly crew-dependent and therefore difficult to judge. I would have liked an evening/morning briefing to discuss plans with the entire crew, for instance, but I can completely understand that such a thing isn't always feasible and certainly not with everyone. One does it this way, another does it that way. In any case, a fan as additional equipment for the cabin would have been great. The yacht shows a few signs of wear which naturally occur but by no means restricted comfort. However, these aren't necessarily visible in the advertised photos.

The first impression after boarding GALINI nevertheless exceeded my expectations, even though these were mainly based on the photos published here and sectional views of the Hanse 575. The yacht really does offer a great deal of space below and on deck. The large, modern-style saloon with luxurious headroom and unusually well-equipped wet rooms for each cabin are more than just nice details. The cabins (ours: starboard bow cabin) offer enough space for two people. Storage space was also sufficient. Even though the saloon or the integrated open galley was "only" used for preparing meals or the odd cocktail, which naturally isn't down to the boat itself but to the beautiful Greek weather, the added value from the amount of worktop space, the equipment with 3 (!) fridges and a 3-burner hob, cannot be denied. The cockpit is open and, thanks to GALINI's beam, no less spacious than below deck. The dinghy garage and covered line routing also play their part here. There were simply no 'obstructive' objects and few tripping hazards on deck, which isn't only great on the eye but also ensures safer and more comfortable working with lines and running rigging during manoeuvres.
After initial scepticism, I quickly learnt to appreciate the advantages of the self-tacking jib and the electric winches. The notion that there would be nothing or little to do as a result (which for me personally would be more of a negative point) proved unfounded. Rather, these two equipment details made an ideal contribution to enabling even inexperienced or completely untrained crew members to participate in adjustments to sail settings, course changes and/or manoeuvres such as gybes and tacks, for example. Active participation was by no means compulsory, however.

I was able to take away a lot of experience from this week. Not least because Christian was happy to pass on his knowledge in conversation and with expert instruction in all activities. It was a great pleasure for me to learn new skills first-hand, to think together about the day's planning according to weather, wind and wave forecasts, and not least to have held many different positions over the week on board, from anchor lookout and winch operation to hoisting/reefing/lowering sails, helming, etc. I felt uncertain about anchoring in particular before the week; that's now a thing of the past.

I can also highlight GALINI's sailing characteristics at this point. Purely subjectively, as I can only compare them with those of a Bavaria Cruiser 50' + 45', a Hallberg Rassy 32' and dinghies. I must note, however, that GALINI obeyed the helm well, particularly on downwind courses. On reaching courses she's really fun. With the exception of upwind courses, I was allowed to helm GALINI and had great pleasure on all courses. Even in light winds she tracked well on beam reach and broad reach. Happily, Christian didn't shy away from setting sails even in winds below 5 knots, which I'd not experienced on cabin charters before. A big thank you! Throughout the entire week, Christian always found the best compromise between sailing time and tour planning (ports of call) and gave us all a wonderful time. Alongside clear explanations and the necessary briefings and instructions, Christian also understood how to deal sensitively with – let's say – less seaworthy crew members. So my girlfriend was still able to find enjoyment and pleasure in the area and the sea even after the first 2–3 seasick days. To be honest, our personal highlights – spotting a seal and being accompanied by several dolphins for several minutes – contributed to the joy.

Also worth mentioning:
We weren't on shore power once. Thanks to solar panels, GALINI is self-sufficient. There were no problems with fridges or charging electronic devices without shore power.
The water tank holds around 800l. We topped up once towards the end. Fill level there was about 1/2.
Crew size: 5 people

In conclusion, I can warmly recommend GALINI as a yacht, the Ionian Sea as a sailing area and Christian as a skipper to anyone interested in sailing.

Learnt a lot from the thoughtful and always safety-conscious professional skipper Stefan and had a great time with the crew carefully assembled by Marine Infinite. The approx. 500 nautical miles from Malaga to Palma flew by – not least thanks to the always good atmosphere on board. The crew's wishes and the weather conditions were thoughtfully incorporated into the planning of each leg and the shore activities.

Like sailing amongst friends! ....even though we hadn't met before the start of the trip :-).

This was my first sailing experience. It was a beautiful voyage that I remember fondly. The boat sails superbly and offers plenty of space.

It was simply a great trip. We sailed from Poros to Zakynthos. The boat was immaculately maintained and superbly equipped. Anyone who wanted to could take an active part in sailing. That was tremendous fun. A special highlight was the passage through the Corinth Canal. Unforgettable!
The skipper Stephan was very relaxed and assured. He communicated on an equal footing and accommodated our wishes. I've experienced things differently before.
All in all a wonderful experience. I'd gladly sail here again.

This voyage was simply brilliant! The arrival in the Caribbean alone promises a special time ahead. The route took us from Martinique via St Lucia down to Union Island and back again – viewing the scenery from the sea is quite another experience altogether, which I can only recommend to everyone. It was my first Caribbean adventure and it absolutely hit the mark. 🙂

Besides the Caribbean experience itself, one thing is incredibly important: the CREW and the helmsman/helmswoman – and both couldn't have been better! 🙂 Our skipper and co-skipper created a wonderful atmosphere on board with their relaxed and professional manner. AND THEN there was the heart and soul of the boat – hospitality through and through, always with a smile, always there when needed. INCREDIBLE!

I would set sail with these exact people again anytime. Many thanks for this unforgettable time on the water!

Everything was perfect, very well organised, an absolutely superb trip

Unforgettable Caribbean dream – A paradise that leaves nothing to be desired!

Pure enthusiasm from the very first moment: surrounded by breathtaking nature, warm-hearted people. Every day was a unique experience, perfectly organised and full of excitement. The scenery? Simply spectacular!

Wishes were not only fulfilled but exceeded – from culinary highlights to unforgettable moments under the Caribbean sun. The hospitality and attention to detail made this stay something truly special.

An experience I'll remember with a smile for a long time to come. Anyone looking for the perfect combination of adventure, relaxation and excellence is in exactly the right place!