Swan 65 Ilios

(5)

Wow – what a great four weeks sailing around the Lesser Antilles with Sanne and Marijn on SV Ilios! We've spent the first week training and then participating in the Heineken Regatta in Sint Marteen. Excellent sailing, lots of fun with a super crew of 12. The next three weeks we island-hopped with a reduced crew southwards, visiting beautiful St. Eustatius, St. Kitts, Antigua, Guadeloupe etc. Exploring these islands was amazing – super people, super vegetation. super diving and snorkeling. I can't more highly recommend spending time on SV Ilion. She is a magnificently beautiful and comfortable boat. But best of all are skippers Sanne and Marjin. They are a wonderful couple, excellent company and obviously amazing sailors. Sanne's (vegan) cooking is outstanding. I've returned back home not only with great memories but also rejuvenated. Best experience ever. Thanks so much Sanne and Marjin! I will certainly come back (if you have me). Much love Zo

I was received very warmly. Without any fuss, I was taken aboard the boat a day earlier than planned. Throughout the whole trip, including the regatta in St. Maarten, I always found the skipper and his co-skipper to be friendly and confident.
With her friendly and attentive manner, Sanne also confidently shaped a great team out of 8 guests who didn't know each other. Even in difficult times, when unplanned events occurred, there was always great teamwork on board. The skipper was always able to handle things calmly and confidently. Beyond the agreed meals, the catering was very varied, freshly prepared from local ingredients. I would love to come back on board.

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The Grenada Sailing Week was an absolute sailing highlight for me and a perfect combination of training, competitive racing and a Caribbean island experience.

At the start, there were two intensive days of sail training, during which all the important manoeuvres and sailing actions were practised thoroughly. The training was excellently structured and provided ideal preparation for the upcoming races.

This was followed by the regatta around Carriacou, and then a particularly exciting crossing on the second day of racing from Carriacou to Grenada – challenging sailing, a real nature experience and simply stunning scenery.

On Grenada, we first had a whole day off, a great change of pace and time to explore the island of Grenada. Particularly impressive were Saint George with its unique atmosphere at the harbour, as well as the “Seven Sisters” waterfalls in the island's interior, reachable in about half an hour by bus from Saint George.

Over the following two days, several regatta courses were sailed off Grenada – for me, this was one of the absolute highlights of the week. Sporty, extremely exciting, and with all the regatta boats close together, pure action and a genuine racing feeling!

Special praise goes to the skipper and his female co-skipper: both are highly experienced, passionate and fantastic sailors. They are very hospitable and have an excellent way of passing on their knowledge, teaching seamanship in a clear and practical manner. I learnt a great deal on this trip.

Sailing on the Swan 65 Ilios was a real privilege and an experience I won't forget any time soon.

👉A perfectly organised and thoroughly enjoyable sailing trip. Highly recommended for anyone who loves regatta sailing or wants to learn it!

I was also lucky enough to sail with Sanne and Marijn for a week before and a week after the Grenada Sailing Week Regatta. In the three weeks aboard the Ilios, I experienced many wonderful moments. The Ilios is a very good and comfortable sailing vessel. Even as an experienced sailor myself, I was still able to learn a lot from Sanne and Marijn.
With the international crew, we quickly formed a great team, had a lot of fun together and achieved good results in the regatta.
Our culinary wellbeing was well looked after, with surprising vegetarian dishes often made from local produce.
I came home with lots of new ideas and a suitcase full of memories.

We started the Sailing week in Grenada
And first sailed to cariscaou
Practised manoeuvres
And the next day signed up for the race in the beautiful bay
And then sailed part of the course as a trial
Then a race day around the island, one back to Grenada, a day's break and then two days of shorter races with correspondingly many gybes and tacks in the south of Grenada
In the evenings there's always a prize ceremony and party with live music or a DJ
AnBord it was very friendly, the food was vegetarian, the boat sails magnificently,
We had a lot of fun and parted as friends.
Absolutely recommended, the Ilios.
For learning and for enjoying.