THE LOWDOWN

Still debating over Salcombe or Santorini this summer? Step away from your Google search, how about sailing the Greek Islands? Guaranteed turquoise waters, pretty islands, a five star chef catering to your every foodie whim, while living your best Beyoncé life.

HELM, the yachting experts, whose client list includes Hollywood A listers and sporting celebs, offer a brilliant bespoke service across Greece, Croatia, Italy, Sicily and the British Virgin Islands to match your holiday aspirations – and more importantly your budget. It’s a UK-based company, with access to nearly 8,000 yachts (bareboat, skippered or crewed) and all boats and crew are vetted to ensure your holiday is smooth sailing from start to finish.

Muddy took one for the team to try and test the HELM holiday experience on Oneida, one of their 52ft chartered catamarans in Greece. Four days sailing around the Saronic Islands just south of Athens, you say? Pass us a gin and tonic and pray we have sea legs.

BEFORE YOU GO

The season starts in May and finishes in October, with June and September being the most popular for gentle winds and reliable warm sun. In July and August, when the wind and heat picks up, so does the sailing – harbours are busier, wind speeds faster and the sun hotter!

If you’re are looking for a relaxed luxe holiday with plenty of sun-bathing decks (is there nay other kind) book a Catamaran – known for their spaciousness and stability. For something ta bit smaller and more sporty, a mono-hull might suit you more and HELM are happy to advise you of the best options.

The bedrooms (aka berths) on all boats are on the small side, so travel light and pack for a beach-style holiday. With pristine teak decking, barefoot or soft deck shoes are only allowed onboard. Crews are mainly local, speak good English, and will be based in the marina where you pick up the boat. Their local knowledge – sailing routes and weather – is invaluable.

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS

Freedom to go where you fancy! 

It’s kinda obvious but you aren’t fixed to a route or destination. The point of sailing is to enjoy the journey from Point A to Point B, stopping on the way to drop anchor where you fancy. Our holiday wish list – culture, water sports, relaxation – was discussed on pre-trip zoom with our HELM consultant, James and he makes the magic happen.

For our trip, James recommended a 3-crew chartered yacht from Athens Alimos Harbour to Poros Island via Aegina.  You soon learn that wind direction and speed are all important (too much or too little is a frequent conversation!) so keeping an open mind and bit of an agile plan (or Plangile as James called it!), is key to making the most of your holiday.

Having a Skipper means you don’t need any sailing experience. He maps everything out and is in charge at all times, so you can quickly switch off, take in the views and find the best sunbathing spots on board. With a choice of two sun decks and trampoline nets and the sea gliding past below there are plenty of options. 

Drop anchor and paddle

Having left port, it’s easy sailing for a couple of hours and you can’t help feeling excited when the Captain suggests we drop anchor for lunch at one of the pretty bays, such as Monastry Bay or Russian Bay on Poros Island. Only accessed by boat, both were gorgeous and secluded with eye twinkling clear water.  

At Russian Bay where there is an abandoned military fortress dating back centuries. It is so quiet you can only hear the gentle lapping of water on the hull making it a perfect place to while away a few hours. We popped out on SUP boards for a short paddle while our chef made us lunch, exploring some caves near the golden cliffs. When chef Kosta announced lunch was served we paddled back in double time. There’s only one SUP we wanted at that point and it featured chilled wine.

Catch the sunset at Poros town

The stuff of George Michael dreams, Poros is one of the closest Islands to Athen’s popular with the Athenians for second homes and weekends away. With a huge natural bay, old harbour and terracotta tiled white washed houses, Poros Town is nestled pretty as a picture at the foot of mountains caressed by cypress trees and bougainvillea.

The waterfront stretches about half a mile with tavernas aplenty, striking churches and cute shops, overlooked by its famous clock-tower keeping time on the hour for the town below.  Although a steepish climb up the steps, the view from the clock at sunset is breathtaking as you can see for miles across the mountain ranges towards the mainland – it’s quite something.

Spot Peacocks at Mino Island 

Another top spot to sail to is Mino Island, where you will find a natural pine forest, abundance of wildlife and a colony of peacocks that comes right down to the shoreline taking shade from the beating sun. Their distinctive sounding squarks cut through the heat of the day so we watched from the top sun deck through our binoculars hoping for a flash of their tail feathers. Once spotted we had a dip in the water, some venturing to the beach bar at the far end of the bay while others chose to swim with snorkels to catch a glimpse of the sea life below, before pulling up anchor after a few hours and venturing further around the island.

SCOFF & QUAFF

The unexpected surprise of the trip was the quality of the meals onboard and the abundant choice of modern Greek cuisine served on shared platters at a time of our choosing in the spacious outdoor dining area. Brunches were typically served while sitting anchored in a secluded bay or sailing en route to the next island with fresh fruit, pancakes, delicately flavoured omelettes, or tahini and banana on toast with nuts, pecans, majhool dates and honey.  

Lunches were a selection of light salads and sea bream, or slices of pecan toasted Greek cheeses layered with gorgeous spices and flavours and couscous. Suppers were more substantial with the likes beef bourguignon or meatballs and spaghetti all served with chilled Greek white wine (Temu Vineyard is recommended) and local cold Mazmos beers. Evenings extended long into the night with good banter, board games and even the Skipper playing his guitar under the stars. 

To add variety and experience, we dined on shore one evening when we docked overnight in Poros Town for something more meal at a traditional Greek taverna. Apagio Taverna situated on the waterfront opposite a line of lazily nodding fishing boats, is a family run restaurant with bright blue wooden tables and chairs serving a broad menu including Black Squid Ink risotto, Moussaka (Mama’s own recipe, of course) and the largest marinated prawns you could imagine. Lots of locals were dining here, which is always a good sign.

For a night cap Poros Town offers a great choice of bars, from a quiet drink to something a bit more clubby, such as the Malibu Bar. We plumped for Amapoles in a quiet backstreet that has its own outdoor tables and a good menu of whiskies and wines.

PILLOW TALK

OK, so for those who get anxious in small spaces you should probably look away now as staying on a boat might not be right for you – any sailing holiday (even in a large 52ft yacht) is a compact experience below deck. However, what it lacks in space, it makes up for in interior style. The cabins are all ensuite, with a high spec of walnut trim and chrome fittings.

The Oneida had five air-conditioned bedrooms, full double beds, feather light pillows and a cleverly appointed layout. I got quite a buzz discovering cupboards and stepping up into my bed Princess and the Pea stylee.

Every nook and cranny was stuffed with clever storage to create a serene sleeping space. Throw in the sea air, sound of the water against the boat and gentle rocking – you’ll never sleep better.

GETTING THERE

Booking the right boat and matching it to your family or group holiday needs is all part of HELM’s skill and expertise.  With a network of over 8,000 boats across multiple countries and marina’s, their knowledge can make all the difference to a successful first sailing experience, and for those with some sailing certificates to their name, it can make a holiday go from good to brilliant! They go out of their way to research the boats, meet the crews and can advise on how to get the balance right for your itinerary between how many hours a day to be sailing, the best places to swim, paddle or snorkel, and recommend where to experience culture, shopping or dining out on land. 

Skippered yachts start at £5,000 for the yacht and skipper, with and full Crewed yachts (10 guests) at £21,000, including the APA Kitty to cover fuel, food and drink. To bareboat you need a licence and so skippered or crewed are the entry points, and the crewed figures were inclusive of the APA.

For all the deets on Helm’s bespoke sailing go to www.helm.yt 

• Fly direct to Athens from the UK (3.15 hrs) with Ryanair from Gatwick and Luton, from £320. Transfer from the airport in as little as 35 mins.