Travel: Learning to sail in the Ionian Sea

Steering and anchor work are great jobs for a novice, but with someone else directing which line to let out or winch, you soon feel part of it all.

The routine of tacking the zig-zag course that lets you sail into the wind soon became satisfyingly familiar, as did the lean of the yacht as we cut through the water.

And working the sails can easily be directed by someone else while you provide the muscle, but knots are strictly a one-man show. Shown six during the week, I only nailed two, but they were the hugely useful clove hitch and oxo .

While some sailing manoeuvres were thrown in purely for teaching, we were always sailing to somewhere, with a bay designated for lunch and a swim and a destination port each night.

Lunches are prepared on board, with the crew taking it in turns to chef, but dinner and a shower is generally taken ashore.

Choose between the group supper, with the skippers booking a large table where you can dissect the days sailing and chat, or do your own thing.

The harbours are all slightly different in their feel and clientele. Plus each has its own boat-parking challenges. Some allow a gangplank on to the pontoon while others see the flotilla moored as a raft with a dinghy shuttling sailors to land both interesting on the return journey from the bar.

But the array of yachts in front of a village nestling against a cliff is picture-postcard stuff.

Sivota was a sheltered horseshoe, Fiskardo the Greek answer to St Tropez, with giant gin palace motor cruisers gliding into port.

Kioni was its opposite, a quiet village perfect for a romantic dinner, while a walk up to the bakery over Kalamos offered a fine view over the harbour. The secluded bays where we paused for lunch were possibly even more beautiful, particularly since most could only be reached by boat.

There is wildlife to be spotted too. Pods of dolphins charmed me, but it was seeing a shoal of tuna jumping as we sailed towards Kalamos that took my breath away.

That stretch to the east of Kalamos island was the most stunning for sailing, with the island of Kastos and the mainland rising above. Then as we reached the northern tip, the village of Mytikas was a picture of beauty and tranquillity.

But as we headed home there was still time for a last sailing hurrah. What do you call two boats going in the same direction? Cliff asked us.

A race, we said enthusiastically. And Cliff clearly meant business. Sailing may not happen at the speed of Formula 1, but when you are in a direct contest, trying to make use of all the elements and the finer points of your boat not to mention playing a little bit of chicken with a big passenger ferry it is certainly exhilarating.

We lost out, but it was a thrilling end to our week afloat.

SUNVIL Sailing runs learn-to-sail weeks in the Ionian Sea with prices from £783pp based on a shared cabin inc return flights, transfers, live-aboard accommodation and tuition . 020 8758 4780. Tourism: .

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