news from watersweets ocean festival

Preparations are proceeding smoothly for the second ‘Watersweets Ocean Festival’ to be held in Vassiliki bay on the island of Lefkas from 26th June to 3rd July 2008.

The internationally organised event includes windsurfing, sailing and yachting competitions as well as cultural events including Greek dancing, art exhibitions, Beauty & Friendship pageant, live UK bands and much more.

Vassiliki bay with its perfect wind conditions is an increasingly popular venue for such events; last week the European Professional Windsurfing Association completed a freestyle windsurf event as part of their European tour; in 2001 Vassiliki hosted the European Hobie catamaran Championships attracting 120 teams from all over the world, and the Watersweets Festival is not only an Open Event, but also the Slalom and Freestyle windsurfing competitions are the Czech Republic’s National Championships in those disciplines.

On the sailing front the sailing competition is attracting a strong field of entries from across Europe and including one team from Nigeria; the organisers are also delighted to announce that the Greek Olympic team of Jordanis Paschalides and Kostas Trigonis, current European Champions in the Tornado catamaran class and medal hopefuls for the 2008 Games in China will also be competing.

In its inaugural year the Festival attracted thousands of visitors to Lefkas and Vassiliki bay; many visitors also took advantage of the breathtaking beaches and scenery of the southern part of the island, including famous Porto Katsiki and Egremni beaches, used as backdrops for Greece’s National Tourism Authority for television and other media advertisments.

This year the Festival is attracting even more interest, unsurprising given that the watersports programme is framed by demonstrations of BMX bike teams, mini bike and rally car exhibitions, live music and party nights including a Miss Bikini competition on the beach, DJ’s from Athens club ‘El Xandro’, art exhibition from Athenian sea life painter Ariadne Pouliou as well as the appearance of musical and dancing groups from Greece, the UK and the Czech Republic (also the Greek-Czech sisters Martha & Tina Eleytheriadou).

George Logothetis, Mayor of the south Lefkas Municipality of Appollonion, states that the Festival is intended to become a regular event, one in which the very best of Lefkadian hospitality and friendship is offered to visitors from all over the World whether they be competing in the events or simply enjoying the dazzling spectacle and the beautiful environment that we are ourselves so fortunate to live in.