June 2018 | w w w.boatinternational.com
I’
m dragging myself along the sand on all fours attempting
the “Spider-Man crawl ” and I’m convinced I’ve never
looked less like a superhero in my life. My thighs are
burning, I’m sweating profusely and a lady called Donna
(a female version of Usain Bolt) is shouting at me to go
faster. Granted, we are on a pristine strip of beach overlooking the
sparkling Caribbean Sea, but it’s safe to say this is not my idea of
a conventional holiday.
This is my first experience of a “fitness retreat” but I’m following
in some prestigious footsteps at St Lucia’s BodyHoliday – including
Hollywood actors, Olympians, Victoria’s Secret models and judges
from Strictly Come Dancing. The Barnard family were definitely pre-
curve when they opened the concept 30 years ago, when fly-and-flop
holidays were the norm. “Things have changed dramatically since
then,” says Andrew Barnard, deputy managing director. “Now most
p e o p l e t h a t c o m e h e r e a l r e a d y h a v e p e r s o n a l t r a i n e r s a n d g e t nu t r it i o n a l
advice at home. We are just here to reinforce values.”
The programme is constantly evolving to meet demand and last
year the BodyHoliday launched a sailing club to encourage more guests
to get active on the water. The resort expanded its fleet to four Hobie
13s, one Hobie 16, a J24 and two new X-Treme 26 racing yachts. It also
recruited the help of British Olympic gold medallist Saskia Clark and
double world champion Nick Thompson to ofer their expertise during
their annual Spring Sail month.
Unsurprisingly for a three-time Olympian, Clark is a self-confessed
sailing geek and relishes the opportunity to take sailors of all abilities
out on the water in her relaxed morning classes. “It’s a really nice
introduction for first-time sailors, or people that might have sailed
dinghies years ago, to be reintroduced to it,” she says. Starting from the
basics, Clark uses a whiteboard on shore to explain the basics of wind
power. Afterwards, pupils are let loose in the Hobie Cats to learn the
basics of tacking and gybing. “The Hobies are a perfect ‘ learn to sail ’
beach boat. But to progress further in them can be quite tricky – you
need to learn more,” she adds. I can see her point, while the basics from
teenage summer holidays come back relatively quickly, light winds can
make tacking tricky and a bit of sculling is often required.
For those who have got to grips with Hobie Cats and are looking
for a little bit more speed, Clark also takes guests out on board one of
two X-Treme 26s. A highly patient teacher, she talks us through the
diferent roles on board and lets us all take the helm and, perhaps more
challengingly, switching tacks. It’s at this point that I get a taste of the
fitness demands of dinghy racing. The combination of strength and
balance – to stay on your feet when the yacht is heeling – is not easy
to master, and a helping hand from sports instructor JD is required
to keep me on board. “People are surprised at how physically tiring it
can be,” says Clark. “It’s all about your back and core strength. You are
spending a lot of time bobbing up and down on an unsteady surface and
making those adjustments in your trunk.”
Despite retiring after the Rio Olympics, fitness is still part of Clark ’s
routine, especially as she has now turned her attention to the yachting
regatta circuit as a tactician and was heading to Les Voiles de Saint
Barth after her stint in St Lucia. “I have absolutely loved it but it has
been challenging,” Clark says. “In a two-person dinghy you get to a
point where you barely have to talk to each other as you are completely
on the same wavelength. In a team of eight or nine people suddenly I
have to explain and prepare things a lot more. I would love to move up
to the superyacht scene eventually.”
To keep in shape for any type of sailing, Clark recommends starting
with a basic circuits class. “Once you have got yourself to a levelMOOR
Rodney Bay Marina, which is just around the
headland from the BodyHoliday resort, can
accommodate yachts up to 61 metres and is
the ideal pick-up or drop-of point.