Family water sports centre in Turkey

This hotel is Turkish owned and located at the mouth of the Gulf of Izmir, 65 km north of Izmir . A maximum of 220 staff are employed of which approximately 130 are local. Full training is offered to UK and local staff alike. This includes health & hygiene, and customer service training together with the option for local beach staff to gain RYA recognised sailing qualifications and the opportunity for progression to management. Returning customers are delighted to be remembered by our local staff and constantly remind us that this is such an important part of their holiday experience.

The club is located close to Foca, one of the most beautiful fishing ports in the Aegean. Our flexible half board meal plan allows our customers to try Foca's excellent fish restaurants, serving delicious wild sea bass, calamari and other non-farmed fish . In order to further support the local community we recommend visits to the local market and craft shops and also organise excursions to places of interest. Our en site shops sell local crafts, carpets and merchandise. Evening entertainment is varied and often consists of local musicians and belly dancers.

We continue to maintain a close relationship with the local community of Foca and last year sponsored Foca's summer festival, offering accommodation to visiting participants.

The town is symbolised by the rare species of Mediterranean Monk seal, who make their home on Siren Rocks, a limestone outcrop lying just off the beach at the club.

These shy creatures are protected by the WWF and we also ensure that they remain undisturbed and protected as we sail nearby. Early in 2007 we helped to look after our very own monk seal, Badem. He had become ill and disorientated. Badem was rescued near the club staying in our pool for a month, prior to being transferred to the rehabilitation centre built especially for him near to the club. We and the Mediterranean Seal Research Group looked after Badem and we were all delighted when in April he was released from the shore safely back to the sea. (Contact us to see Badem's video.)

This area supplies much of the fish for Izmir and the surrounding area, and we are therefore able to take advantage of this, purchasing 90% of our food from local suppliers. Spare parts are also sourced locally where available. In addition to this our day yachts provide natural transport and the opportunity to explore the waters of the local area. The water is crystal clear and the kilometre long local beach holds the coveted Blue Flag award. We ensure therefore that we help to maintain it's cleanliness, in line with Blue Flag's environmental criteria. Foca is also popular with mountain bikers and walkers as it is only a short distance away.

Children taking part in our kid's clubs enjoy nature walks, learning about the local seaside and culture. The kids's weekly menu includs local dishes, such as pide and moussaka served by our Turkish staff. Our chefs also show the children how to make Pide and then they make their own! The children learn a Turkish word daily and are actively involved in making decorations for Turkish night and also take part in traditional dancing.

Our environmental policy includes the use of Eco Lab cleaning products for room and boat cleaning. Safety boat/outboard engines are 4 stroke, reducing emissions and fuel consumption. We use energy saving room keys and light bulbs. Our hotels operate Bio Packs, biological sewage systems in order to treat sewage and reuse the water on the gardens. We offer customer tips on environmental responsibility in our brochure, website, pre-holiday information and during briefings. This includes advice on litter and waste disposal, water conservation, energy saving, and care for local flora and fauna. We are also keen to learn from our customers and invite their feedback and recommendations on our post holiday questionnaires.

Our chosen charity is currently the Amazing Grace Foundation in Antigua. The foundation runs a small home for On the island for homeless and severely disabled children. Last year due to our generous guests over £7000 was raised for Amazing Grace which will be used towards the build of a new home for the children.

In addition to the above we support VISAR, Virgin Islands Search and Rescue (VISAR) a voluntary organisation dedicated to saving life at sea. It is the officially recognised search and rescue service in the British Virgin Islands and to date we have raised several thousands pounds for this worthwhile cause. Getting youngsters on the water is important to us and we have therefore sponsored RYA's new OnBoard programme to introduce sailing and windsurfing as a sport for young people. We maintain a close relationship with the local community of Foca and last year sponsored Foca's summer festival, offering accommodation to visiting participants.

Getting youngsters on the water is important to us and we have therefore sponsored RYA's OnBoard programme to introduce sailing and windsurfing as a sport for young people.