I was born in South Africa in 1972, and raised in Johannesburg.
I have studied light current engineering, and was an active disc jockey for 11 years.

Having moved to Thessaloniki , Greece in '96 to see what opportunities lay ahead of me in my Motherland, I started working at a TV station as cameraman. One day, we had the owner of a sailing school in the studio to speak about sailing. I thought this was very interesting, so I signed up for sailing school.
I will never forget the first time we opened the sails, turned off the engine and let the wind carry us off across the waters of the Aegean. I am unable to express it in words.

The school owner observed how enthusiastic I was, and what a quick learner I was, and offered me a complementary 2nd stage sailing course. What a bonus! Half way through the course, he offered me a job at the school.

Well, it didn't need much thought, I was working part time at the TV station, and full time at the sailing school. My job included the service and maintenance of 10 sailing vessels, under close training and supervision of Alex, who had been doing this job for years, and doing it well.
When I wasn't servicing the yachts, I was accompanying Alex, (instructor), and the students on their practical sailing course cruises.

A year and a half later, I was instructing and servicing boats during winter, and for 7 months in the summer, I was skipper on people's sailing holidays, enchanting them with the wonders of sailing, and the beauties of the spectacular Greek islands.

After working at 2 different sailing schools, I decided to go to Athens for a season and free-lance at some big chartering companies. And so I did.

Sailing and people, are my passions. I find fulfillment in being responsible for people's dream sailing holidays.

If you are thinking of coming to sail the Greek isles, stop thinking and let's go sailing! onis Vlachopoulos

ANDONI VLACHOPOULOS

                                                 C U R R I C U L UM   V I T A E

Name : ANDONIS VLACHOPOULOS                          

Father's name : NICK VLACHOPOULOS

Mother's name :GRACE VLACHOPOULOS

Date of birth  : 22 NOVEMBER 1972

Place of Birth : JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA

Marital Status : SINGLE

ACADEMIC 1978 – 1990 : South African Government public schooling , obtaining high school  certificate.

1979 – 1986 : Part-time Greek School, completing Greek High School.
 

1991:  English O-Level correspondence with University of London.

1992 – 1994 : N3 & N4 Technical College Light Current Electronics.


1994 :Completion of Commercial Radio Broadcasting and Sound and light Engineering.
 

1996 : Offshore Sailing academy Macedonia Thrace, obtaining Day Skipper  Certificate.

1998 – 1999 : PADI Dive Master Certificate at Nireas Diving School.

2001 : Proficiency of English Cambridge, at the British Counsel in Thessaloniki.

 LANGUAGES : English, Greek, Dutch. Some French and Zulu. Busy learning Spanish.

EXPERIENCE :Operated and managed personal Mobile Entertainment Business, "Tempomental Entertainment", providing music for functions e.g. Weddings, birthday parties, annual commercial functions and conferences all across South Africa.

Extensive experience working in night clubs as Disc Jockey and Public Relation Officer, organising various promotions and parties accommodating thousands of people.

Travelled around South Africa and Mozambique, Namibia and Burundi, with "Prosound", setting up sound and lighting for various live concerts.

Backpacked around Europe for a year in 1991.

At Cosmo TV, employed as cameraman in Thessaloniki, Greece. Travelled to Albania to cover the coup de tah.

Employed at Sailing school as skipper, instructor and maintenance of of Sailing vessels and motor cruisers. Sailing the Aegean and Mediterranean as Day Skipper and Delivery Skipper on sailing vessels ranging from 30-65 feet. Deliveries from Athens to Mallorca, Malta and South France.

Summer 1999, employed as Dive Master at Nireas Diving Centre in Porto Carras, Halkidiki, Greece, supervising dives on a daily basis.

October 1999, cameraman for Alpha TV in Thessaloniki.

Charter and delivery skipper with Athens based charter companies.

January to April Working at Marina Aretsou in Thessaloniki, Service and maintenance on sailing vessels and motor cruisers. May to end of October full time skipper and broker for sailing holidays in and around the Greek islands.

EMPLOYMENT

1986-1990 :  Tempomental Entertainment

Nov..1991 – October.1995 : Disc Jockey in clubs and At Prosound as sound engineer.

August.1996 – June 1997 :  Cosmo TV as cameraman.

June 1997 – June 1998: Offshore Sailing Academy Macedonia-Thrace. Employed as sailing Instructor, Skipper and maintenance & service on yachts.

July 1997 – present :  Sailing Club of Thessaloniki , Greece, as sailing instructor and  Skipper,(charters and deliveries).

May 1999 – September. 1999 : Dive Master at Nireas Diving Centre, Porto Carras, Halkidiki, Greece. Underwater exercise, connecting Floating 200 metre wave-breaker in Marmaras.

September 1999 – May 2000  :Alpha TV as cameraman in Thessaloniki.Active in service and maintenance of yachts in Aretsou marina.

May 2000- Present  :Freelance skipper in Greece for various companies including Nava, Vernicos, Gm, Egiali, Alemar, Anemos,  Pelagos, Sun, and Aeolus.

Delivery skipper form France, Croatia and Malta to Greece.

Total miles at sea in 6 years- 18 500NM.

ARMY : January 1996 – July 1996 : Served in the Greek Army, obtaining full discharge of his national commitment.

PERSONAL: Active in sport , being in the school teams of swimming, tennis, soccer, athletics, rugby, hockey and volleyball. Also active in JKA Karate for 9 years. An adrenaline addict, loves Bungi - jumping , Snowboarding and Mountain-Biking.

A "people person", lifts the spirits of people with his charm and humour

Fyly Yachting & Partners LTD
73, Poseidonos Ave.
175 62 P. Phaliro Athens - Greece
Tel:+ 30 210 9858670 - Fax: 30 210 9850014