Skylarkingilios Reviews 13

I joined Ilios for the Antigua sailing week regatta, and had a great time. Sanne and Marijn are really nice people, and expert sailors. I'm new to this kind of sailing, and they taught me the basics and let me be part of the team. Also as teachers they are very instructive and patient. Thank you!

Just GREAT.
Thx a lot to Sanne and Marjin.

An amazing experience onboard an amazing yacht with her amazing owners. This is not an exaggeration. Ilios is a beautiful and very comfortable Swan 65 classic yacht. At full sails, sometimes up to five sails at a time, the power of the yacht comes alive and represents what real sailing is. It's impressive to see onboard. Equally, when just cruising, the yacht is happy to head where you point her in a calm and comfortable manner. And in the hands of Sanne and Marijn, the whole experience is so worth it. Sanne and Marijn are extremely welcoming and friendly. They are happy to tells their stories and equally listen to yours. The atmosphere onboard is fantastic. They make the crew feel appreciated and important whether you are a seasoned sailor or someone completely new to sailing wanting to learn the ropes. They are happy to teach and let you get hands-on as much as you wish. And most importantly, they make you feel very safe too. The food on board was delicious and the accommodations quite comfortable. I was onboard for the Antigua Sailing Week 2026 and I can honestly say that there wasn't another yacht in the fleet that I would have preferred to be on. Sometime the art of sailing gets lost in modern high tech yachts. On Ilios, the true art of sailing lives on. Like conductors, Sanne and Marijn orchestrate the individual sails to work in harmony to produce an epic sailing symphony worthy of Mozart. I would highly recommend racing or cruising on Ilios to everyone!

An amazing experience! Sailing in the Antigua Classic aboard Ilios. Marijn and Sanne are very knowledgeable sailors.
A crew of unknowns put together in a few days and came together as a team to win the Antigua Classic in its class.
I had a wonderful time and very grateful to have met such amazing people who I now consider my friends.
Safe journeys my friends!

Thank you Sanne, Marijn, and ILIOS for one of the coolest sailing memories I have! What an experience to have raced on the winning boat (“Best in Class: Modern Classics A”). Racing for the full four days of the 2026 Antigua Classics regatta was an amazing experience. This Swan 65 is a powerful sailing vessel, matched with highly experienced crew of Sanne & Marijn. Highly recommend!

Wow – what a great four weeks sailing around the Lesser Antilles with Sanne and Marijn on SV Ilios! We've spent the first week training and then participating in the Heineken Regatta in Sint Marteen. Excellent sailing, lots of fun with a super crew of 12. The next three weeks we island-hopped with a reduced crew southwards, visiting beautiful St. Eustatius, St. Kitts, Antigua, Guadeloupe etc. Exploring these islands was amazing – super people, super vegetation. super diving and snorkeling. I can't more highly recommend spending time on SV Ilion. She is a magnificently beautiful and comfortable boat. But best of all are skippers Sanne and Marjin. They are a wonderful couple, excellent company and obviously amazing sailors. Sanne's (vegan) cooking is outstanding. I've returned back home not only with great memories but also rejuvenated. Best experience ever. Thanks so much Sanne and Marjin! I will certainly come back (if you have me). Much love Zoë (von Streng)

Super empathetic and available crew: The captain and his wife are well experienced sailors and really attentive and thougtful till their passengers

We are an Italian family of five with three children aged 10, 8, and 4. We had an unforgettable, dream-like experience in every way.
Sanne and Marrejn were wonderful and welcomed us in the best possible way, listening carefully to our needs. They involved the children in many activities. The food was delicious, plentiful, and always varied. The cabins are spacious, each with its own bathroom.
They also took us to visit Guadalupe. We will definitely contact them again for future trips.

Just finished a week of sailing aboard ILIOS, a classic Swan ketch yacht. This style of yacht is what I’ve always wanted to experience, and the 46th annual Heineken Regatta in Sint Maarten was my opportunity! What a week of fun and excitement! This vessel tames the seas, which is what I’ve heard, but I wanted to experience it personally. It’s true! Ilios is a powerful, and graceful, sailing machine. The crew, Marijn and Sanne are wonderful hosts—so kind—and amazing skippers with global experience that shows—we always felt safe and informed. Highly recommend this adventure!

I sailed with the Illios Crew during the Heineken Regatta and had a great time! Sanne and Marijn really know their boat really well. Which provides for a save, relaxing and interessting sailing trip. The Yacht is big, which means there's always room for a little me time during the trip.

An amazing sailing experience!
We spent two nights and a day sailing with Marijn, Sanne and Heros in St-Martin, and everything was great. We got to enjoy the island and the sea from a different perspective. The boat is very cosy and surprisingly spacious and the food was DELICIOUS.
Even for a first experience sailing, the hosts will make you feel at home, and Heros, the dog captain on board, is a great exemple on how to use your sea legs 🐶
Enjoy being rocked to sleep by the carribean waves!