ON THE WATER SOUTH BRITTANY Left: Patrick, Andrew and the The harbour entrance was an excellent pizza at the top of the at HW±1hr, between 0600 and author scour the horizon for a obvious from a distance, despite main street. 2200. As we arrived and motored suitable lunch stop. Far right: a hundred or so dinghies doing The marina is extremely gently into the inner harbour, the Sunset from Ile de Houat. their level best to obscure it. The sheltered, so we had a sound lock gates opened and without Inset: A friendly welcome at constant stream of cruising yachts night’s sleep with no noise from even thinking we motored straight Crouesty, one of the biggest pouring out gave it away. nearby bars or discos to disturb through. No sooner had we had marinas in Brittany. Below: We picked our way in and us. Breakfast was minimalist, as a brief recce and turned around, Port Haliguen entrance on the glided alongside the relatively is typical in France, and we were the lock gates were firmly closed tip of the Quiberon peninsular. empty visitors’ pontoon. The last soon on our way to visit Belle Ile, – for the night. So this was to be time I was here we were rafted some 10 miles south as the crow our night stop whether we liked it three deep, but flies. As the yachts sails, however, or not. We berthed Knockando in then that was it was more like 20 miles, because the only remaining quayside spot mid-August. you have to negotiate your way and took a short walk into town, BRITTANY Now, at the end through the tricky Passage de despite the grey drizzle that had of September, Teignouse, not unlike the Needles worked its way down my collar. there were few Channel in the western Solent. The town is very much a small, Lorient visitors, although working fishing port, but one that the marina UNDER SAIL clearly becomes a popular tourist buzzed with We had a good stiff breeze, destination in the summer. It has Golfe de local activity. We so sailing was the order of the just about everything a visiting Morbihan checked into the day, although this Ile de Groix La Trinite marina office meant beating across Port du Crouesty (one night’s a relatively narrow mooring was a channel, surrounded by Port Haliguen very reasonable rather ominous looking €20 including black, jagged rocks. Ile de Houat electricity) and It was fun, though, and headed for the Knockando behaved Le Palais Bar du Midi, impeccably in the Belle Ile beside the conditions. We were Ile de Hoedic old harbour. originally heading Fortunately there had been little BoysPhotos: Charter BrittanyRick Buettner BrittanyIn Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Duncan Kent and friends leave their wives behind for a week aboard an alloy-hulled, lifting-keel Ovni 385 – and discover an easy way of exploring the Golfe de Morbihan. ur charter was PLUS ÇA CHANGE last time I sailed in these waters, customers brought their own to start from La Trinité is a wonderful little with just my wife, who, though bedding and that normally, the delightful town that has changed little in an accomplished yachtswoman, is outside the months of July and riverside port of La the last century or so. Oyster a little petite for manhandling our August, there was a charge for Trinité-sur-mer, in farming still thrives along the hefty Nich 35 in tight quarters. bedding. We persuaded them that OSouth Brittany, not far from the shallow edges of the river, leaving We arrived late in the evening if they wanted to encourage more notorious Golfe du Morbihan. a narrow, winding channel for and, despite arranging for the keys customers from the UK, inclusive We chose to drive, because the boat users to negotiate their to be left in the anchor locker, bedding would be a must. ourselves with the vagaries of wind on the 1½ hour crossing for the island’s second port, yachtsman might need, including four of us wanted to visit La passage into the busy riverside found the boat open for us. Furthermore, that Brits prefer our lifting keel Ovni 385 before from La Trinité, so we didn’t feel Sauzon, but with a strong westerly a chandler and car and bike hire, Rochelle’s outdoor boat show, Le marina. Strong tides also add Unfortunately, we also discovered pillows to be a tad larger than a setting off across Quiberon Bay too guilty about wasting two blowing, together with an east- along with a good choice of Grand Pavois, to compare it with to the fun of trying to squeeze that there was only enough ladies handkerchief. for the smart marina of Port hours of sailing time sitting in the going tide, we settled for the restaurants – particularly if you’re Southampton’s equivalent that 50ft yachts between pontoons bedding for three of us, despite Still, they were very friendly Haliguen, on the southeastern bar and watching the rugby. island’s capital, Le Palais. We were a seafood fan. had taken place the week before. that were obviously designed for informing the charter operator, and helpful and we soon had tip of the Quiberon peninsular There are several bars and a little unsure of what we’d find in Impressed by the well organised, considerably smaller craft, but it Spi Bretagne, well in advance that the boat briefing sorted. More – the large ‘leg’ of land that offers restaurants around the marina, the harbour, though. According to NOISY NIGHTS bustling show (the French offer all gives the locals, who regularly we were four and one would be importantly, the base staff told excellent protection to the bay many of which provide good the pilot book you could take up Unfortunately, the ‘in place’ for a fascinating range of sailing promenade along the town quay sleeping in the saloon. Short straw us that, should we be interested and creates a ‘Solent-like’ sailing sustenance, but wherever you a mooring in the outer harbour, early hours drinking turned out boats that you never even catch around the time most charter drawing Rick, Sailing Today’s in watching England play Samoa area much frequented by local choose to go it’s a reasonably long but it’s also the island’s only to be the bar right beside our a glimpse of in the UK), we set yachts arrive, something to giggle photographer, bravely volunteered in the rugby world cup that sailing boats of all sizes. hike from the visitors’ pontoon. ferry port and the ferry dock was mooring, Les Matelots, so our off for the charter base in the and gasp about. to sleep under the spinnaker with afternoon, where the nearest bar Haliguen marina is very large, Provisions can be bought in right beside these buoys. Further sleep was disturbed by regular early evening. The easy drive back This was to be a rare ‘boys his fleece as a pillow. with TV was likely to be. with two distinctly separate the town, a mile or so from the inside the town’s harbour it dries screams and shouts from inside up to La Trinité took only a few only’ trip for me and my crew, The following morning we After a visit to the supermarket basins and numerous visitors’ pontoon, but there are no large at LW±1hr, but it wasn’t clear and outside the bar. Thankfully hours and was punctuated with a Andrew, Patrick and Rick. We are walked along to the office to 200m away and a quick stop at berths alongside a long pontoon supermarkets within walking where or even if one could moor it was all over by 0200 when first class meal at the motorway all accomplished yachtsmen, so I complete the paperwork, where the fish market for a few dozen immediately to starboard after distance. After the game, we in the wet basin, inside the lock, the last of the revellers relieved service station. felt a little more relaxed than the we were informed that most local oysters, we familiarised negotiating the narrow entrance. wandered up the hill and took in which incidentally opens only himself into the harbour and >> 92 Sailing Today April 08 April 08 Sailing Today 93 ON THE WATER SOUTH BRITTANY GETTING THERE is not quite so convenient for THE AREA get pretty hectic and you’ll discovering the Morbihan, but be pushed to find a spot to It takes around 2½ hours to Southern Brittany is a truly better for Les Iles Glénans. anchor if you leave it too late drive down to La Trinité from beautiful part of France and has in the day. Remember, also, St Malo and 3½ hours from an abundance of fascinating that the French are fairly rigid Cherbourg or Caen. If you COST AND BOOKING islands, bays, inlets and rivers about their eating times, so prefer you can fly to Rennes or to explore. Anchorages are The UK agent for Spi Bretagne don’t leave it later than 2000 Nantes in the summer months, plentiful, especially around the is Nautilus Yachting, which to find a restaurant table and but neither is near enough island shores, but care has offers charters worldwide lunch is invariably 1200-1400. for an easy public transport to be taken around the rocky through a selection of Temperatures 12-22°C at night connection. There is a train to approaches and you will need operators. and 18-38°C during the day. Vannes, but you’ll still need a Spi offers bareboat or to be aware of the cab for the last 20 miles or so, skippered charters from several tidal state at all so driving is often the more bases in Brittany and southern times.