By now, we’ve sailed to a fair few places. And no matter where we find ourselves, we almost always seem to be sharing an anchorage with a French sailor.
Based on that, we knew that sailing was popular in France. But until we arrived on the south Brittany coast, we didn’t really understand the scale.
Every day there are a dizzying array of sail-powered craft on the water, and as soon as the afternoon sea breeze kicks in, out they come. Tiny kids sailing Optis, monohull dinghies, the iconic Hobie 16, and trimarans all share the water with a flotilla of foiling boards driven by kites, by sails on masts, and by handheld wing sails.
An example of how committed France is to sailing is the waterfront in the town of Lorient. During WWII, the city became the primary Nazi submarine base for the Atlantic and the Germans built huge pens to hold and service the U-boats
When it came time to revitalize the waterfront , the city leaders chose a proposal centered around a base for competitive sailing. Today, La Base is home to the world’s largest fleet of ORMA 60 trimarans, IMOCA 60 monohulls, and a variety of smaller raceboats. It’s the world’s undisputed center of excellence for offshore sail racing, with a host of sailmakers, riggers, spar builders, and boatyards all sharing space with an offshore sailing museum.
Its hard to imagine a place like La Base even starting, much less thriving, anywhere but here. Vive La France!
