Leg 5 – Audierne to Port La Forêt – 25 June 2013

With the sun daring to make one of her rare but welcome appearances during the summer months, Play d’eau and ship’s company waved au revoir to the small, unspoiled town of Audierne.

Audierne may not have the finest of marinas but it’s ‘real’. Wi-Fi may only be available from a bar on the quay front provided you keep drinking Cidre Pression (quel dommage), but when you have fresh croissants and baguettes and fresh local vegetables and fish only 200m away in the small covered market, does it really matter?

The nav plan

The plan was to leave Audierne as the tide fell and enter Port La Forêt as the tide rose again without , timing both so we didn’t fall foul of the sand bars at the entrances to both ports. It worked.

Again, the sea was kind to us, keeping wonderfully flat and calm all the way with a wind never reaching more than a 4 knot NW’ly. Perfection for Play d’eau, not for yachts.

Port La Forêt

The first time we visited Port La Forêt was three years ago. We loved it then and we still love it.

As the piggy in the middle between Benodet and Concarneau, Port La Forêt tends to be bypassed by visitors. Such a shame since it’s a quiet yet vibrant marina with facilities way beyond the norm.

The France-Finistère training centre for the Figaro and 60′ single-hull races is based at Port La Forêt and some of the pontoons are especially wide for these single and multi-hull racing yachts.

Tecky details

0933hrs FST – Departed Audierne
1523hrs FST – Port La Forêt
Planned distance – 38.1nm
Longest leg – 13.0nm, Audierne to Men Hir on the Pointe de Penmarc’h peninsula

Tech problems – minor, annoying issues with the nav gear requiring investigation.

Piers and Lin
from the Pilot House of
Play d’eau
Fleming 55

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Macif, one of the 60′ racing mono-hulls based at Port la Forêt with its huge mast click to enlarge

Looks like half the boat’s been cut off click to enlarge

A giant’s cat’s cradle for kids to climb in the play area click to enlarge

The Saveol 60′ racing mono-hull, one of many based at Port La Forêt click to enlarge