You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed There is a narrow street leading up from Port du Rosmeur to the town centre of Douarnenez Rue Obscure is paved with cobbles and lined with old stone cottages and is accurately named Most sailors know Douarnenez for being a safe stopover in the wide bay on route between the Raz du Sein and the Chenal du Four those two notorious tidal gates that mark the northern entrance to the west coast of Brittany I first visited Brittany on a little bilge-keeled Snapdragon more than 35 years ago on the brilliant Somerset schools sailing programme The crew consisted of the long-suffering skipper After a largely wet and chilly first week; we had left Roscoff only to shelter from a gale in Île de Batz for two days before haring off south down to the Morbihan We were on the way back home to Falmouth when we took the sand in Port du Rosmeur after shooting the tide through the Raz I think it was the first time the sun showed itself as three youngsters were let loose to explore this great little town As we walked up Rue Obscure I thought: wouldn’t that be a great address Roll forward 20-odd years: Rod and I had decided to buy a little bolt-hole and Douarnenez fitted the bill as somewhere that was open all-year-around unlike so many seaside towns which can become ghostly quiet in the winter We were welcomed by the locals – on the first morning after moving in I walked up Rue Obscure into town for croissants and in both the local Spar and the boulangerie it was clear that everyone already knew we had bought Mme Rochedreux’s house We immersed ourselves in this traditional sardine fishing town with a daily market and seafood that was literally still flapping or crawling when you bought it the locked port on the west side of the town where traditional boatbuilding is celebrated both in the workshops and in the pages of the famous magazine Le Chasse Marée the Oppies were towed out into the bay for the next generation of sailors to learn our sport I wonder how many future Mini Transat or Vendée Globe heroes we saw out there Summer would bring the Dragon class for their annual regatta often accompanied by the Danish royal yacht and the charmingly low-key late Prince Henrik who would drive up the breakwater in a Renault Megane and give the fishermen on the quay a cheery wave before hopping on board a festival of traditional craft that sees the town full to bursting the whiff of Stockholm tar in the air and sizzling sardines cooking over charcoal Sea shanties are sung and cider is swigged We watch as a flotilla of tan sails appeared from across the bay luggers and square-riggers now enjoying their retirement gather from across the continent By midweek you could literally walk from one side of the harbour to the other without getting wet The bad news is it only happens every other year A subscription to Yachting Monthly magazine costs around 40% less than the cover price Print and digital editions are available through Magazines Direct – where you can also find the latest deals YM is packed with information to help you get the most from your time on the water Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The June 2025 issue of Yachting Monthly is out now On a Sunday morning in the French coastal town of Douarnenez a queue snakes out the door of a boulangerie This is a common enough sight across the country where picking up freshly made bread is a daily ritual but here the people aren't just buying a baguette Most are also waiting to purchase one of the kouign-amann dubbed 'the fattiest pastry in Europe' their laminated pastry glinting as they're picked up and slipped into a greaseproof paper bag caramelised crust yields to expose the flaky pastry of the interior kouign-amann literally means 'butter cake' because of the six ingredients in the traditional recipe [jump to recipe] Kouign-amann are an institution in Douarnenez a traditional fishing town situated in the west of France's Brittany region having been invented there some 160 years ago The pastry was born out of necessity when the baker needed to replenish his stock in a hurry after selling out of cakes he combined the ingredients with the folding technique used for puff pastry The cake quickly became popular across Brittany and was soon known throughout France it was often attributed to larger cities in Brittany like Vannes as it eventually began to be produced on an industrial scale and by bakers who approximated or altered the recipe bakers from Douarnenez making it in the traditional way felt that it had begun to stray from the quality of the original For this reason, in November 1999, 17 pastry chefs and bakers came together with a shared passion for their town's speciality to form the Association of the Kouign-Amann of Douarnenez with the aim of promoting the cake and preserving its quality and the techniques used to make it Pascal Jaïn, boulanger, pâtissier and chocolatier, is a member of the association and produces kouign-amann at his bakery, Boulangerie Jaïn the cake is defined by the skill of those baking it "What makes the kouign-amann so special is its making butter and sugar – but it all relies on the technique," said Jaïn "All the members of the association use the same ingredients we have three people making kouign-amann and we can tell who made each one as they come out of the oven." the cakes feature no additional flavouring and are made to serve multiple slices individual cakes called kouignettes have become increasingly popular Jaïn embraces these changes but is keen to ensure that the original version doesn't disappear "You can find kouign-amann in all corners of Brittany "We are not saying that ours is better but that it's made with the original technique [with each cake made individually by hand using traditional bread dough and without any added flavourings or garnishes] We want the way it is made in Douarnenez to survive." Kouign-amann have become much more than just a regional speciality the cake has been making waves in bakeries across the US and has also found popularity in Japan and Singapore Belinda Leong, renowned pastry chef and owner of bpatisserie in San Francisco discovered the kouign-amann while interning at a bakery in New York and how I had never seen a pastry like this before I wanted to immediately find out how to make it and learn about it," she said Leong took the idea of the cake with her after her internship and spent years making kouign-amann for VIPs at the Restaurant Gary Danko in San Francisco where it's now an established speciality produced in classic Despite being less familiar than other French patisseries Leong explained it's a hit with the locals Many people ask about it and how to pronounce it there are 50 ways to say kouign-amann [and] I've heard many of them." Thrina Low, owner of Brera Bakery in Singapore wasn't sure if the idea to start making kouign-amann came from her team or if it was requested by French expatriates but it's since stuck as a staple of the bakery due to its popularity with her customers they get hooked and keep coming back for more It's been a sell-out item every day." Low has also experimented with different flavours including cinnamon and fresh pineapple with cream and she is currently working on a cardamon version Both bpatisserie and Brera Bakery reported that their traditional unflavoured varieties of the kouign-amann are their bestselling versions the tastes of the people have confirmed the principles of the bakers of Douarnenez and it's the skill of the baking that makes the kouign-amann stand out Authentic Kouign-Amann of Douarnenez recipe 150g flour plus more to dust your work surface 175g semi-salted butter at room temperature In a standing electric mixer fitted with the dough hook yeast and salt and knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic Cover the bowl with a clean cloth and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes Flour your kitchen counter and roll the dough into a circle with a rolling pin until it's roughly 1cm (¼in) thick Use your fingers to gently incorporate the sugar with the butter without tearing the dough Fold all four sides to the centre to trap the butter and the sugar inside the dough Roll the dough into a rectangle and give it three 90-degree "turns" following the technique for puff pastry fold the dough in thirds like a trifold wallet folding an outer third to cover the central third and then folding the remaining dough over the top Turn it 90 degrees and roll it out to a rectangle Make sure your countertop and your rolling pin are dusted with flour and give the "turns" to the dough softly so that the sugar and the butter do not come out (The difference with kouign-amann versus puff pastry is that the 3 turns with kouign-amann are executed one after the other without chilling the dough.) transfer the dough to a sheet of baking paper (parchment) put the dough in a round baking dish (about 20-22cm/8in diameter) and press the dough into the shape of the dish using your fingers Preheat the oven to 180C/350F (gas mark 6) Bake for approximately 35 minutes until the top is golden brown and caramelised Do not take the kouign-amann out of the dish straight away; leave for 15 to 20 minutes BBC.com's World's Table "smashes the kitchen ceiling" by changing the way the world thinks about food Join more than three million BBC Travel fans by liking us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter and Instagram If you liked this story, sign up for The Essential List newsletter – a handpicked selection of features, videos and can't-miss news delivered to your inbox every Friday. 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Print My father used to eat sardines I saw perfectly civilized people eating whitebait and consuming enticing plates of tiny fried fish prepared in excellent Italian kitchens around Rome I thought sardines lowly and avoided them until one sunny spring day in Douarnenez Even without the sardine epiphany I will remember the breezy colorful town because of its enchanting name It’s on a steep little peninsula on the Atlantic coast of France and it looks over the Douarnenez Bay and the islet of Tristan a setting for the medieval romance “Tristan and Iseult,” according to Breton legend the town’s first sardine canning factory opened in 1868 an enterprise that employed mostly women who were paid a pittance resulting in strikes and strong local support for the French Communist Party I spent the night before my visit to Douarnenez at the Hôtel de la Plage just north of town an old-fashioned French country inn on its own slice of beach and dunes right out of Brittany seascapes by Eugène Boudin The next morning I wandered into Douarnenez dedicated to boats — my favorite was Notre Dame de Rocamadour a barnacled lobster vessel built in 1959 — and bought some beautifully decorated sardine tins Its menu seemed to offer every variety of French seafood I’d ever encountered The lunch special was a dish of grilled sardines that — almost inevitably — I had to order Their taste was intensely fishy but delectable I wished my father had been with me to taste those Douarnenez sardines Hotel de la Plage, 29550 Sainte Anne de la Palud, 011-33-2-98-92-50-12, https://www.plage.com Chez Fanch, 49 Rue Anatole France, 011-33-2-98-92-31-77, https://www.chez-fanch.com. Fixed-price menus from about $16. Travel & Experiences California Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map go to Douarnenez on the Finistère coast of Brittany but this attractive town is a splendid place to visit and notably so this year when the fishing port embraces the centenary of one of the most significant events in European women’s labour history It’s a rather rewarding excuse for a trip."},"children":[]}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":"Initiated the great sardine workers’ strike of 1924 shook and excited the whole of France."},"children":[]},{"name":"bold","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":" “"},"children":[]}]},{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":"The strike became a national cause,” said the historian Fanny Bugnon of Rennes University."},"children":[]},{"name":"paywall","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":" A song celebrating it is still regularly sung during protests most recently the "},"children":[]}]},{"name":"paywall","children":[{"name":"italic","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"gilets jaunes "}}]},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"(yellow vests) unrest."}}]}]},{"name":"paywall","children":[{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"At first sight Douarnenez looks an unlikely spot for epoch-defining labour unrest Roll in over the soft green countryside from Quimper (No 51 bus; £2) and you’re enfolded in the mild grey white and granite of the built-up bits of the Breton coast The Bay of Douarnenez out front provides breathing space and an invitation for holiday fun."}}]},{"name":"image","attributes":{"id":"ba98c0fa-38a2-4ce8-a4fc-a2487497b6e9","display":"primary","caption":"Arrival of the sardine fleet in the bay of Douarnenez 1871","title":"","credits":"Alamy","url":"https://www.thetimes.com/imageserver/image/%2Fmethode%2Ftimes%2Fprod%2Fweb%2Fbin%2Fded8483d-e48a-427f-9f32-04e2b8cd805b.jpg?crop=5000%2C3561%2C0%2C0","ratio":"5000:3561","relativeHorizontalOffset":0,"relativeVerticalOffset":0,"relativeWidth":1,"relativeHeight":1},"children":[]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"There are great beaches here for when the weather fairs up good seaside hiking for when it doesn’t; it’s an excellent base for exploring the wider area."}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"The fishing port looks as though someone has placed warehouses and cranes winches and boats in a logical manner around the harbour Streets running down to the portare barely as wide as a barrel is long Some 22 former sardine canneries were jammed in there too; a few are now adapted for housing Graffiti and posters — “Solidarity kills fascism”; “Support all immigrants” — denote a persistent seam of activism in town."}}]},{"name":"ad","children":[]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"As should be expected Douarnenez had the first Communist Party mayors in France The sardine workers’ strike would have been very different without them the struggle resonates through French social history The women were known in Breton as the "}},{"name":"italic","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Penn Sardin"}}]},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":" (sardine head) because that’s what their embroidered caps looked like (The original double-millennial garum tanks lie a short coastal walk east out of town through the hamlet of Les Plomarc’h.) By the late 19th century it was a world capital of processing the sardines — frying Tinned Douarnenez sardines went across the globe Demand for workers boosted the population until its density was among the highest in Europe Working conditions worsened."}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"As boys and men went out on the boats — “my grandfather was nine when he started,” said the local historian Arlette Julien — girls and women were in the canneries They’d be called in at any time of day or night whenever the boats came in: in pre-fridge days sardines needed treating fast."}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Dressed in long heavy skirts and clogs the women would work up to 18 hours non-stop go home at midnight and then be called back in at 4am The floors were filthy with mud and sardine guts toilets often a distant rumour … all for 80 centimes an hour That 80 centimes was just enough to buy a litre of milk half the wage of a professional washerwoman the photos of stout-hearted women overflowing with children and of demos on the quay during the strike for more money "}}]},{"name":"inlineAd1","children":[]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"The strike struck on November 21 and within days 2,100 people were out The Communist mayor Daniel Le Flanchec pulled the town council behind the strike He called in Communist support from all over France."}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Thus was assured a level of organisation not experienced by earlier French strikes Christmas presents for children arranged and marches assembled "}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Finally the cannery owners were forced to negotiate a ban on work for girls under 12 — and a pay rise to one franc an hour The movement was born of desperation,” the history teacher Françoise Pencalet said “The women simply wanted a little more than what they had.” "}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Douarnenez remains focused on sardines its former 22 canneries having dwindled through the 20th century to three where the owner’s son Cédric Le Gal will introduce you to several dozen ways of processing sardines Then he’ll give you a tasting — perhaps of sardines in olive oil and lemon or mackerel fillets in cider vinegar or any other of several dozen products You didn’t know you were interested in this stuff because you’ve never been to a sardine-processing set-up before the Penn Sardin shop has the world’s greatest selection of sardine preparations and brands The startling news is that there exist collectors of sardine cans They show up from all over the world (pennsardin.bzh) "}}]},{"name":"inlineAd2","children":[]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Sardines done The best — Plage des Sables Blancs and the Plage St Jean — are a short walk around the inlet below the rocks in Tréboul sand and space lend a sober sense of seasideyness "}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"A 45-minute drive west is Brittany’s bashed and ragged far-west end The nearby Pointe du Van headland is almost as dramatic with fewer visitors."}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Also worth a visit is the mind-bendingly pretty village of Locronan the county town of Quimper: don’t miss the gothic cathedral Bénodet and Fouesnant are two of the happiest seaside towns in southern Brittany but be back for the evening and some time in the portside bars Conviviality is as much part of the local heritage as the sardine."}}]},{"name":"image","attributes":{"id":"3a276773-3ae3-442e-9925-e0c65db492a9","display":"fullwidth","caption":"Le Rosmeur a small fishing port in Douarnenez","title":"","credits":"Getty images","url":"https://www.thetimes.com/imageserver/image/%2Fmethode%2Ftimes%2Fprod%2Fweb%2Fbin%2Fe3ef0d00-8ad3-491f-8ef7-10e580d9ced8.jpg?crop=5000%2C3333%2C0%2C0","ratio":"5000:3333","relativeHorizontalOffset":0,"relativeVerticalOffset":0,"relativeWidth":1,"relativeHeight":1},"children":[]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"As to where to stay the Hôtel de France is the traditional address with creaking stairs unpredictable corridors and dark wood and family warmth throughout serving Brittany scallops with cauliflower or caramelised beef cheek with truffles (mains from £22; lafrance-dz.com)."}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Meanwhile and the best crêperies in town include Crêperie Lannig and Au Goûter Breton where each night I would enjoy a stroll to its bars These are fewer and posher than previously when Douarnenez working folk were as famed for drinking as they were for sardines You’ll have had the sardines at lunch or dinner so the evenings are for honouring the other limb of local tradition and raising a glass to the formidable "}},{"name":"italic","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Penn Sardin"}}]},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":" women "}},{"name":"break","children":[]},{"name":"bold","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Anthony Peregrine was a guest of Brittany Tourism (brittanytourism.com) which will release details of centenary events this month (douarnenez-tourisme.com) which has room-only doubles from £77 (lafrance-dz.com) It’s not because"},"children":[]}]}]},"summary({\"maxCharCount\":145})":{"type":"json","json":[{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":"There’s undeniable excitement in a drive along the Franco-German border just north of Metz in France It’s not because Luxembourg is nearby"},"children":[]}]}]},"summary({\"maxCharCount\":160})":{"type":"json","json":[{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":"There’s undeniable excitement in a drive along the Franco-German border just north of Metz in France compelling as that"},"children":[]}]}]},"summary({\"maxCharCount\":175})":{"type":"json","json":[{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":"There’s undeniable excitement in a drive along the Franco-German border just north of Metz in France And it’s"},"children":[]}]}]},"summary({\"maxCharCount\":225})":{"type":"json","json":[{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":"There’s undeniable excitement 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recently the gilets jaunes (yellow vests) unrest At first sight Douarnenez looks an unlikely spot for epoch-defining labour unrest The Bay of Douarnenez out front provides breathing space and an invitation for holiday fun Arrival of the sardine fleet in the bay of Douarnenez 1871ALAMYThere are great beaches here for when the weather fairs up good seaside hiking for when it doesn’t; it’s an excellent base for exploring the wider area Graffiti and posters — “Solidarity kills fascism”; “Support all immigrants” — denote a persistent seam of activism in town The women were known in Breton as the Penn Sardin (sardine head) Their family lives were ever on the cusp of misery Sardine fishing boats unloadingALAMYDouarnenez had been a fish HQ since the Romans were making garum As boys and men went out on the boats — “my grandfather was nine when he started,” said the local historian Arlette Julien — girls and women were in the canneries Crispy sardines typical of DouarnenezALAMYThe town’s intriguing Port Museum tells the story (from £5; port-musee.org) The strike struck on November 21 and within days 2,100 people were out He called in Communist support from all over France Thus was assured a level of organisation not experienced by earlier French strikes “The women simply wanted a little more than what they had.” it’s fascinating (free but book ahead; kerbriant.fr) A sardine tin of Les Savoureuses in the Port MuseumALAMYBack in the town The nearby Pointe du Van headland is almost as dramatic with fewer visitors Also worth a visit is the mind-bendingly pretty village of Locronan Conviviality is as much part of the local heritage as the sardine a small fishing port in DouarnenezGETTY IMAGESAs to where to stay serving Brittany scallops with cauliflower or caramelised beef cheek with truffles (mains from £22; lafrance-dz.com) Both have galettes — savoury pancakes — from about £3.50 • 24 of the best places to visit in France• I’ve spent 20 years exploring Brittany — and these are the best places to stay The contemporary L’Amuse-Louche serves dinners of lemon sole meunière or slow-cooked pork cheeks with chorizo (two courses £15; lamuse-louche.com) and raising a glass to the formidable Penn Sardin women Anthony Peregrine was a guest of Brittany Tourism (brittanytourism.com) Sign up for our Times Travel newsletter and follow us on Instagram and X Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Regala o regalati un abbonamento al Giornale della Vela cartaceo + digitale e a soli 69 euro l’anno hai la rivista a casa e in più la leggi su PC GUARDA LA SCORSA EDIZIONE DELLE FESTE MARITTIME DI BREST Il tuo indirizzo email non sarà pubblicato Iscriviti ora alla nostra newsletter gratuita e ricevi ogni settimana le migliori news selezionate dalla redazione del Giornale della Vela E in più ti regaliamo un mese di GdV in digitale su PC accetta la Privacy Policy e clicca sul bottone “iscrivimi” Riceverai un codice per attivare gratuitamente il tuo mese di GdV ex insegnante di educazione fisica originario di Modena che per 32 anni ha vissuto sull’isola di Budelli in completa solitudine come un moderno Robinson Crusoe Lo scorso 7 dicembre una barca a vela di 15 metri in buone condizioni ma senza equipaggio si è arenata nella spiaggia di Cefalù Dopo un’ispezione a bordo e una serie di accertamenti la Guardia Costiera ha identificato regate e traversate al limite del verosimile Eppure la vela non è certamente estranea alla tradizione lacustre L’archeologa di 29 anni Karla Dana è morta nel corso della spedizione “Legendary Viking Voyage” dalle Isole Faroe alla Norvegia a bordo di una replica di una nave vichinga che si è ribaltata per il maltempo PER COMUNICARE CON LA REDAZIONE02 535 811111 – speciali@panamaeditore.it PER LA PUBBLICITÀSenior account:Guido De Palma:tel Cookie policyPrivacy policy 02 535811 111/200abbonamenti@panamaeditore.it The 2023 ILCA Master European Championships concluded today in Douarnenez organised by Société des Régates de Douarnenez and EurILCA A total of 270 Master sailors hailing from 21 nations around the globe participated in this competition Light wind conditions allowed only one race to be held for the ILCA 7 today and no races for the ILCA 6 with 9 and 8 races completed in their respective classes we can proudly announce now the new 2023 ILCA Master European champions Full Results Photos Galleries Videos Playlist Master European’s Hall of Fame The upcoming 2024 ILCA Master European Championships are scheduled to take place in Vilamoura, Portugal, spanning from October 5th to October 11th, 2024. We eagerly anticipate the opportunity to reunite with all of you there! Keep an eye out for event details, which will be published soon on eurilca.eu/europeans We have streamed some of the action and races live in our Instagram https://www.instagram.com/eurilca/ and YouTube account: https://www.youtube.com/eurilcachannel – We suggest you to subscribe and follow us in order to receive instant notifications on next events A report with news and results, photos and videos has being daily published at eurilca.org and in the event website; https://2023-master.eurilca-europeans.org/ You can opt to receive our daily report with news, results and photos in your email, subscribing to our newsletter here: https://eurilca.org/newsletter/ We have shared video highlights and interviews on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/eurilcachannel – We recommend subscribing to our channel to receive instant notifications whenever we upload new content More news and contents have been spread through our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/eurilca so follow us also there All the information and links to the different contents mentioned before you can also find them at the official event website: https://2023-master.eurilca-europeans.org/ The 2023 ILCA Master European Championships have been organized by EurILCA in conjunction with Société des Régates de Douarnenez The event was kindly supported by the town of Douarnenez the Finistère department council and the Brittany region; and sponsored by PC Clean Report by Agustín Argüelles | Photos by Thom Touw Get the latest news from EurILCA in your inbox The 2023 ILCA Master European Championships marked its third day of competition today in Douarnenez featuring two exhilarating new races across all fleets with the sailors and coaches meeting at 09:00 all participants returned to shore sporting smiles and eager anticipation for more races in the days ahead Full Results A total of 270 Master sailors hailing from 21 nations around the globe came together to participate in this competition ILCA 6 is the largest fleet with 140 sailors vying for the prestigious European titles in 9 categories: ILCA 7 is only for Men and counts with 130 sailors on water pursuing the following 4 titles: Racing will goes from September 11th to 15th Reigning 2022 Master European champions such as Isabelle Arnoux FRA Helene Viazzo FRA and Jean-Christophe Leydet FRA in ILCA 6 or Jose Luis Doreste ESP and Peter Hurley USA in ILCA 7 are here in France defending their titles Previous Master European champions such as Jacques Kerrest USA Carlos Martinez ESP or Ian Gregory GBR in ILCA 6; and Allan Clark CAN or Alan Davis GBR in ILCA 7 are also some of strong contenders to fight for new medals in Douarnenez Entry list We are streaming some of the action and races live in our Instagram https://www.instagram.com/eurilca/ and YouTube account: https://www.youtube.com/eurilcachannel – We suggest you to subscribe and follow us in order to receive instant notifications when we’re live A daily report with news and results, photos and videos is being published at eurilca.org and in the event website; https://2023-master.eurilca-europeans.org/ We have created a Telegram channel that you can join to receive instant communications within the event: https://t.me/ilcamastereu23 We are sharing video highlights and interviews on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/eurilcachannel – We recommend subscribing to our channel to receive instant notifications whenever we upload new content More news and contents we are spreading them through our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/eurilca so follow us also there For further information about the event you can download the Notice of Race, Sailing Instructions and other documents here: https://eurilca.eu/event/277/documents The 2023 ILCA Master European Championships are organized by EurILCA in conjunction with Société des Régates de Douarnenez The event is kindly supported by the town of Douarnenez The second day of competition at the 2023 ILCA Master European Championships in Douarnenez was graced by fantastic sailing conditions permitted the addition of three new races for each fleet significantly impacting the overall scores The day kicked off promptly with the coaches and sailors convening at 09:00 and the first warning signal sounding at 11:00 The first fleet returned to shore around 15:30 making it a thoroughly enjoyable day of sailing it looks like I won easily but actually I had to fight a lot They were sailing very well so only on the last downwind I was able to pass the English that was leading both the last races so yeah it was quite tight actually” –Wannes Van Laer BEL One of the highlights today was Wannes Van Laer BEL performance winning all 3 races in ILCA7 Apprentice Master’s category The Belgian representative in last Olympic Games is premiering in the Master Europeans In the evening all competitors were served by the club with a special dinner to wrap this second race day in an awesome shape A total of 270 Master sailors hailing from 21 nations around the globe are coming together to participate in this competition The fourth day of competition at the 2023 ILCA Master European Championships in Douarnenez featuring the addition of 2 new races to the overall scores This brings the total number of races to 8 with a 2-hour postponement on shore due to a lack of wind The first warning signals finally sounded around 16:15 and sailors returned to shore at approximately 18:30 Today’s conditions were characterized by light to medium winds the initial set of races took place under very light breezes gradually increasing as the races progressed Brittany’s coastline is dotted with places to stay from cool contemporary hotels to the watering hole where ‘Onion Johnnies’ once knocked back cider FranceThis article is more than 5 years oldBrittany’s coastline is dotted with places to stay clifftop paths and sandy coves of the Breton coast provide the perfect backdrop for a five-day hike They say walking is the best medicine and you could spend months walking off your troubles along the sentier des douaniers (customs officers’ path) which winds for more than 1,240 miles (2,000km) around the bays and headlands of the Breton coast 55-mile stretch along the southern Crozon peninsula another train to Quimper and a bus to our starting point at Camaret-sur-Mer Much has been written about the physical and therapeutic benefits of walking but there’s a big difference between going solo and walking with someone else but just as important is understanding that the Irishman and I have reached an understanding of when to walk and talk and when to shut it On day one we had the option of a shorter (nine miles) or longer (13 miles) route another fishing port but with swimming beaches where there are kayaks and paddleboards for hire A three-minute squall of horizontal rain gave us a good soaking but it was worth it for the view when the sun came outThe first day takes you through woodland before you follow a narrow clifftop path across moorland brightened by yellow gorse pink clover and the occasional purple orchid The path is accessible for anyone of any age who is reasonably fit and has a decent pair of walking boots reminiscent of Cornwall with a touch of Donegal This part of Lower Brittany is where you are most likely to hear people speak Breton a Celtic language closely related to Cornish and Welsh It is classified as “severely endangered” by Unesco The fishing village of Camaret-sur-Mer Photograph: Pascale Gueret/AlamySome people may get a kick out of tramping with a heavy pack on their back but we’re past all that so we organised our trip through Normandie Rando a hiking and biking specialist who provide the itinerary make hotel bookings and arrange luggage transfers When we arrived at Morgat our bags had been delivered to the small hotel In this part of the world the health department’s vehicles double as taxis so our bags generally arrived by ambulance There are two decent fish restaurants in Morgat as well as a pizzeria while vegetarians should head to the nearest crêperie They are also fond of butter and there are numerous biscuiteries where they make shortbread-like biscuits and the renowned Breton cake with quite steep climbs and descents until you get past the Pointe de St-Hernot and the Île Vièrge La Palue is not very accessible and there are no beach bars which is part of its charmBe prepared for all weathers as it’s changeable A three-minute squall of horizontal rain at Cap de la Chèvre was all it took to give us a good soaking but it was worth it for the view when the sun came out The path then continues along the clifftop as you approach La Palue considered the best of Brittany’s surfing beaches High tide is the best time to catch good waves The beach is not very accessible and there are no beach bars nor a webcam but you’ll need to bring your own boards and other supplies Pointe de Saint Hernot at Cap de la Chèvre. Photograph: mauritius images/AlamyMegaliths and hoopoes: chance encounters in untamed BrittanyRead moreDay three was a 10-mile loop of the same peninsula but this time cutting across inland to the coast at Lostmarc’h where you once again pick up the GR34 along a delightful clifftop walk bright with wildflowers towards the Château de Dinan The path then cuts back inland through the village of Dinan and back to Morgat The following day you have the option of a 13-mile walk from Telgruc-sur-Mer or eight miles from Saint-Nic (Sant Vig in Breton) The taxi (ambulance) dropped us at Saint-Nic before taking our bags on to the hotel at Trefeuntec is worth a visit before setting off in the direction of the sea you can walk along or above the beach of La Lieue de Grève until you arrive at the beautiful headland of Pointe de Tal ar Grip after which another long beach Douarnenez Photograph: Emmanuel LATTES/AlamyThe fifth and final day takes you on an eight-mile path along the cliffs to Douarnenez the last stretch of which passes through the lovely nature reserve of Les Plomarc’h Douarnenez is a sizeable town with plenty of bars and restaurants along the banks of the Pouldavid River In 1921 it became one of the first towns in France to elect a communist mayor And so from Douarnenez it was on to Quimper and our separate ways The trip was supported by Normandie Rando which offers self-guided hiking and cycling holidays This piece was amended on 19 June 2024 to remove a picture of Dinan village on the Cotes d’Armor mistakenly used instead of Dinan on the Crozon peninsula The original copy said Roscoff was west of Quimper With a tidal stream against you and a tired boat crew James Stevens answers your questions of seamanship Should you push on to the next port with a tired boat crew and a tidal against you or turn around He is on passage to the maritime festival at the Breton port of Douarnenez He has two boat crew who have done the trip before Currently he is 10 miles west of Roscoff beating into a westerly wind It is drizzling and the visibility is about one mile Although the spring tide has helpfully swept them along the north Brittany coast it is now slack water and will turn against them at a maximum rate of 2.6 knots John wants to press on because the event starts the next day and the idea of shellfish washed down with cider and Calvados is a strong incentive The next port ahead where he could stop and rest is L’Aberwrac’h Grace makes about 4 knots with her underpowered engine The distance to Douarnenez from Roscoff is 80 miles and from L’Aberwrac’h 54 miles This one depends on the morale of the crew his ground track for the next 6 hours is going to be the nautical equivalent of mowing the lawn going up and down and not making much progress It is going to take some leadership to keep up the crew’s enthusiasm in the dark and drizzle Once the tide starts turning in a favourable direction though The wind will veer in the next six to 12 hours For home-waters sailors who are considering a holiday cruise to France Ken Endean looks at the options for making a… Toby Heppell gets advice on skippering with friends and family from Pete Goss James Stevens answers your Questions of Seamanship This issue - when is the best time to leave port when faced… Duncan Kent thinks he has found the best Tides Planner App for iPads and iPhones yet Making slow progress against the tide has been part of a day’s work for skippers of gaff-rigged boats for centuries and with the moderate forecast spent 10 of his 23 years at the RYA as Training Manager and Yachtmaster Chief Examiner demoralising and John has to judge whether the will and endurance of the crew is going to impact on the safety of the yacht If it seems as if his crew are not going to keep going for another night his safest option is to sail to the north of Ile de Batz and either anchor Realistically John should have thought of this and entered Roscoff earlier if necessary Once in Roscoff they either wait until the tide turns in their favour at 0300 the Mini Transat -îles de Guadeloupe returns to its origins with a start from Douarnenez (France) The Breton harbour will see the fleet of 84 solo sailors set off on the 19th of September to Lanzarote where the Mini 6,50 will stop before the Atlantic stage starts on 31st of October The Mini Transat – îles de Guadeloupe 2015 solo sailors are expected to finish three weeks later in Pointe-à-Pitre to a warm Caribbean welcome Created by Briton Bob Salmon in the late 1970s this 4,020 nautical mile race from France to the Caribbean is the longest solo race for the smallest of boats The start has been brought forward to the 19th of September to ensure that the crossing of the Bay of Biscay will take place in the safest possible circumstances It is then that the sailors will see their first dream come true their efforts rewarded after months of preparation the port of call until the 31st of October The departure date in Lanzarote has been set allowing for time to cushion any delays that could be caused by tropical storms The fleet will be challenged as they set off on an Atlantic crossing and prove their solo racing skills the solo sailors will be operating in a strictly “back to basics” way using only paper charts and standard GPS for navigation The Mini Class is about pure and basic sailing as the skippers are not allowed to make any contact with land during the race this will represent a form of “rite of passage” before starting a professional sailing career it will simply be a dream turning into reality Qualifying for the Mini Transat îles de Guadeloupe: Obstacle RaceBefore crossing the start line in Douarnenez the skippers must accumulate a number of miles combining 1000nm solo-raced and 1000nm of official Class Mini races as the inscriptions are made following the qualifications The first to be qualified will be the first to guarantee their place on the start line when some of them remained on the waiting list and were unable to start the sailors prepare for the qualifying  process way in advance This was the case for British sailor Nikki Curwen she remained second on the waiting list and in the end she has secured her qualification miles: 1000 nm solo sailed on board of her proto bought from Rémi Fermin She then participated in the Les Sables-Les Açores-Les Sables race that ensured her qualification like podium candidates such as Tanguy Le Turquais Damien Cloarec or Patrick Girod for the series and Michele Zambelli or Ludovic Méchin for the prototype Exceptional proceduresThe Mini Guide is clear: to qualify for the Mini Transat is about taking time finding yourself within the loneliness and facing up to the idea of crossing the Atlantic without any assistance The qualification conditions are strict but worth it some of the candidates may benefit from “exceptional” procedures: that is the case for  sailors living in far away countries who will have some places specially reserved for them but a procedure introduced to ensure that all the sailors have the same opportunities This is the case for two sailors this year: the Chinese Xu Jingkun who has prepared to move to Brittany with his wife to carry out his preparation he represents the growing popularity of sailing in his country the French sailor Rodolphe Victorri will also benefit from this procedure as he lives in Saint-Pierre and Miquelon a self-governing territorial overseas collectivity of France situated in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean The same procedure will apply to sailors building new prototypes has revealed a radically new prototype with innovative forms that will first race on the Trophee Marie-Agnès Peron there are only few races to qualify: meaning that there is little margin for error 79 solo sailors registered so far from 13 nationsThe cosmopolitan fleet showcases 13 different countries: including France will be 25 years old when she sets off start line in Douarnenez for the biggest race of her life but this makes the lead up and finish to races very special The Mini Class is renowned for being a friendly and supportive class” “I am really working hard for a top 10 finish being the first Brit and first woman to do so” says Lizzy Key DatesDouarnenez:Friday 11th September: Opening of the Mini Transat-îles de Guadeloupe Race Village on the quays of the Port Rhu.Sunday 13th September: Prologue Everything Starts at FinistèreSaturday 19th September: Start of the first stage Douarnenez – Lanzarote (visible from the Rosmeur port)Lanzarote: 16th of September: Start of the first stage Friday 9th October: Presentation of prizes for the first stage.Saturday 31st October: Departure of the second stage Lanzarote – Pointe-à-PitreGuadeloupe: From the 14th of November: Arrival of the second stageSaturday 28th November: Awarding prizes for the second stage Lanzarote – Pointe-à-Pitre plus all the latest on yachting regattas and offshore adventures around the world 2013) – The fleet of 84 Mini 6.50 soloists have been postponed since October 13 for the start of their hallmark event waiting for safe weather to ensure the fleet can cross the Bay of Biscay and get around the corner of Spain before their crossing of the Atlantic Ocean “Initially the delayed start was a welcomed extra bit of time to check and recheck everything on the boat No matter how much you prepare for a race it seems like little things that you intended to do always get cut from the work list It is a strange site to see 84 minis with no one working on them; usually at races the docks are full of skippers getting their boats ready “Now with the race village all packed up and all of the boats ready about the only activity comes each evening around 1800 for the weather briefing it is very hard for the race organizers to find a weather window long enough to send the entire fleet around Cape Finisterre The last two weeks have been producing strong depressions bringing 40+ knots of southerly winds across Cape Finisterre and the Bay of Biscay “I think that most skippers will agree that it is very difficult and expensive to be sitting day after day waiting to start the race but it is certainly better to wait then to go bashing upwind into 40 knots and breaking the boats the first day or two out.” after reviewing the latest weather forecast informed the fleet today they are now considering two scenarios: First scenario: A start on Friday and a stopover in Gijon (Spain Weather window may allow a clear opening to rally the fleet on the northern coast of Spain but not allow for a safe crossing of Cape Finisterre The first leg would be cut into two sections with a fresh start in Gijon on Tuesday 29 October Second scenario: A weather window glimpsed in the forecast for next Monday is confirmed to be large enough for the whole Mini fleet to cross the Bay of Biscay “The simplest course would be to send the fleet on a single leg,” explained Race Director Denis Hughes.”But today we do not have sufficient clarity about next week to put all our eggs in one basket That is why we have decided to mobilize the competitors around a possible departure on Friday If we are certain that the window on Monday is good At least we are making steps forward on the road.” Mini Transat 2013: http://www.minitransat.fr/ Tags: , , Launched in 1997, Scuttlebutt provides sailing news with a North American focus. Look for the latest information to be posted on the website, with the highlights distributed in the e-Newsletter What is the e-Newsletter Subscribe Today © 2024 Scuttlebutt Sailing News. Inbox Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.made by VSSL Agency analysis of the 2013 edition has given the organisation team an opportunity to introduce a few developments with a view to guaranteeing an even finer event:– Moving the start date forward to 19 September with a longer stopover in Lanzarote.– Retaining the original early-November start date for the second leg so as to avoid any risk of hurricanes in the area surrounding the West Indies.– Strengthening of the partnerships with Guadeloupe and the hosting of competitors Another competitor making the switch from a series boat to a proto with a rounded bow is Swiss sailor Simon Koster his scow bow prototype build will be complete all eyes will be on the battle between the Nacira designs which dominated the competition in 2013 in the hands of Damien Cloarec and the two latest newcomers (provided they are granted the status of a series boat) skippered by Ian Lipinski and Julien Pulvé respectively it’s the eclecticism of the fleet which always makes an impression: A third of the solo sailors will be competing in the prototype category with 13 different nationalities from old Europe to China Just three women are currently pre-registered but there is still time for the female contingent to get things back on track and redress the balance *Mini en Mai – solo Mini race in south-west Brittany This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page.