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- Sailing in Aquitane
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Sailing in Aquitaine
Aquitaine is uniquely blessed for sailing owing to the presence of its vast freshwater lakes, as well as the ocean. Whether it's cruising along the Cote Basque, or sailing one of the 'great lakes', you are spoilt for choice.
For ocean sailing cruises and excursions we have teamed up with Ralleyho, who operate a stunning 19m sailing yacht - Rallentando - from the Bay of St Jean de Luz. Clients can choose what sort of trip they would like and book directly with Ralleyho > sailing trips St Jean de Luz
For visitors wishing to take control of the rudder themselves, Aquitaine's great lakes offer brilliant sailing, whether you are bringing your own boat or hiring one locally > sailing lakes in Aquitaine
Ocean Sailing in Aquitaine
At a handful of our top-end villa rentals, staff can arrange sailing excursions for you - Villa la Tosca is a good example, conveniently located on the Bassin d'Arcachon and ideal for exploring by sea the Cap Ferret peninsula, Banc d'Arguin and Dune du Pilat.
For clients holidaying further south in Aquitaine, Rallentando is anchored conveniently in the Bay of St Jean de Luz and offers local cruises and excursions. And if you'd rather leave your car at the villa, a transfer can be organised for you too.
Rallentando is a stunning 62ft ocean-going sailing yacht. Refitted in 2008 she can accommodate up to 14 guests for day cruises or 6 guests for overnight cruises. She is equipped with all mod-cons plus a 5m RIB with 50hp engine to provide watersports entertainment and excursions into small bays. At the helm is Louie Hubbard, an experienced ocean sailor. Throughout summer 2011 the yacht will be anchored in the Bay of St Jean de Luz and available for lunch cruises and all day cruises. Outside of the period June-Sept, the yacht is moored in Capbreton marina just north of Biarritz. |
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Guests can tailor their own excursion/cruise, or choose from one of these packages designed by Ralleyho. |
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| Package 1. St Jean de Luz Lunch Cruise (July & August only) • 5 hr lunch cruise 10:00 to 15:00 • Introduction then 2-3 sail along the coast • Return to St Jean bay c.13:00 for buffet lunch* aboard • Relax or sunbathe on deck, or fun in the RIB** Price EUR 500 for up to 6 guests + 50 EUR pp for extra guests |
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| Package 2. St Jean de Luz - San Sebastian Day Cruise (July & August only) • 9 hr all day cruise 09:00 to 18:00 • Introduction then 3 hr sail to San Sebastian • Buffet lunch aboard* in San Sebastian bay • Excursion ashore to shop in San Sebastian or relax on board • Depart 15:00 and sail back to St Jean Price EUR 750 for up to 6 guests + 75 EUR pp for extra guests |
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*typical buffet lunch will include fresh prawns, moules a la creme, cured meats, salads plus wine, beer & soft drinks **water-skiiing is charged as an extra 40 EUR for 30 mins |
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Package 3. Overnight Tailored Cruises (outside July & August) Sail from Capbreton marina along the Basque Country coast for a 1 or 2 night cruise. A 5 hr sail will take you to San Sebastian, a superb seaside city with beautiful bay, superb shopping and one of the best culinary destinations in the world. Overnight cruises can be for parties up to 6 people, accommodated in 3 en-suite cabins with breakfast and lunch served aboard (dinner ashore is excluded). The precise itinerary will usually be discussed and agreed on a bespoke basis and subject to weather conditions. Price EUR 1600 for 2 day (1 night) cruise start 09:00, finish 18:00 (+24 hrs) Price EUR 2300 for 3 day (2 night) cruise start 09:00, finish 18:00 (+48 hrs) Price EUR 4000 for weekly cruises |
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How to Book Sailing excursions should be booked directly with the supplier of the acitivity, Ralleyho. Please contact Louie Hubbard (English) tel. 00 33 6 80 25 64 34. You will be asked to sign a contract with Ralleyho and Alternative Aquitaine is not a party to that contract. To really make the most of your day-out you may prefer not to drive to St Jean de Luz; parking can be difficult there in summer, and if you fancy a glass of chilled white wine on deck, you may wish to leave your car at the villa. At some of our villas it is possible to arrange a taxi; alternatively you can arrange a transfer with Sea Lifts who are based in Biarritz and have English-speaking staff. |
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Sailing on Aquitaine's 'Great Lakes'
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The Google image shows the 5 main lakes in the norther half of Aquitaine. It also illustrates their size: the area of Bordeaux can be seen on the right hand edge (at the foot of the Gironde estuary) - the Bassin d'Arcachon covers an area approximately the same size as France's 2nd city! The northern-most lake, Carcans-Hourtin, is actually France's longest lake. Further south there's Aureilhan, Leon and Soustons to name just three; all are smaller lakes but no less beautiful and they too offer sailing facilities including places to launch. In the table below we've provided some helpful resources for planning your sailing adventure on Aquitaine's lakes. At these venues, you can hire all sorts of sailing craft including optimists and catamarans, or you can bring your own vessel.
Also, for further info including a full list of boating harbours and further web links, try the Aquitaine Tourist Board's Sailing Page. And the sailing afficiondos should consult the French Federation of Sailing website. This has a helpful listing of clubs by region and a helpful map to hone in on the area of interest. Training with FFV affiliated clubs is quality approved but don't expect courses in English. |
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