Whether you’re a competitive yachtsman dreaming of regatta victories, or a recreational sailor searching for snorkelling and sandy bays, the Caribbean’s French islands offer the perfect location, says Geoffrey Dean.
For the sailing enthusiast, whether advanced, intermediate or novice, the French West Indies offers some of the best opportunities and locations in the Caribbean. All four of the main islands – Martinique, Guadeloupe, St Martin and St Barts – are quite different from one another, providing charmingly varied conditions and scenery. There are races of all descriptions throughout the year, from the exclusive St Barts Bucket where yachts must be at least 100 feet in length to the ‘yole’ races of traditional fishing boats in Martinique. The recreational options, meanwhile, are limitless, from delightful oneday excursions to week-long sails around one island to much longer ones around several.
Martinique, the most southerly of the French islands, possesses in Fort-de-France one of the safest bays in the region. This has long been a favoured port of call for yachtsmen and sailors, although the largest and best-equipped marina on the island is in the south at Port de Plaisance in Le Marin harbour. In terms of races to other Caribbean islands or from other parts of the world, Martinique is in a league of its own. There’s an annual one to both St Lucia and Cuba, as well as a biennial one from Europe to Martinique. Its four-day June regatta attracts hundreds of sailors from a host of nations. For the sailing holidaymaker there are a string of yachting companies on Martinique to choose from. A week spent circumnavigating the island with a different stop-off every night is a popular choice, while the other option is to head north past the mountainous, forested island of Dominica and onto Guadeloupe, the other French departement in the Caribbean.
The winds and currents around Guadeloupe tend to be strong, a key reason why true sailors worship SAILING VIVE LA these waters. The Dominica Passage, through which you must come, contains a picturesque archipelago known as the Iles des Saintes where the French fleet suffered a decisive defeat at the hands of the British admiral, George Rodney, in 1782. Nowadays, it offers a safe anchorage and a desirable place to berth for the night. Terre-de-Haut, the largest of the islets, has shops and restaurants as well as Fort Napoleon, which offers great views over the island and bay. Marie Galante, a small island further east, is another stopping-off point and a good pleasure trip from Guadeloupe. Bas-du-Fort in Guadeloupe, with 1,000 berths for boats (100 being available for visiting boats), is one of the fi nest boating basins in the western hemisphere. Super yachts up to 130 feet can be accommodated. At Marina de la Grande Saline, there is room for 250 vessels as well as a sailing school offering both initiation trips and longer excursions.
