Stuck in Storms for 10 Days… What We Did Instead | Sailing France
3 May 2026 · 23 min · 1K views · Lorient
IMOA maxi yacht CHAMAL sails fast under clear sky
What this video covers
Hurricanes Aaron and Fernand pinned Erin and Marie on the south coast of Brittany for 10 days, forcing repeated cancellations of their planned southward passage.0:11 The boat and dock bounced at independent frequencies through successive storm nights at what the video identifies as Caen-Carnal.0:09 When gaps appeared between systems, they explored walled towns, a five-point citadel fortification at Lorient, and the adjacent town of Port Louis.1:28 A September 5 window finally allowed a short coastal move to Lorient, then onward in 20-knot headwinds, close-hauled and triple-reefed, making slow progress.3:42 En route, true wind data failed — the instrument system could not calculate true versus apparent wind because the paddle wheel was fouled and the GPS boat-speed input was not functioning.7:40 The diagnosis came at the Cannes Yacht Show, where they left the boat at Pornichet and rented a car for the two-day event.10:48 At the show they toured a Hans 59, a Moody 48 DS, the world premiere of the Swan 51, a Contest, a Pegasus, and HH Catamarans boats, comparing layouts and features against their own criteria.15:16 The paddle-wheel fix: pull it, clean it, reinstall it, and dry the resulting interior water intrusion.13:03 By mid-September they were still working south around the Bay of Biscay, stopping at Île-du-Yeu, with more weather systems slowing progress.21:57
Boats in this video
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