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Sailing from Brest, France to Falmouth, England: Part 1 | DrakeParagon Sailing
February 21, 2026 · 17 min · 3K views · Brest, France
What this video covers
Departing Brest, France for Falmouth, England on June 13th with three Schengen days remaining, the crew of Paragon — a Westsail 42 — aborted their planned 120-nautical-mile passage after conditions at the marina proved worse than the offshore forecast suggested.5:06 The plan called for motoring 12 nautical miles into a 20-knot headwind out of Brest, then threading a 20-nautical-mile coastal channel between the French mainland and offshore rocks where current runs fast and navigation relies on lighthouses rather than buoys, before a broad-reach run to Falmouth in 17–20 knots.6:21 PredictWind's offshore app showed max winds of 26 knots and gusts to 33, with 2% upwind sailing — acceptable.9:12 But a fellow sailor named Hazel showed a local weather app reading gusts to 30–32 knots in the harbor, tugboats were taking spray over their bows, and Monique called it.14:19 The crew shut down the engine and stood down.14:43 A French neighbor in the adjacent berth confirmed it was a good call.14:34 The crew had already cleared French customs with a stamped exit and a stated departure time, requiring a return visit when the office reopened.16:25 The next viable window appeared to be two days out.16:43 The episode illustrates the gap between offshore model forecasts and local conditions at departure time.
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