I had chosen this sailing holiday on the French Riviera with the aim of experiencing the sea, sailing and discovering the beauty of the coast. Unfortunately, the experience did not meet these expectations.
The week was characterized by excellent weather conditions, with wind and sea that would have allowed sailing much more often. Instead, for most of the transfers we sailed with a motor, always used at minimum rpm, with the result of considerably lengthening travel times without any benefit... if not perhaps to save diesel... moreover paid by the 6 participants in the holiday. The only real day of sailing was Friday, after I (also on behalf of the rest of the group) had openly expressed my discontent with the management of the navigation.
Another disappointing aspect was the choice of routes. Throughout the week the autopilot was set on routes very far from the coast, preventing us from appreciating landscapes, coves and glimpses that represented, moreover, one of the main objectives of the trip. The days were lived as a "transfer" from one point to another rather than an exploration of the French Riviera from the sea!
The management of the stops was also unsatisfactory. On the first day we made only one roadstead, reached in the early afternoon after a lunch made during the navigation! On Tuesday, after a delayed departure, the only stop was a point of the Lérins Islands, and then we found ourselves spending the night in practically the same gulf as the previous evening because the port of Cannes had not been booked in time and we had to fall back on Juan-les-Pins. On Wednesday we made a short stop at the Lérins in a different point than the previous day and then we stayed for the whole day in the same cove (moreover indicated by the group) until the evening transfer to Santa Lucia. Requests to visit other bays or coves were generally rejected without particular explanation.
On Thursday the destination was Saint-Tropez, but without stops during the morning due to incoming wind. We arrived at lunchtime in the gulf and then we had to fall back on Port Sainte-Maxime because no place had been found either in Saint-Tropez or in Port Grimaud, another situation that highlighted an inaccurate planning of port reservations. A further consideration, which I would like to point out as I consider it particularly serious, is the following: returning home we reflected on the cash paid on site and asked Andrea for a detailed account of the expenses incurred for ports and fuel, we were told a total amount of about € 500. However, a total of €1,200 had been paid into the common fund, so we asked for clarification regarding the difference of €700, which was not justified by the declared expenses, and Andrea at that point left the WA group without providing any explanation or accounting.
On this specific aspect, I hope for an intervention and feedback also from Sailsquare, so that full clarity is provided on the management of the sums paid.
Having said all this, I would like to emphasize that Andrea has shown himself to be very attentive to safety aspects, a fundamental and certainly appreciated element. I was also lucky enough to share the week with a fantastic group, which contributed decisively to the success of the holiday.
From Andrea, being also a sailing instructor, I would have expected a greater passion for sailing and a more in-depth knowledge of the Côte d'Azur, such as to combine safety, sailing and discovery of the most beautiful and characteristic places in the area.
In conclusion, it was an enjoyable week thanks to the people I met and the beautiful weather conditions, but not the sailing holiday I was expecting! If the goal of this holiday is to sail and really get to know the French Riviera from the sea, I feel that the organization and the itinerary could have been managed in a very different and better way.
Fair winds! Sabina F.