Departing from La Rochelle, you will make multiple stops on the 3 islands that make up the Antioch sluice: Ré, Oléron and Aix. On such a route the objective is to study and carry out, according to the tide times and the weather, the entrances to ports encountered on the way (La Flotte en Ré, St Martin de Ré, Ars en Ré, St Denis d'Oléron, Le Douhet, Boyardville, etc.) moor there and set off again: it will be easier for you to return independently next time.
Whatever your level, you will progress in maneuvers and adjustments thanks to the advice of our qualified instructor, educator and experienced during this course on a high-performance sailboat that is the POGO 12.50, because it is by going fast that the we learn quickly! Head northwest to one of the ports of Vendée (Bourgenay, Saint Gilles Croix de Vie, Les Sables d'Olonne) or depending on your wishes and the weather, stopover in one of the magnificent anchorages of the magnificent island of 'Yeu (Port de la Meule, cove des Soux, du Château, etc.). During this coastal navigation you will take full advantage of the different aspects of life on board while training yourself in the techniques necessary for autonomy on a sailboat: port maneuvers, local and general weather, point on nautical chart with and without GPS, settings , mooring, beaconing, reefing, spinnaker maneuvers, ... After tasting the local specialties (smoked tuna, lobster, patagos, ...), head for the bay of Quiberon and its islands (Houat, Hoëdic, Belle-île, ...) and why not a detour through the Gulf of Morbihan if the weather is favorable? Road to La Rochelle while maneuvering and adjusting this magnificent sailboat that is the Pogo 1250 which is definitely a cruise ship like no other. Its powerful hull will take you at speeds that you have not yet experienced, and its comfort to live makes it the ideal boat to discover while having fun. You will navigate mainly during the day with stopovers in port or at anchor, and will thus take full advantage of the different aspects of life on board while training yourself in the techniques necessary for autonomy on a sailboat. The on-board instructor adapts his instructions according to the level and objectives of each team member and will alternate practice with more theoretical sessions with themes related to the use of safety equipment, various emergency procedures, preparation before navigation ( man and ship), mechanics, navigation on paper and electronic charts, weather forecast, routing, ...
The purpose for trainees is generally a rental, a boat purchase, the integration of a crew for a cruise or quite simply the pleasure of knowing how to navigate aboard a sailboat in complete safety.
On the way back, you can go to the Rochebonne plateau, a shoal in the heart of the Bay of Biscay located about sixty miles off Sables d'Olonne and La Rochelle, it is classified in the Natura 2000 zone. northern part of the reefs between 3 and 5 meters underwater and their drop offs which allows you to observe marine mammals, sometimes even basking sharks!
Return to the Breton and Antioch sluices with a stopover in the proud d'Ars-en-Ré or Saint-Denis d'Oléron before returning to the port of La Rochelle.
Another possibility: a magnificent sailing cruise to discover the heritage! Departure from La Rochelle passing Fort Boyard for a sail up the Charente to the Corderie Royale de Rochefort. Departure the next morning at sunrise with descent of the river to find the ocean water a few hours later.
A technical and atypical navigation combining land and sea which will allow you to progress and discover or rediscover renowned places from another angle.
Our sailing courses will allow you to learn how to maneuver under spinnaker, hold the helm, adjust the sails, view the water, analyze your speed according to gusts, currents, clouds or even work on specific points in order to make you autonomous.
Our first POGO 12.50 is the "double bar" version, completely redone at the end of 2019.
This configuration, completed with a cockpit table, provides a lot of comfort without compromising the sensations.
3 cabins version
- Lifting keel
- Double wheel bars
- Carbon mast
- Carbon bowsprit
Comforts
- Cockpit table
- Lowering hood
- Windlass
- Hot water under pressure
- Deck shower (hot water)
- Reinforced cooling unit
- 2 burner oven
- Heater
- Black water tank
- Mp3 player
Our itinerary
Our trip starts here
La Rochelle, Francia
Saturday 20 August from 16:00
until Saturday 20 August at 16:00
Our trip ends here
La Rochelle, Francia
Saturday 27 August from 9:00
until Saturday 27 August at 9:00
Fantastic experience in Biscay, Atlantic French coast, the boat Pogo 1250 is very performant, we had wind from moderate to fresh with waves and smooth sea, the skipper Nicolas is very skilled and very kind in teaching. I suggest to everyone this stage, Antoine and his company are very good!
Our skipper was David.
David is an experienced skipper and was simply perfect.
Thanks David!
As to the overall experience, the Pogo is a competition boat: very fast and fun.
We did not have much wind and it was still possible to sail quite often thanks to its performances. Perhaps it is not the most comfy 40feet in the market, but no racing object is focussed on that.
We visited great places: many parts of the French Riviera and several islands, really beautiful.
Very formative and fun experience. We were skippered by David, who was very experienced and happy to teach us many aspects of sailing. Great choice if you want to sail the entire day and improve your skills.
Perfect agreement between the man, Antoine, and the Pogo, wind, waves, paradisiacal spots, "funny" teammates, precise educational objectives, the whole contributed to the success of 100% of this "open sail" course! I recommend...
Other important information
We estimate the on-board cash register costs at around € 10 / day / person (excluding food, bars and restaurants) including stopover costs and fuel for the inboard engine (provide extra cash), on-board cash register which will be managed by the skipper or the Tricount application.
For this course, we recommend that you bring the following equipment: - waxed or windproof top and bottom (safety bras are provided) - closed shoes (sneakers or tennis shoes with white soles, or breathable boots) - fleece sweater - cap (and possibly fleece hat) - sunscreen with the highest index, sunglasses - lightweight sleeping bag - toiletries, small synthetic bath towel (which rolls up and dries quickly) - earplugs (the presence of a snorer on board can happen - clothespins - Swimsuit (even snorkel mask fins!) - sailing gloves (preferably with long fingers) - surgical masks for trips on land - bottle of personal and differentiated hydro-alcoholic gel (with first name for example) - a headlamp + batteries - personal and identified bottle - personal pen and identified with notepad The bottom sheets, pillow cases, kitchen towels, and end-of-course interior cleaning will be provided.
For people prone to motion sickness, provide a box of Mercalm or Scopoderm-type patches, but don't forget the 4 F rule which reduces the risk of nausea: do not be hungry, cold, frightened and tired.
The Covid-19 period imposes very strict hygiene rules on us with the establishment of a protocol covering barrier gestures and in particular physical distancing, regular hand cleaning, and regular monitoring of the state of health during of the cruise.
If you are not vaccinated against COVID-19 (if so, please send us the certificate), we ask you to strictly respect the barrier gestures during the 15 days preceding the cruise and to carry out a test (PCR or antigen) within 72 hours of the start of the course (results to be sent to us by email before the start of the course).
For the program of this course, the objective is to acquire automatisms, learn techniques, sail maneuvers (caping, tacking, jibe, reefing, man overboard), engine maneuvers, management of mooring and port entrances / exits, understanding the settings, improving your skills in weather analysis, progressing in “old-fashioned” navigation without electronics with only a nautical chart, a bearing compass and a Cras ruler, in “modern navigation ”By using the latest electronic instruments, making maneuvers more fluid, all in all acquiring seaworthiness with a view to autonomy aboard a sailboat.
The route chosen by the skipper will depend on the weather conditions (reliable 3 days before D-Day) and the tides.
As long as the Experience is Not Confirmed, you can cancel your reservation at any time and receive a refund of the amount paid.
If the Experience is Confirmed, you can cancel your reservation up to 30 days before departure and receive a full refund.
If available for the selected Experience, you can choose our Extended Refund Terms and cancel your booking at any time up to the departure, and receive a refund of the paid amount, upon the occurrence of certain conditions (illness, including Covid-19, work-related reason, domestic emergency, previous medical conditions and many more).
What's included
Knowing what expenses are included and excluded from your booking fee will enable you to have a good idea of the total cost of your chosen experience.
Included in the price.
Final cleaning
Boat
Skipper
Not included in the price.
Meals/drinks consumed ashore
Trip from and to embarkment/disembarkment port
To be paid onboard.
In addition to the price, there will be some additional expenses that you will incur during your trip. Expenses have been listed below.
Meals onboard
Fuel
Mooring fees
Drinks onboard
15€/pax licence FFVoile
The estimated expenses for the rest of the holiday are approximately 150-200€ per person.
