A sailing and rowing race
My editor's phone call is simple:"Do you want to row in Scotland? I've been offered the SailCaledonia and I can't. Since you're kayaking, you should like it!" Except that rowing and paddling are very different movements, the idea is attractive. Information taken, it is a matter of crossing the Highlands, sailing and rowing, by canals and lochs. My memories of holidays in Scotland, contemplating the lochs from a rental car, frustrated at not being able to sail, are enough to convince me. And if the wind fails, a little sport won't hurt me!
Navigation on Loch Lochy
The crazy idea of a Breton boat enthusiast
SailCaledonia was born thanks to Charles-Henri Le Moing, a Breton from Bono, the village where Bernard Moitessier is buried. Skipper in the 1970s, he continued to work in ocean racing alongside Eugène Riguidel in particular. Active in the organisation of nautical events, the company Albacore, which he co-founded, specialises in sailing and rowing raids. The concept, which started on the Douro in Portugal, landed on the Caledonian canal at the end of the 1990s. In 2002, the organization was taken over by Scots who founded the Great Glen Boating Club, today at the head of SailCaledonia.
Regattas and convoys in the middle of the mountains
The route crosses Scotland from south-west to north-east over a distance of 57 miles between Fort William, at the bottom of a salt loch leading to the Irish Sea, and Inverness on the shores of the North Sea. Even if there are only a few miles to go, the week is not too long, given the 29 locks to pass to climb the Scottish mountains. The pace also allows you to enjoy the impressive landscapes to discover in the next articles.
SailCaledonia Course
Practical SailCaledonia
The SailCaledonia is open to boats of about 5 to 9 metres in length, capable of rowing and sailing. If some brave people sleep on board in total autonomy, it is possible to have their camping equipment transported by a minivan. For more comfort, others will choose to offer a cabin on board one of the accompanying boats. Meals are prepared and served on board the Ros Crana barge which follows the fleet throughout the week.
See you in the next articles to discover the places aboard Loustic, Claude Martinuzzi's Multimono who kindly took me aboard!
