Côte d'Opale

Sailing on the Opal Coast

Wind almost every day, and watersports centres all along the coast

Sails out at sea, seen from the beach — Photo: Jean-Pierre Bazard Jpbazard, source, CC BY-SA 3.0

The essentials

Where: Côte d'Opale
How long: Half a day or a course
Price: Single session, weekly course, or hire for the self-sufficient

Weekly courses
From age 7
April to October
Catamaran and dinghy

This coast has a rare quality for learning to sail: the wind is reliable. Where other coasts wait for the afternoon thermal, here the westerly flow blows almost year-round, and watersports centres can schedule their courses without crossing their fingers.

Wimereux, Hardelot, Le Touquet, Boulogne, Gravelines: almost every resort has its own club, with catamarans and dinghies, weekly courses in summer and single sessions the rest of the time.

Catamaran or dinghy?

The catamaran More stable, faster, and far more impressive when a hull lifts. This is what goes to adults and teenagers after a thrill.
The dinghy More technical and more instructive: this is where you really learn to trim a sail. The backbone of children's courses, often in an Optimist.
Sand yachting Same idea, but on the sand, at low tide. It's this coast's speciality, and the cheapest, least cold way in.

What to know before booking

Being able to swim 25 metres and put your face under: required everywhere, often with proof
Plan on a wetsuit — clubs lend them, but the water stays cold until June
Allow at least half a day: between rigging and packing away, a one-hour session doesn't really exist
Book ahead, especially in July and August, when courses fill up as early as spring

Do you know Sailing and catamaran? Your review

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