Sainte Marine to Concarneau 12nm
Thursday 23 July
We left sunny Sainte Marine late morning and had light airs for our short sail to Concarneau.
The sea is completely flat and we glided along at about 4 knots – we have been completely spoiled with this perfect sailing weather: sunny with light to moderate winds – coming from completely the opposite direction than usual in these parts (East to North East).
We saw a few dolphins, not close, and we identified Manx shearwaters sitting on the sea in family groups.
We arrived after 1.00pm and moored in the very welcoming marina (we were given biscuits!) just near the old town’s imposing walls.
Concarneau is first mentioned in 1050 when it was founded by monks from the Landévennec Abbey. Jean II of Brittany built the first walls in the 13th century to form the impregnable ‘Ville Close’ or walled city. By the 14th century it had become a major trade hub, military fortress and fishing port.
In 1373, French commander Bertrand de Guesclin won a famous victory over the English in the Hundred Years War and got the town back for France.
Concarneau also featured in the Breton-French war of 1489 when she succumbed after a 15 day siege. The town suffered along with the rest of France during the religious wars of the 16th century and the battlements were constantly improved over the centuries.
1851 saw the start of the sardine canning factories here when Concarneau became a major centre for the fishing industry.
In WWII the Americans liberated the town, with help from the Free French and the resistance.
We bought some more of the Breton staple patisserie, Kouign Amann (pronounced Quin-Aman) – mostly made of butter! It’s best to tackle them half at a time – they come in all sorts of flavours and we have orange & cointreau, caramel and apple, strawberry with rhubarb and rum and raisin this time. Yum!
We had dinner in a very nice restaurant: La Verrière where we enjoyed delicious razor clams.
Today is our last day with Mark who we shall all miss, it has been a delight to sail with him again after so many years and we very much hope he will join us again soon.
