Raid Bassin d'Arcachon - a dinghy odyssey

I trail my boat down to southwest France to participate in a small boat rally on an atmospheric inland tidal sea.

This was the first year of the Raid Bassin. More information here:
https://raid-bassin.jimdofree.com

INTERESTED IN DINGHY CRUISING?
Read my book, "The Dinghy Cruising Companion":
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dinghy-Cruis...
And join the Dinghy Cruising Association:
http://dinghycruising.org.uk/

AVEL DRO
Do you want a boat like mine?
Avel Dro is an Ilur designed by François Vivier, and built of clinker plywood by Les Charpentiers Reunis of Cancale in 1994, which I bought in France and imported into the UK. The design is based closely on the traditional inshore fishing boats of Brittany in the early years of the twentieth century, hence her single boom-less lugsail rig and lack of a mainsheet horse, (sometimes controversial among my viewers). Although rare in Britain, Ilurs are relatively common in France. The name Avel Dro is Breton, and basically means a shifting wind.
Length 4.44 m
Sail area 12.2 m²
Beam 1.70 m
Draught 0.25 / 0.86 m
Design category C3
François Vivier's website (in English):
http://www.vivierboats.com/en/
Similar dinghies can often be found for sale in the French magazine Le Chasse-Marée:
https://www.chasse-maree.com/revue/
Or try Le Bon Coin, (where you can buy anything in France):
https://www.leboncoin.fr
Note about the effect of post-Brexit trade rules, as introduced on 1 Jan 2021. These mean that Great Britain (but not Northern Ireland) residents who buy a boat in France, or elsewhere in the EU, with the intention of importing it into the UK, have to pay VAT and other duties. Fortunately there are more and more Ilurs being built in the UK.

MUSIC
Our Hearts As One - Peter Sandberg
Belle Epoque - The Devil's Sway
Both from Epidemic Sound

ADDITIONAL FILMING AND PHOTOGRAPHY
Ronan Coquil
William Pieters

THANKS
To Jack De Witte (Ted Tiwe) and Lisa Verdaasdonk for masterminding and organising this first trial Raid Bassin. And to Héléne and Jack for accommodating me in their houses in Le Teich and Bordeaux before and afterwards.
Also to Jean-Michel Villetorte and Philippe Montalban for their assistance in using the port of Le Teich and providing accommodation for our trailers.
And to Philippe Batonneau, Michel Cazaubon and David Anquetil who helped with the organisation.
As well as to Jean-Pierre and Annette who kindly allowed us to use their outdoor dining table at île aux Oiseaux in front of their cabane.

PARTICIPANTS AND THEIR BOATS (in French)
1-
William Pieters
sur « Bluto », son plan Rog 15
À voir sur le Chasse-Marée entre autres:
https://www.chasse-maree.com/actualit...
2-
Ingrid et Gérard 
sur GuiGui, un BayRaider20 de chez SwallowBoats 
3-
Vincent (sans Elo 😢)
sur leur plan Elorn « Ecodelo » de François Vivier
Grand organisateur du Festivoiles au lac de Pareloup
https://voileaviron.org/events/festiv...
4-
Roger Barnes
sur son Ilur, « Avel Dro »
A lire dans le Chasse Marée n°287
A voir et revoir sur YouTube
Á lire https://www.harbourbookshop.co.uk/pro...
5-
Bruno Mazzilli et Carole
Esquif à préciser parmi sa grande flottille 😅 (éventuellement un petit Jeanneau)
Un des pivots de l’association Granyotarem et grand Libre Penseur, la voile latine n’a plus de secrets pour lui :
https://m.facebook.com/voile.latine.l...
6-
Jack et Hélène 
sur un BayRaider 20 construit par Jeff Henderson sur un dessin de Matt Newland, du chantier SWALLOWBOATS au Pays de Galles,  « Rhiannon »
7-
Lisa Verdaasdonk avec Karine 
sur sa toute nouvelle acquisition 
Un petit cotre sur plan Rabat, construit sur le Bassin en 1992 en seulement deux exemplaires 
« Hippocampe »
8-
David Anquetil
sur sa toute nouvelle acquisition, une Jolie Môme, évidemment!