CRUISING CORSICA

Harry Metcalfe heads south for a magical week among the cruising grounds of Corsica

- Harry Metcalfe

When cruising the crowded waters of the French Riviera, Corsica is always a tantalising temptation. At just 100 miles away, it’s right there, winking at you whenever you zoom out on your boat’s plotter. In truth, the waters between the French mainland and Corsica are plagued by strong westerlies, which can make the sea passage unpleasant at times. And the end result is that timid boat-owners like me tend to pour another glass of rosé and postpone the big Corsica trip until next year. But in the end, curiosity got the better of me and I booked a two-week slot on Bateau9, our sharedownership Princess 61. That ought to give me enough time to visit both Corsica and the islands off northern Sardinia.

SCANDOLA AND CARGÈSE

A smooth crossing is best achieved at first light, so we cranked the engines into life at 0530 and crept past the outer perimeter of Antibes Marina just as the sun was starting to appear behind Cap Ferrat. Nick (Bateau 9’s full-time captain) pointed the bows towards Scandola Bay on the west coast of Corsica. He then engaged autopilot at 2,100 rpm (24 knots) and in just under four hours, the dramatic Corsican coastline appeared on the horizon under an azure-blue sky.

Scandola, a world UNESCO reserve, is an amazing bay with huge red cliffs rising out of the sea. But right at its heart is a sheltered cove called Girolata with mooring buoys for boats of up to 20m and Caribbean-style cafes and restaurants scattered along its pretty shoreline. The next day, we motored round the huge bay to Porto before heading further south.