Only a few hours from mainland France by boat, the Mediterranean island of Corsica lives up to its name as the “Isle of Beauty”. It offers a range of accommodation to suit all tastes and budgets, from public campsites to 5 star hotels and perfect conditions for slalom and freeride windsurfing. This year, PWA slalom sailor Benjamin ‘Babou’ Augé took 3 young sailors, Julien Mangel (15), Antoine Tavan (14) and Esteban de Cruz (13) on a trip to the island to explore its southern shores and offer them some coaching at the same time. Eric de Cruz tells us more.
LA TONNARA
La Tonnara on the SW coast is one of the windiest spots in France in summer. It is easy to get to and offers plenty of space to park your car and rig your sails and you can eat on-site at one of the two ideally situated beach restaurants.
The spot is at the mouth of a large bay, renowned for its big waves during strong winter Mistral winds, but it’s also a great slalom/freeride spot in summer depending on wind conditions and suitable for intermediate and above; beginners should stick to the shelter of the cove. A thermal wind often kicks in by mid-afternoon giving you great blasting sessions until sunset. It also works with east winds, but watch out as these are offshore.
You can also launch from la Punta, just across the bay from la Tonnara. To get there, go past the kitesurf learning area, head towards Pianotolli and you will find a recently resurfaced path on your left (look out for a small ruined house), it will take you straight to a beach you can sail from. The wind blows in a few knots stronger here, but it’s not recommended for foils due to the shallow, rocky waters. But foiling can be done at la Tonnara. After sailing out of the channel, you can sail effortlessly within the bay and the more motivated may even want to ride upwind to Figari bay.
In peak season, beware of swimmers and kitesurfers. The beach is small and can get overcrowded too.
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