Out to the Isles

I trail my boat to southern Brittany for a cruise in company with a number of other dinghies. We sail along the coast and out to the Îles de Glénan, camping on board each night.

INTERESTED IN DINGHY CRUISING?
Read my book, “The Dinghy Cruising Companion”:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dinghy-Cruising-Companion-Roger-Barnes/dp/1408179164
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 whirlwind.
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 on the website of 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
(Sad 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, will have to pay VAT and other duties. Fortunately there are more and more Ilurs being built in the UK).

MUSIC
Footprints in the Sand – Acoustic Group featuring Melanie Bell
– from Epidemic Sound

ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Ronan Coquil
Cedric Bielinski

THANKS
To Patrick Menneteau for the organisation, and everything

PARTICIPANTS
Jean Lou Guimard – Seil – fibreglass
Vincent Lorilleux – Beetle Catboat
Jean-David Benamou – Hobie Cat – converted to cruising boat
Olivier Langlet – traditional clinker 12 footer – home built
Emmanuel Mailly and Dominique Calvel – Ilur – home built
Patrick Menneteau – traditional 12 foot dinghy – professionally carvel built
Et bien sûr Roger Barnes – Ilur – professionally clinker built