Transatlantic against breast cancer (nov 2016)

We zijn betrokken bij een super mooi project. Met een Spaans team van www.trexexploring.com gaan we dit jaar een challenge aan om met 5 vrouwen die zijn genezen van borstkanker de oceaan oversteken met de CANNONBALL. Dit doen we met twee Volvo Ocean Race zeilers, onder begeleiding van een arts en met een aantal journalisten aan boord. Er wordt ook een documentaire van gemaakt voor op National Geographic en Discovery Channel. Meer informatie volgt!

Brest

Forget everything you thought you knew about Brest, and come and explore the heart of this naval port, nestled in one of France’s most beautiful natural harbours. On the menu: the amazing Pont de l’Iroise bridge, a stroll along the lively quays as far as the castle museum, and of course Océanopolis.

Brest is Brittany’s second largest administrative centre, and has a great deal to offer. Although it was heavily bombed in 1944, this is by no means the town’s most interesting feature: it has rebuilt itself around a vision of the future, with incredible constructions like the Pont de l’Iroise bridge, which crosses the river Elorn. An amazing feat of architecture, this magnificent cable-stayed bridge was opened in 1994. Admire it from Albert Louppe bridge, which is for pedestrians and cyclists only. It’s a great place to take a walk and enjoy the view of the famous Brest harbour, the ‘Rade de Brest’, a sheltered area of the sea big enough for great ships to lie at anchor.

Another key feature of a visit to Brest is its commercial port. One of the best ways of getting a feel for the town’s character is to stroll along the docks at the Quai Commandant-Malbert. You’ll be able to see the hundreds of coloured buoys put in place by Finistere’s Lighthouses and Beacons department, shipyards building wooden boats, the legendary schooner La Recouvrance and the Abeille-Flandres, one of the most powerful tugboats in the world.

Continue your way along the commercial port’s great breakwater and you will find yourself practically at the foot of the castle and maritime museum. Finally, whatever you do, you mustn’t leave Brest without paying a visit to Océanopolis, the only ocean discovery centre of its kind in Europe. The centre boasts enormous aquariums and a seal clinic – as well as giving visitors the opportunity to touch some of the marine creatures living there!

Plymouth

Plymouth hosts a variety of watersports events, from dinghy sailing championships to powerboat grand prix’s. It is a popular location for yacht and dinghy sailing, canoeing and enjoying the scenery on a personal watercraft. The Plymouth Breakwater, just over two miles out from Plymouth Hoe was built in 1812 and has made a huge difference to the range of watersports activities available in the huge area of protected ocean. Plymouth Hoe is the natural heart of Plymouth with breathtaking views across Plymouth Sound, one of the most perfect natural harbours in the world.

Standing tall on the luscious green-lawned expanse of the Hoe is the iconic Smeaton’s Tower lighthouse. Open to the public year-round, Smeaton’s Tower offers a wonderful vantage point from its lantern room. Gaze down at the shoreline and you’ll see the glorious Art Deco Tinside Lido, open to the public for bathing during the summer months. Sir Francis Drake, intrepid explorer and local hero, is immortalised in a statue on the Hoe, situated just a few metres from the green where he finished his game before heading out to defeat the Spanish Armada in 1588.

At the eastern end of the Hoe you’ll find The Royal Citadel, the most impressive 17th century fortress in Britain and for many years England’s most important defence against attack from the sea. The Citadel has been in constant military occupation since it was built and today it is home to some of Plymouth’s modern heroes – the troops of 29 Commando Royal Artillery. English Heritage offers tours of the Royal Citadel on Tuesdays and Thursdays from May to September.

Cherbourg

The port of Cherbourg is situated in the heart of the largest artificial harbour in Europe with free access night and day. It is an amazing architectural masterpiece of the 17th and 18th centuries covering an area of 1500 hectares. With its three dykes, Cherbourg-Octeville is home to four ports for sailing, trade, fishing and military uses.

Here in the beautiful Cotentin country you’ll discover a magnificent coastline with the impressive cliffs of La Hague, the wild countryside of the Saire Valley and the city of Cherbourg itself, which still bears witness to the splendid heyday of the great liners when the city served as stopover for transatlantic crossings. Cherbourg has welcomed many passenger ships over the years. Among the most famous was the Titanic, which celebrated its centenary in 2012. On 10th April 1912, this ship made its last continental stop in Cherbourg where 281 passengers from emigrants to the aristocrats came on board the ill-fated ship.

Bathed in the Gulf Stream with an exceptionally temperate climate, Cherbourg has become a centre of interest for lovers of plant life and botany. Its parks and gardens are overflowing with an amazing variety of plants which are usually only found in tropical climes. The Cotentin peninsula has an extensive coastline with a wide range of seaside activities on offer. On the water, in the water, under the water, in the air or on the sand, there is something for everyone at the seaside!

Vigo

In the Galician province of Pontevedra, situated on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, lies the city that lends its name to the southernmost estuary of the Rías Baixas: Vigo. Its fishing origin has left an historic quarter with a strong maritime flavour, which contrasts with the modern facilities of its marinas. This city is an excellent base from which to visit the towns and villages along the Vigo estuary and the Cíes Isles that form part of the National Park of the Atlantic Islands. The cuisine of the Galician coast, based on fish and seafood, is an added incentive for visiting this region.

The port of Vigo, one of the finest natural ports in the world, was the origin of this city fringed by mountains. Its maritime qualities, already exploited in Roman times, have given rise to the present-day marinas and the transatlantic harbour, as well as to the fishing and canning industries. All of this has contributed to the urban development of Vigo, which includes the traditional port area and boasts major historic buildings and wide tree-lined avenues.

In Vigo there are many cafes and bars in and around the harbor. For those yacht charter guests, who are interested in culture, Vigo offers a lot of interesting sights which are certainly worth stopping over for. Also good shopping facilities are offered in the vicinity of the port of Vigo. So even the food shopping during a yacht charter in Vigo is fast and easy. But also souvenir shopping is pleasant in Vigo: modestly priced deals to enrich a yacht charter.