Overview
Lorient is the school’s home port: most of the South Brittany courses leave from Port-Louis, at the entrance to the roadstead. At the head of a vast natural roadstead, where the Blavet and the Scorff meet, Lorient is a major maritime city — fishing port (Keroman), yachting harbour and capital of offshore racing all at once: the converted submarine base houses the Ultim and IMOCA racing teams, and the Cité de la Voile Éric Tabarly faces the water.
The roadstead opens straight onto Groix, a few miles away, and beyond it onto Belle-Île and the open sea: an ideal position to start a course and string the stages together.
Approach & access
The entrance to the roadstead lies between the Pointe de Gâvres and the citadel of Port-Louis, through a clear, well-marked channel that is accessible at all states of the tide. The main channel is used by fishing boats, the Groix ferries and commercial traffic: keep a good lookout, especially at ferry times.
Practical pointers — The entrance is exposed to southerly swell in heavy weather, but remains navigable. Inside, the tidal stream makes itself felt in the rivers (Blavet, Scorff). Identify the buoyage of the access channels to the various harbours in the roadstead carefully. Details of berths and depths to be confirmed with the harbour offices.
Harbour & anchorage
The roadstead has several marinas that complement one another:
- Port-Louis (la Pointe) — the school’s harbour, at the entrance to the roadstead, handy for getting out to sea quickly.
- Lorient Centre / La Base — pontoons in the heart of the city, near the Cité de la Voile and the offshore racing base.
- Kernével — large, well-equipped marina on the west bank.
- At anchor — options within the roadstead, depending on the authorised zones and the shelter you need.
Services ashore
Lorient is a real service town, one of the best-equipped stops in South Brittany:
- Harbour offices, water and electricity on the pontoons, fuel.
- Toilets, showers, launderettes; boatyards, chandlers and repairers.
- Full provisioning: shops, supermarkets, markets; railway station and easy connections for a crew change.
- Regular ferry links to Groix.
Things to see & do
- The Cité de la Voile Éric Tabarly — museum of offshore racing, on the site of the base.
- The Keroman submarine base and the pontoons of the racing boats (Ultim, IMOCA).
- The citadel of Port-Louis and its museum of the French East India Company.
- The Keroman fishing port — one of France’s major fishing ports, with its fish auction and maritime atmosphere.
During the course — Courses in South Brittany start from Port-Louis, on the Lorient roadstead: briefing, getting to know the boat, harbour manoeuvres in the roadstead, then out to Groix and Belle-Île. An ideal setting to start gently before moving on to the offshore stages.
