Bonifacio Yacht Rally 28 August – 11 September 2010

by . on 29 Jul 2009
Sail the stunning Costa Smerelda and the Maddalena Islands of Sardinia - add a little of French Corsica with Bonifacio, Lavezzi, Port de Cavallo and Porto Vecchio and then experience the Yacht Club Costa Smerelda.

Although Sardinia and Corsica have a shared history, reflected in similar flags, and similar languages they are distinctly different today and both are different again from their respective mother countries. The Sardinians are Italian only when it suits them and some of the Corsicans, it seems, would rather be independent of France altogether.

Family, food, wine and siestas sit emphatically at the top of the priority list on both islands and the enthusiasm that typically accompanies an offer of service is rarely matched by the resolve to deliver. We quickly learnt the true meaning of 'no problem' – it is 'tomorrow, more or less, maybe and unbelievable'.

English is not widely spoken anywhere so unless you can manage in Italian and or French I would suggest you join the rally, which is accompanied by a local who doubles as a mechanic – very handy. We had a medical emergency and a few technical problems and I shudder to think what the outcome might have been had we been there without our local contacts.