Classic Yacht Sailing in Cannes

Our 2 day, 2 night experience in Manurau was fantastic. The beautiful 1985 Swan 43 raised salutes of admiration from other sailors wherever we anchored. The timber finishes are a craftsman’s delight and the hull has fantastic headroom. My 8 yr old grandson quickly adopted one of the upper cabin berths and snuggled into it as his cubby. As sailors from Australia, we elected to have skipper without crew and contributed to the work of running and sailing the boat. We helmed for much of the time when local knowledge of reefs and shallows was not required. Our skipper, Alexis was a wonderful host and adapted to our requests in all respects and even enjoyed playing Nintendo FIFA with my grandson. Alexis dutifully took the cooking responsibilities despite the heat nearly cooking him ! Food and drink were plentiful and good quality and catered to our requested menu (allergy requirements). As we sailed in mid-July, 2026 during the extended heat wave, the wind was fickle, but day 2 we had a nice 8 - 10 knots of wind for our sail back to Cannes for the Bastille day fireworks. Alexis picked the coastal lifts well, so we made 5 knots on the return and arrived to get front row anchorage for the fireworks. The awning was deployed at anchor to provide some relief from the sun and the swimming cooled us off between drinks. All in all, a great experience, but I will try and pick a cooler weather window next time !!

We had an incredible afternoon with Alexis on the beautiful yacht. The sailing was perfect, he shared all kinds if interesting history along the coast and then we parked between the islands for snorkeling, swimming and padel board. And of course a wonderful lunch and wine! We loved our time on the sea and can’t wait to do it again. Merci beaucoup!!

This was the most magical experience! Francis and Nico were wonderful. We sailed around the islands, snorkeled in the sea and learned so much about the history of the area. It was relaxing and truly a lifetime adventure. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys a great view, revels in history and welcomes the company of outstanding hosts!