Look at these two photos. The same place but taken at very different times and under very different circumstances.

Les Sables d’Olonne is the legendary place on the coast of the Vendee region in France where the toughest single-handed yacht race starts and finishes. The west coast of France can be a dangerous place but beautiful with old harbour walls, some built in Napoleonic times, protect the entrances to harbours, and Les Sables is no different. The entrance is narrow with boats coming through Le Canal to get into the marina.

This photo is from 2008 with the sun shining on the marina. This photo was taken by jrs1967_1 and is posted on Flickr.

Now have a look at the following photo, taken after the recent storm hit Europe (Feb/Mar 10). The wind and swell were so dramatic that there were 30-40 foot yachts up-ended and dumped on top of the piles in the marina. The outer pontoons ended up where the inner pontoons used to be, while the inner pontoons ended up on dry land. Pretty impressive given the marina is all the way down Le Canal.

It’s a terrible lesson in just how powerful mother nature can be. We need and love the wind for our sport or passtime, but we often take our safety for granted. 47 people were killed in France as a result of the storm and they were on dry land! It gives me a greater appreciation of the bravery and skills the sailors who race around our planet demonstrate year in and year out.

For the best wind and weather forecast services you can access these on Harbour Exchange. Go to the Weather section.

Here’s a map showing where Les Sables d’Olonne is in case you are not sure:

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