Early Morning Departures and Open Water Sailing

We make an early escape from the Giens Peninsula to stay ahead of strong winds forecast for later in the day. The headland near Toulon is notorious for accelerating the breeze, and once in open water, the waves can quickly build—so timing is everything. With a smooth passage behind us, we drop anchor off Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer and wait for the wind to turn before crossing the bay to La Ciotat. This charming French town welcomes us with a large harbour, winding old streets, and plenty of cafés, restaurants, and small shops to explore. La Ciotat is a stop well worth making as we look for our next weather window to continue west along the Mediterranean coast. Episode S03E33 Recorded: Late August 2025 Support Our Journey: 🔗 Check out www.sailinghelios.com for exclusive behind-the-scenes content 📸 Follow us on Instagram for updates: https://www.instagram.com/sailinghelios2023/ 📸 Follow us on Facebook for updates: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sailinghelios Chapters 00:00 Lifting Anchor at Giens Peninsula 00:53 Rugby memories 04:04 Coffee at sea 04:41 Is this a Bond villain liar? 05:32 Sailing downwind 07:33 We miss our spade anchor 10:21 Cleaning rust off the deck 12:06 Stormy weather 12:45 Short motor to La Ciotat 14:20 The beautiful town of La Ciotat 21:51 Waterbombers and Wind Foilers 4K Video