She thought she would escape, but the respite was short-lived. When the sailboat had just left the port of Calvi (Haute-Corse), and the swell was starting to rise, Pauline Adler got stuck with a good deal of seasickness, which paralyzed her for two hours. Nausea, muddy state, retching… “My companion had taken a preventive medication, he did better… Fortunately, it’s ok”, remembers this consultant specializing in “zero waste”, who lives in the Dordogne. In the summer of 2022, the couple and their 8-year-old daughter were among the first passengers to test this new sailing transport line between the continent and Corsica, set up by the company Sailcoop. The family had taken the ferry to go, and for the return, let themselves be tempted by this option – out of ecological concern as much as a desire to have a different experience. A journey that Pauline and Benjamin Adller qualify today as ” Magic “with dolphins, whales and sunfish on the way.
If in 2022, Sailcoop had provided around twenty crossings during the summer, this cooperative is moving up a gear, with a second sailboat and more trips, from April 20. In July and August, its two 15-meter monohulls will leave every day from Calvi or Saint-Raphaël (Var), with six to eight passengers. “The challenge is to develop a carbon-free mode of transport, a less polluting alternative to the plane or the ferry”, explains Maxime de Rostolan, the founder of Sailcoop.
Twenty hours of travel
Will the demand be there? “We already have a third of the places reserved”, answers this 42-year-old engineer, who had so far launched various projects around permaculture, agroecology… And who hasn’t been flying for ten years. Interested holidaymakers must, in any case, accept a certain promiscuity, and not be in a hurry. Because it takes about twenty hours to reach the continent and the island of beauty. In the event of very bad weather, Sailcoop cancels the crossing and has negotiated with a ferry company, which agrees to take its passengers on the same day. And if there is no wind, you have to expect to do part of the journey… with a motor. Finally, it is necessary to count 240 euros per person one way with night in the cabin (compared to 80-100 euros for the ferry, excluding vehicle), with meals included.
The launch of this sailing link was a journey full of pitfalls for Sailcoop. The Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (PACA) regional safety commission, an advisory body that depends on the maritime affairs department, and which includes ferry or shuttle ship owners, has issued a negative opinion on the development of this project.
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