ST PETER PORT

GUERNSEY 49°27.19’N, 002°32.00’W

French food, English-speaking locals, sandy beaches, clear waters and idyllic, car-free islands – no wonder thousands of yachts visit the Channel Islands each year.

Less than 30nm from Normandy, Guernsey is the second largest and furthest west of the Channel Islands, and the Bailiwick of Guernsey (a bailiwick is a territory administered by a bailiff) comprises Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, Herm, plus smaller islands, including Brecqhou, Jethou, Little Sark and Burhou. It is a Crown dependency, but not part of the UK, and has its own currency, the local pound, which is 1:1 with sterling. Guernsey is not car-free, but other islands in the bailiwick are: there are no motorised vehicles on Herm or on Sark, so all you’ll see are bikes and the odd tractor, or horse and cart.

For sailors, the Channel Islands are famous for their rocky approaches, massive tidal ranges and fierce tidal races that shoot through the channels. In the two channel approaches to Guernsey, Little Russel and Big Russel, races can be as strong as 6kt on