Les Glénans is a famous French sailing school, operating as a non-profit organization. Most of its instructors are volunteers. It was founded in 1947 by Philippe and Hélène Viannay, who had been involved with the French Resistance

French Resistance

The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...

 during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. Its first site was the Glénan archipelago

Glénan islands

The Glénan islands are an archipelago located off the coast of France. They are located in the south of Finistère, near Concarneau and Fouesnant, and comprise seven major islands: Saint-Nicolas, the Loc'h, Penfret, Cigogne, Drenec, Bananec, and Brunec...

, about 10 nautical miles (18.5 km) off the coast of southern Brittany

Brittany

Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...

. Among its first boats was a 12 meter Bermudian cutter called Sereine, which is now a French listed monument and still sails after having been entirely refurbished in 2005.

Its headquarters are in Paris

Paris

Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

, France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, and it operates five sites in France: Paimpol

Paimpol

Paimpol is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwestern France.It is a tourist destination, especially during the summer months when people are attracted by its port and beaches.-Population:...

, l'Ile-d'Arz and l'Archipel (as the Glénan archipelago is referred to by Glénans adepts) in Brittany

Brittany

Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...

, Marseillan

Marseillan, Hérault

Marseillan is a commune in the Hérault department in southern France.It lies some west of Montpellier.Marseillan sits on a large salt-water lake, the Étang de Thau and is the southern Entreport for the Canal du Midi....

 in Southern France and Bonifacio in Corsica

Corsica

Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....

, and two sites in Ireland: Collanmore Island

Collanmore Island

Collanmore Island is an island off the west coast of Ireland. One of the larger of the islands in Clew Bay, Collanmore Island is a base of Les Glénans, a non-profit sailing school. The base teaches dinghy and catamaran sailing and sail-boarding. Collanmore enjoys magnificent views of Croagh Patrick...

 County Mayo and Baltimore, County Cork

Baltimore, County Cork

Baltimore is located in western County Cork, Ireland. Baltimore is the principal village of the parish of Rath and the Islands, the southernmost parish in Ireland...

. Sailing takes place in most of the western Medditerranean basin, the UK, Ireland, Norway and Sweden. Cruises cross the Atlantic Ocean and, in the past, have visited Iceland.

Les Glénans teaches catamaran

Catamaran

A catamaran is a type of multihulled boat or ship consisting of two hulls, or vakas, joined by some structure, the most basic being a frame, formed of akas...

 sailing, dinghy

Dinghy

A dinghy is a type of small boat, often carried or towed for use as a ship's boat by a larger vessel. It is a loanword from either Bengali or Urdu. The term can also refer to small racing yachts or recreational open sailing boats. Utility dinghies are usually rowboats or have an outboard motor,...

 sailing and windsurfing

Windsurfing

Windsurfing or sailboarding is a surface water sport that combines elements of surfing and sailing. It consists of a board usually two to four metres long, powered by the orthogonal effect of the wind on a sail. The rig is connected to the board by a free-rotating universal joint and comprises a...

, but 70% of its activity is yachting

Yachting

Yachting refers to recreational sailing or boating, the specific act of sailing or using other water vessels for sporting purposes.-Competitive sailing:...

. Every year up to 14,000 students and 800 instructors sail for 100,000 days.

The fleet of Les Glénans consists of a wide variety of boats which are usually adapted specially for the purposes of the school. On the water, these boats are usually recognizable by a red stripe across the mainsail.