Bay Of Biscay
Few bodies of water have such a fearsome reputation—or have exerted as powerful an effect in shaping the course of history—as the Bay of Biscay. Enclosed by the Atlantic coast of France and northern coast of Spain, the bay measures less than 350 miles from headland to headland, but is approximately 250 miles deep. At 86,000 square miles, it covers roughly two and a half times the area of Lake Superior.
Today, Biscay is associated with races like the Vendee Globe and the Mini Transat. Yet these events and the attendant innovative boatbuilding industry based on the Atlantic coast of France are just the latest chapter in a fascinating maritime history.
Central to this history is the area’s rough weather. The region has long been feared by seafarers, and in the days of trading under sail, becoming “embayed” in Biscay could spell disaster for square-riggers, in particular. To this day it demands respect from commercial shipping—the past 45 years alone have seen no less than three large tankers founder off the port of A Coruna on the tip of Spain, spilling more than 230,000 tons of oil in the process. Thankfully, the resulting mess has been largely cleaned up, and the area’s marine ecosystems are recovering. Nonetheless, there’s good reason why the Spanish call this area —the Coast of
