Eight countries. Twenty-one bases.

The Adriatic's most accessible coastline — a thousand islands within a day's sail of each other, each one different. Split is beginners' Croatia; Dubrovnik is culture; the Kornati are for disappearing.

Two completely different seas in one country. The Ionian is green, gentle, and forgiving. The Aegean is dramatic, demanding, and unforgettable in September when the meltemi finally sleeps.

Three different Italys within one sailing area. The Amalfi coast is vertical drama and ancient towns. Sardinia is the clearest water in the Mediterranean. The Aeolian islands are active volcanoes you can anchor under.

The French Riviera is compact, glamorous, and full of history that the summer crowds obscure. Corsica is ten minutes from the Côte d'Azur by sea and feels like a different century.

The Balearics — Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, Formentera — are a complete sailing area in themselves. Palma is the gateway; the south of Mallorca and the channel between Ibiza and Formentera is the prize.

The Turquoise Coast gets its name honestly. The coves cut deep into the hills — protected, private, and free. Göcek has twelve islands inside a single bay. Better value than Greece, and half as crowded in September.

The most concentrated historical landscape in the Mediterranean — 7,000 years of continuous civilisation on an island 27km long. Every anchorage looks up at something ancient.

The BVI is the easiest ocean sailing in the world — constant trade winds from the east, flat water between the islands, and anchoring charts so detailed you can read the bottom. A completely different experience from the Mediterranean.