Sicily northwest coast is a genuine sailing ground: the Tramontane blows reliably from the northwest in summer, the Scirocco comes from the south in spring and autumn, and the Ponentino sea breeze fills in most afternoons between June and September. A sailing yacht based in Palermo can work the whole of this coast between the Egadi Islands and Cefalù, and make the offshore passage to Ustica or the Aeolian Islands on a week charter with appropriate weather windows. Nine sailing yachts in the collection operate in Sicilian waters, ranging from 30 to 60 metres in length and carrying two to twelve guests. Weekly rates run from approximately 85,000 to 245,000 euros before the advance provisioning allowance of roughly 30 percent. The sailing conditions in this area reward yachts with good upwind performance: the Tramontane sets a consistent breeze against which to make easting between Palermo and Cefalù, and the return from the Egadi Islands to Palermo is a beam reach with the wind on the port quarter. The Stagnone lagoon near Marsala, with its salt pans and the island of Mozia, is accessible to sailing yachts with a draft under two metres at the channel entrance, and the shallow lagoon is one of the most distinctive anchorages in the western Mediterranean. Palermo berths sailing yachts at the Cala harbour or the Porto di Palermo, depending on the vessel size and the time of year.
