This effect is also considerably strengthened by the pressure difference to the north of the two mountain massifs, the Alps and Pyrenees, and the warm Mediterranean Sea to the south. The wind is sucked through the Alps with great force under these circumstances. The air that flows along the Pyrenees mountains into the Mediterranean Sea accounts for a smaller portion of le Mistral, it is also called "le petit Mistral". The combined windforce is huge. Windforce 10 and 11 are not exceptional. The Romans were deeply respectful of this phenomenon. The king of all Mediterranean winds - Bora, Tramontana and the Schirokko-, they called it "Magistralis" (masterly). The Italians called it "Maestrale" and the French "le Mistral". Upon reaching the Bay of Lion, Le Mistral follows its powerful path around Corsica, Sardinia and Sicily. And so Le Mistral is the birthplace of many wind-related water sports and is inextricably connected to the Cote Azur, as is the brand Mistral, for that reason.