Varatraza II, a formidable window on the world
Catherine and Bruno sailed around the Atlantic for a year with their four children aboard their Allures 45 Varatraza II. Today, Allures Yachting would recommend an Allures 51.9, classified as a meters sailboat, as the ideal boat for blue water cruising with the family. A family project, an "ocean eclipse" as they like to call it, a dream realized by all, in which everyone found their place and from which all brought back 1000 riches.
Bruno, how did your sailboat trip come about?
Catherine and I have always told our children that one day we would go on the family adventure that is a year's voyage across the Atlantic. So, although it wasn't all plain sailing, they weren't surprised when we decided to make what was a completely shared dream come true. We made Bernard Moitessier's motto our own:
"Everything beautiful and good that people have done, they've built with their dreams."
So you took the whole family to Varatraza?
Varatraza is the Trade Wind of the Indian Ocean, where our two eldest children, William (14 at the start) and France (12), were born. With their two little sisters, Romane (9) and Paloma (6), there were six of us aboard our Allures 45.
Four children, three cabins, two per cabin?
No, cohabitation between William and one of his three sisters was too "risky" (laughs)! So he had his own cabin, we parents had ours of course, and the three sisters shared the forward cabin , which had been specially fitted out for the purpose by the Allures shipyard. Peace on board was at this price.
But all went well...
This story, our story, has unfolded perfectly, of course, even if leaving our parents, their grandparents, the wider family, friends, activities has been a difficult time for everyone. But what we experienced in twelve months was so rich. And then we quickly met up with other sailing families, and the children even more quickly made 'batoscopains' as they call them, whom they met up with from stopover to stopover, even in the middle of the Atlantic like our friends from 'Tiplouf'! And the timing was ideal: it was William's last year at college, and Paloma had just learned to swim.
What will the children remember most about this year?
The transatlantic race itself, between Cape Verde and Martinique, is certainly an outstanding memory for them. They had never spent fifteen consecutive days at sea. It remains in their memories as an extraordinary voyage, even if from time to time they got fed up, for example when we tore the gennaker in a white squall between Cape Verde and the West Indies. It was an extraordinary adventure, a crossing we'll remember for the rest of our lives, an unforgettable moment... The encounters were also important.
Whereas before departure they were afraid of feeling alone, they made lots of friends their own age, and the atmosphere at stopovers was sometimes epic.
Whereas before departure they were afraid of feeling alone, they made lots of friends their own age, and the atmosphere at the ports of call was sometimes epic. I think it was a wonderful window on the world for them. When they came home and told us how strange it was that everyone spoke French, it was an extraordinary gift! And our little Paloma, 6 years old and alone on her horse, is riding around Cuba - what a stroke of luck! Finally, the stopover in New York, where William celebrated his 15th birthday, was an exceptional moment, and discovering the Statue of Liberty a real thrill.
How did the CNED distance learning course go?
Monitoring our children's schooling went smoothly. Generally speaking, they worked every morning and were fairly independent, with the older ones helping the younger ones, so all we had to do was check the assessments! It works very well and the level is excellent. What's more, everything they learned on a daily basis, during the crossings, in the countries they visited and from the people they met, is even more invaluable.
Which country surprised you the most?
It's difficult to say. Senegal was a shock for sure. But perhaps the most surprising was Cuba. Yet we'd dreamed about it, we'd talked about it, about this somewhat mythical stopover. So when we arrived there, after three days at sea from the Dominican Republic, not without having hidden the satellite phone so that it wouldn't be consigned, and after many formalities, a sweet feeling of accomplishment even came over us. Once ashore, however, we were truly stunned. It's as if the country had remained frozen in the 1950s... People ride bicycles, horses and carts. The houses are very simple, often made of wood, and the little old men sit on the side of the road in their rocking chairs, watching people go by rather than the television. Everyone sells their small garden produce on the side of the road... The hyper-consumerist society has not yet reached this point... how relaxing! Cuba literally seduced us, enchanted us, bewitched us...
You also carried out a mission with Voiles Sans Frontières...
What a moment yes! This was a mission we'd prepared for before we left, including fundraising, and it was very important to us that the kids get involved and that we get out there, specifically to the village of Siwo in Senegal's Sine Saloum region. The trip up the river was epic, with several groundings on sandbanks, and William in the dinghy to get us out, but we finally made it. And what a memorable welcome! A real discovery, a clash of cultures in conditions that are sometimes tough for us Westerners. We were both delighted to see that VSF's projects were making a real improvement, especially in the schools, but also frightened by how much remains to be done. We're left with a thousand smiles, tons of kindness and so many questions about what more we could do...
But the end of the trip didn't go exactly to plan...
No, we didn't. While we had indeed put the boat up for sale, we had also planned to make the transatlantic return trip without the children, who had flown back to France. Then a Franco-American couple from Washington showed an interest in buying Varatraza. The contact was excellent, and the mutual trust enabled us to overcome the few administrative hurdles involved in selling a French boat on American soil, so we took the boat back down to Chesapeake Bay. We were very attached to this boat after all we'd experienced aboard her, so it was inevitably a bit of a heartbreak. But we're happy to have left her in good hands, for further adventures.
We were very attached to this boat after all we'd experienced on board, so it was inevitably a bit of a heartbreak. But we're happy to have left her in good hands, to live other adventures.
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