EXPERIENCES

A sailor and airplane pilot

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Harry is a true modern-day pioneer! Now aged 74 and originally from Bainbridge Island, Washington, USA, this trained engineer is passionate about aviation and sailing. Between 2011 and 2019, Harry made solo flights to all seven continents aboard a small, single-engine fiberglass aircraft. His adventures have taken him twice around the world and even over the North Pole. He recounts these experiences in his book Flying 7 Continents Solo, in which he recounts the challenges of his solo air travels.

Alongside these flights, Harry also sailed extensively, notably between Seattle and Alaska in his first sailboat, Raytrace. Then he wanted to go further, and formulated the project of once again circumnavigating the planet solo, but this time in a sailboat. And he chose a safe, maneuverable boat: an Allures 40.9, to be delivered in 2022 and christened Phywave.

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He recounts these experiences in his book Flying 7 Continents Solo, in which he recounts the challenges of his solo air travels.

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At least one stop on each of the 7 continents

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Harry's solo voyage, which began in Norfolk in August 2022, spans over 38,000 nautical miles, more than 350 days at sea and stops in 20 countries and territories. From the icy waters of Antarctica to the sunny shores of Australia, his journey has been as varied as the continents themselves.

After his first Atlantic crossing, he stopped off in Portugal, in Lagos, to discover the wines and landscapes of the Algarve. In Africa, he stopped off in Morocco, then South Africa and Namibia on his return journey. Harry sailed along South Africa's famous Wild Coast, carried by the powerful Agulhas Current. In South America, he stopped off in Brazil, Argentina and Puerto Williams, Chile, where he was able to refuel and admire the spectacular fjords and mountains of Tierra del Fuego. Harry then crossed the dreaded Drake Passage to Antarctica, a solo feat! In Australia, after opening a new, shorter route through the Great Barrier Reef, he celebrated his Pacific crossing with a long stopover in Darwin to avoid the tropical cyclone season. In Asia, a planned one-week stopover in Lombok, Indonesia, was extended to a month, to allow time for unexpected but essential repairs to the boat's engine. After crossing the Atlantic for the third time from South Africa, Namibia and the island of St. Helena, he made his triumphant return to North America in Fort Lauderdale.

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Harry's solo voyage spanned over 38,000 nautical miles, more than 350 days at sea and stopovers in 20 countries and territories. From the icy waters of Antarctica to the sunny shores of Australia, his journey was as varied as the continents themselves.

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A blog to share your encounters

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This circumnavigation will have tested Harry in an entirely different way. " Sailing is obviously much slower and physically demanding. But it allows a stronger immersion in the environment, a better appreciation of each destination and a connection with the international sailing community. " So, throughout his voyage, Harry has highlighted on his blog the encounters that enrich his adventures. Whether it's local fishermen, island families or other sailors and aviators, each encounter brings a human dimension to his stories. He also shares his thoughts on life, sailing and flying, emphasizing the importance of preparation, resilience and openness to the unknown.

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" Sailing is obviously much slower and physically demanding. But it allows a stronger immersion in the environment, a better appreciation of each destination and a connection with the international sailing community. "

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What next?

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For most, such a feat would mark the end of an incredible adventure. But Harry is already planning what's next. His ambition is to bring Phywave back to Bainbridge Island via the Northwest Passage. " I've already tackled the ice in Antarctica. I hope this experience will serve me well for the Arctic challenge. " Another great challenge for Harry!

The Allures Yachting shipyard is impressed by Harry's achievement and offers him its warmest congratulations once again.

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To find out more about Harry's exploits at sea and in the air, visit his website: www.phywave.com

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" One day we'll go around the world ".

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‍WhenDominique met Véronique, he was already sailing quite a lot. His grandfather, a naval officer, introduced him to sailing as a child. Véronique, however, is not a fan of the sport. However, before getting married, he proposed: " One day we'll sail around the world ", and she didn't say no. Professional life caught up with them, he a company director in the Paris region, she an ENT doctor. They have ties with Brittany, in North Finistère, and the sea is never far away. Dominique continues to sail a little, from time to time. In 2017/2018, he will be racing in a transatlantic race with his brother-in-law, the Transquadra. And when Dominique hands over his business in 2019, Véronique knows that it will soon be time for their departure: " It was his childhood dream, so there was a time when we had to go for it!

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Dominique set out to find the ideal sailboat. He wanted it to be comfortable and safe, made of aluminum, so that Véronique could feel at ease. Big enough to welcome family on stopovers, to store water sports equipment, but above all to be easy to handle for two. And a centerboarder, to get into the Pacific atolls, would be even better. Allures Yachting has just presented the plans for its new Allures 51.9It's going to be this one!

What's more, the Grand Large Yachting group is organizing its first round-the-world rallie , the World OdysseyThey see it as an opportunity to sail even more safely, and to make new friends. But the departure takes place in September 2021, and the boat, the first in the series, will be delivered just a few weeks before the start. Three years on, Dominique is still convinced of his choice:

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"I'll take the same boat again! This boat is super comfortable, super safe and easier to handle than a catamaran, especially on long crossings and in harbors.

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‍Andapprehension disappears

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‍" I think when you cast off, you can be a little apprehensive about the unknown. We hardly knew the boat at all. We knew we were embarking on something, without knowing exactly what it would be. Gradually, we got the hang of it. And then there's no apprehension at all. Dominique, who has always loved technique, soon knows everything about his boat, and is happy at sea and at stopovers. Véronique admits that she needed more time to adapt, and was initially happier to arrive at stopovers than to leave them. But she gained confidence and really found her pleasure in the adventure:

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" I never thought I'd make it around the world so easily.

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Today, she even feels a touch of personal pride, quite legitimate, at having completed this round-the-world trip with Dominique! They quickly found their rhythm on board. On the long crossings, they split the night watches in two: Véronique stays up until 2 a.m., after which Dominique takes over. Then the days are finally full: the weather, reading, cooking, " and also just the pleasure of being there, meditating as you let yourself be rocked by the wind and the waves ", says Dominique. Véronique reads a lot, the Fou de Bassan is overflowing with books. She writes a blog, and their friends and family patiently await the new articles and accompanying photos. They also enjoy receiving their families, children and grandchildren on stopovers. On some crossings, too. One of their daughters even spent 3 months on board with her children in Tahiti. And everyone met up again in South Africa for a southern Christmas party.

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The pleasure of discovery

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‍Whatmost motivated Véronique, who is very curious by nature, was discovering new cultures. Before visiting each country, she learns all she can about it: the meaning of the flag, political institutions, cultural highlights, gastronomy, the economy... Visiting so many countries in 3 years was a real passion for her. Dominique too:

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" Travelling is about discovering others, meeting people, cultures and countries. I'm always fascinated by the cultures we meet.

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Dominique admits that by joining the rallie World Odysseyhe was worried that he'd find himself in an overly constrained environment, and " in fact, the environment is extremely free, and the friendships you make with the other participants are really great. Sometimes we follow slightly different itineraries, we don't see each other for a month or two, and then when we do it's really nice to meet up with people we know who are going through the same thing as us ". For Véronique, it was also reassuring to sail around the world with several boats. And, just like Dominique, she appreciated the new friendships she made with people of different nationalities: " In the end, during these 3 years, we spent more time with our friends on the rallie than with our long-standing friends ashore ".

Even if it annoys them a little (because everyone asks them), we obviously asked them what their favorite ports of call had been: Véronique was astonished by Namibia and loved all the stopovers with her family. Dominique loved the trip, but if she had to pick just one stopover, the arrival at Nuku Hiva was extraordinary after 17 days at sea, and the Lau (Fiji) with its isolated islands is very endearing.

Both at sea and on land, their complementarity and complicity are obvious. While Dominique was at the origin of the project, it's clear that Véronique has also found her place in it.

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" It's really an extraordinary journey, it's beyond anything I'd imagined! "

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And at the rallie's closing evening in Ponta Delgada, he emotionally thanked Véronique, " his best teammate ", for the 3 years of happiness spent together on the seas around the globe.

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Watch their video testimonials

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Full speed ahead on the Atlantic, in a flotilla

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This winter, the transatlantic routes were packed with yachts in search of tropical horizons. Among the many participants in the ARC+ and Route des îles du Soleil rallies , two Allures 45.9 stood out for their marine performance and seakeeping: TENGRI and NOMAD. Two names to remember, two crews to salute.

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A yacht designed to combine speed, safety and elegance

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As a reminder, theAllures 45.9, our first fast cruising yacht, is the "sporty" version of theAllures 45.9 ( meters class), with a lifting keel and carbon mast. Unlike the original centerboarderversion, it's the lifting keel, with its slightly bulbous shape, that carries the ballast, with a lower center of gravity. The boat gains nearly 2 tons. The carbon mast and Rod rig further lighten the overall package, especially in the upper reaches, making the boat even faster, and above all less sensitive to pitching and therefore even more pleasant to sail.

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TENGRI: first in real life on the ARC+, ahead of the giants

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On the ARC+ 2023, between Cape Verde and Grenada, Yermek ASHKENOV led TENGRI at an impressive pace:

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" TENGRI really has great speed potential! We even made a peak speed of 17 knots .

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On arrival, he was also delighted with the perfect balance between performance and safety on his Allures 45.9: " TENGRI is a great boat! Strong enough to break the ice, and fast enough to compete with high-performance yachts ". Indeed, TENGRI came in first in real time in Granada in its Class B category, leaving behind 15 boats, including 55-footers.  

A glance at the finish line reveals no less than two Amel 50s, a Grand Soleil 46, an Xc 45, two Oyster 55s and a 53 or a Hallberg-Rassy 53 behind them, almost to their surprise...

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NOMAD: thrills and control on the Sunshine Islands Route

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On the Route des îles du soleil, Jean-Luc and Marie-Claire BRUGGEMAN, who took possession of their new boat in May, were also quick to take advantage of NOMAD's speed potential. It has to be said that Jean-Luc has a serious racing background, which is why, when it came to choosing a cruising boat for their round-the-world trip, they were looking for a safe, but above all fast yacht: theAllures 45.9 was made for them!

Accompanied by two crew members, they pushed the boat up to 16 knots on a very windy day! " Generally speaking, Marie-Claire and I had a big debate about whether I should apply the brakes at times, to encourage fishing and provisioning on board, " Jean-Luc tells us, amused... and proud. Both also told us how much they appreciated the safety and serenity provided by their boat: " to the point where we sometimes wondered if we were on the same ocean as our competitors, who were complaining about being in a washing machine. We didn't have the same feeling at all aboard NOMAD.

And at the finish in Les Saintes, out of 18 participants in the rallie, there were only 2 catamarans and a 56-foot monohull in front of them - impressive!

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We sometimes wondered if we were on the same ocean as our competitors..." [...] "Some people talked about a washing machine. [...] "Some people talked about a washing machine, we felt like we were in a cocoon."

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blue water cruising in aluminum: fast and reassuring

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These two brilliant performances demonstrate, if proof were needed, that today's blue water cruising on an aluminum sailboat is not only safe, but also fast! Congratulations to Yermek, Jean-Luc and Marie-Claire for steering their boats so brilliantly! And thank you for sharing their adventures with us.

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📊 S ee the Sun Islands 2023 rallie rankings

⛵ Discover the Sun Islands rallie

🌍 F ind out more about ARC+.

A transatlantic race forty years in the making

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For many of the crews involved in the Grand Large Yachting World Odyssey 500, this first Atlantic crossing was a founding moment. " We'd been dreaming of doing the Transat for almost forty years," says one sailor, moved to have finally realized this long-standing project. Twenty-one days at sea, far from any coastline, represented an unprecedented experience. "It's really a time we've never experienced before, alone on a boat for so long." These are the stories of the Allures owners, who emotionally share their experiences and learnings aboard their blue water cruising aluminum sailboat.

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"We'd been dreaming of doing the Transat for almost forty years," says one sailor, thrilled to have finally made this long-standing project a reality.

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Tougher conditions than expected

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The image of a gentle transatlantic race under trade winds, warmth and swimming was quickly disproved. After a few days of flat calm, the crews had to contend with sustained cross seas. Weather systems forced them to lengthen the route via Cape Verde, adding almost 400 miles to the initial course.

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"It wasn't the quiet transatlantic race we're sometimes told. But it was a rich experience, which taught us to adapt."

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Letting go and finding your own rhythm

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As the days went by, the sailors had to come to terms with a new temporality. "You start by telling yourself six days... then nine, then fifteen... and eventually time flows differently." This crossing was also an intimate ordeal for some: leaving behind children and grandchildren, accepting uncertainty, and above all learning to trust.
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"To sail around the world, you have to let go of a lot of things. The sea teaches us this path to trust."

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Diverse crews, a shared experience

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Some sailed as a couple, faithful to their balanced life at sea, while others took on board friends and family. "Our crew was a bit of a motley crew: a mountain man who had hardly ever sailed, an experienced sailor who was new to transatlantic sailing... and yet, it all worked out really well." Ashore, families meet up with the crews, sharing Christmas or festive stopovers, while at sea the crossing remains a two-person affair, or a small, close-knit group.

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"Our crew was a bit of a motley crew: a mountain man who had hardly ever sailed, an experienced sailor but a transatlantic novice... and yet everything worked out really well."

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Discovering solitude at sea

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In the middle of the ocean, a singular feeling sets in: that of being truly alone. "When, after days, you finally see a boat appear on the AIS screen, it's almost like a child's joy. And when you see it for real, even in the distance, it's even greater."

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Sailboat reliability, a precious ally

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All emphasize the importance of the boat in this experience. "We were blown away by the boat's reliability and comfort, even in rough seas"
The trimming and route choices, which at times involved trial and error, enabled us to better understand the yacht's capabilities and optimize navigation.

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"We were blown away by the reliability and comfort, even in rough seas."

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A key stage in a round-the-world trip

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This first transatlantic race, with its unforeseen events and lessons learned, marks a founding stage of the Grand Large Yachting World Odyssey 500.
Beyond the technical challenge and the miles covered, it is a human adventure that is being written, between confidence, solidarity and wonder - carried by the passionate testimonies of the Allures owners.

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Watch their video testimonials here. 

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A daily rhythm of multiple activities

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During their Atlantic crossing as part of the Grand Large Yachting World Odyssey 500, the Allures owners describe their varied and sometimes unexpected daily lives. Reading takes center stage, providing an opportunity to catch up on the reading time put aside before departure. But the activities on board don't stop there: board games every evening, writing and recording songs as a family, moments of sharing that make the crossing unique.

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Sport and well-being, even at sea

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Between sunrise yoga sessions, exercises adapted to the movements of the monohull and swimming in the open sea, the crews know how to keep active. Snorkeling, paddleboarding and inflatable kayaking make the most of stopovers and navigation breaks.

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DIY, fishing and discovery

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As every sailor knows, a sailboat requires constant attention. Small repairs and adjustments punctuate the days, even aboard a new boat. Some crews have also tried their hand at deep-sea fishing, sometimes successfully, sometimes with the bitterness of losing their lures to overpowering tuna or barracuda. "We still have a lot to learn, but it's a great lesson in the sea," they confide.

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"We still have a lot to learn, but it's a great lesson in the sea," they confide.

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A rich and creative journey

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Beyond the sailing, this transatlantic race was an opportunity to share human and creative experiences, strengthening the bond between crew members and families. The Allures owners remind us that on board, the most important thing is not only to move forward, but also to savor every moment.

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Watch their video testimonials here. 

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A tribute and a family story

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The name of their sailboat, Loly, was not chosen at random. It echoes the nickname of Etienne's father, the man who instilled in him a love of sailing. "It's a way of paying tribute to him," she explains.

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A boat designed to go far

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From the outset, Étienne had a clear objective: to sail with confidence on a robust, seaworthy yacht. With their Allures 45.9, the couple found the perfect balance between solidity, performance and comfort.

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"We've just crossed the Atlantic, and I've never felt insecure," says Geneviève.

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Their childhood dream comes true: to explore distant horizons, with the certainty of being well protected, whatever the conditions.

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A family and human adventure

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Beyond the sailing, this adventure is also a story of family and sharing. Three of their children joined them for an unforgettable crossing. Musical moments improvised on board, laughter and memories engraved: Loly has become a real place of life and transmission.

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"You have to let go of a lot to go around the world," confides Geneviève. "But life itself is an adventure, and you have to know how to throw yourself into it."

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The choice of Grand Large Yachting World Odyssey

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When they heard about the Grand Large Yachting World Odyssey project, Geneviève and Étienne didn't hesitate for long. For them, this rallie was the ideal opportunity: to set off far away, but with the security of a group and the emulation of a community.

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"Travelling together is extraordinary. We remain free, but we create a family. The bonds we've forged are precious," says Geneviève.

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A rhythm of life at sea

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On board, life is simply organized: yoga at sunrise, daily swims, sailing in rhythm with the wind and the sea. The adventure is not only maritime, it's also interior: an art of living, as close as possible to what's essential.

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A shared adventure

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For Geneviève and Étienne, it's clear that they might never have undertaken a circumnavigation on their own. But together, and surrounded by the Grand Large Yachting World Odyssey flotilla, they feel carried, inspired and transformed.

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Watch their video testimonials here.

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This video was shot in sunny Martinique during a stopover on theGrand Large Yachting World Odyssey 500.

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Here's their story, their impressions and their opinion of the boat, and I'd like to thank them for their testimonies, which will make you want to do some blue water cruising and adventure.

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‍Viewthe video here >>

Gathering at Shelter Bay Marina

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At the end of February, the fleet of the Grand Large Yachting World Odyssey 500 gathered in the peaceful marina of Shelter Bay, facing the large city of Colón and its 90,000 inhabitants, gateway to the Panama Canal. Let's hear from Victor, Event Manager on the rallie. We spoke to Victor by telephone from Panama airport, where he was about to set sail for the Galapagos:

"The boats stayed at Shelter Bay Marina for between a week for the latest arrivals and 10 days for the first ones on site, such as Chamagui 2. There, the bulk of their activity consisted of preparation for crossing the canal. This included measuring and registering the boats with the canal authorities for administrative purposes, and technical preparation for passing through the locks, which require four people per boat. After crossing the Caribbean Sea, the crews took advantage of these moments to make supplies, fill up with diesel, and then prepare for the departure to cross the canal".

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The Panama Canal, a piece of history

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As early as 1534, Charles V ordered a study to be carried out on the Panama Canal. This would save Spanish ships from having to sail around South America via Cape Horn. The King of Spain and the German Emperor, thanks to the accounts of the conquistadors, had identified the Isthmus of Panama and its 80 km of coastline as the narrowest passage in the whole of Central America.The construction of the canal, begun by the French in 1881 and completed by the Americans in 1914, was fraught with difficulties. Nearly 6,000 people died on the site, for reasons ranging from malaria to earthquakes and landslides... The history of the site is also marked by a huge scandal in the 1890s. Ferdinand de Lesseps, who had "paternized" the Suez Canal 40 years earlier, remained convinced that crossing the isthmus could be done without building locks - but he was wrong, and led many gullible shareholders into this error.Rich in this eventful history, the Panama Canal today represents a strategic point for world maritime trade. Every year, some 14,000 ships pass through it - mainly merchant vessels, but also pleasure yachts such as the rallie.

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Around 14,000 ships pass through the Panama Canal every year - mainly commercial vessels, but also pleasure yachts such as the rallie.

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The Pacific, a great moment for all

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Victor describes crossing the canal as follows: "We split into two groups of 12 boats. Let's take the first group, for example, which left mid-afternoon on a Tuesday. It crossed the first three upstream locks in the late afternoon. Known as the "Atlantic locks", they involve an ascent of around 30 meters. The boats then found themselves on Lake Gatum, where they tied up to the buoy in pairs until the following morning." On the second passage, Chamagui, Chaps, Bluway and Salavida found themselves moored together at the buoy on Lake Gatum: this provided one of the beautiful images of this Panama Canal crossing. Victor continues: "On Wednesday, 10am, departure for the second section of the canal, crossing Lake Gatum until reaching the two downstream locks of Pedro Miguel and Miraflorès at around 4pm.

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Here again, the gradient drops a few dozen meters, offering a unique view of the Pacific Ocean below. Crossing this section takes a few hours, and by 8pm everyone had crossed the Bridge of the Americas into the Pacific. A great moment!

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Then, because of the requirement to have 4 "handliners" on board in addition to the captain, we organized a shuttle to bring crew members from the first team back to Shelter Bay, so that they could help the boats taking part in the second passage. This was a great opportunity for the crews to get to know each other and strengthen their mutual support. It was important to stay focused, however, because once the boats, which come in as a pair, have entered the swirl of locks, you can't miss your mooring knot! 

‍Theboats crossed the canal unharmed. Everyone gathered at the Playita de Amador marina, on a peninsula southwest of the canal exit. It was time to celebrate the passage into the Pacific, a first for almost all the crew members present. Now it's time to set course for the Galapagos, 900 miles away, heading south-west!

Clement weather

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It may seem surprising to cross the Atlantic Ocean under sail from east to west in the middle of winter, but this is the ideal time of year to sail from Europe to the West Indies. Once you've reached the inter-tropical zone, which in the North Atlantic begins around Cape Verde, there are no more lows or high pressure systems, but rather a regular wind regime that ensures fast downwind sailing for the boat and comfortable temperature and humidity conditions for the crew. What better way to gain transatlantic sailing experience?

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It may seem surprising to sail across the Atlantic Ocean from east to west in the middle of winter, but it's the ideal time of year to reach the West Indies from Europe.

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A technical stopover

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The boats arrived in mid-January at the marina in Le Marin, Martinique, and were welcomed as they should have been, with the organization taking charge of their mooring, carrying out the maintenance work required for this technical stopover, and taking part in a social program that helped to bond the members of this sailors' collective. As for the technical stopover, the aim was to carry out the necessary checks after several weeks at sea: running and standing rigging, electronics, engines, fluid management, sail condition - nothing was left to chance for the Allures yachts, whose entire current range - 40.9, 45.9 and 51.9 - is taking part in the rallie.

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"The advantage of this technical stopover is that we knew exactly what was in store for us," says Vincent Mauger, Grand Large Services Manche manager, "all the boats needed a check-up, which is perfectly normal after a transatlantic race. We knew on a case-by-case basis what spare parts to bring, and what intervention to plan. This level of preparation gave real meaning to our presence in Martinique, where two of us - carpenter Yann and myself - came specially from the Cherbourg yard. And the owners were delighted with our presence, as evidenced by the warm thanks they expressed to us and the small party given in our honor when we left".

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A friendly stopover

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In terms of conviviality, as soon as they arrived, the crews were offered a welcome aperitif aboard a floating restaurant in Le Marin. The following day, they visited Habitation Clément, an emblematic rum house in Le François, which, with its rich heritage and botanical riches, represents an unparalleled introduction to Creole culture. On Friday, everyone could take part in a picnic on the beach at Islet Chevalier, where volleyball teams were formed in good spirits. And these opportunities for exchange, whether initiated by the organizers or the participants themselves - and there were many more of them - enabled the participants to get to know each other better.

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"The general atmosphere was excellent among all the participants," adds Vincent, "andany uncertainties felt in Tenerife before the big crossing were completely dispelled. I'm referring to some people's doubts about their ability, as sailors, to carry out this navigation lasting several weeks, as well as various questions about the potential, behavior and reliability of their boat." As for any divisions - between monohull and multihulls, for example - they were neatly swept away, and made way for one and the same family, that of the happy participants in a memorable and, for many, unique sailing experience.

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"The general atmosphere was excellent among all participants".

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There's no doubt that the reassuring presence of the crews dispatched by the shipyards, as well as the level of availability displayed by the members of the organization, contributed to this success. The content of the briefing devoted to the fourth leg to Panama confirmed this: when you leave the Atlantic to enter the unknown Pacific, there are few certainties that can be taken for granted, other than that of mutual aid and conviviality at all times between the members of this great collective adventure.

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Finally, the flotilla start on January 22, like the start of a regatta between Le Marin and Sainte-Anne, not only confirmed all this, but also confirmed that the boats were sailing well together on long, sunny tacks. It just goes to show that conviviality and good humour can be perfectly combined with a dash of performance!

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After years of cruising the Mediterranean on a composite sailboat, this passionate sailing couple have taken the next step: the big departure. Their choice? A Allures 45.9. An aluminum centerboarder , designed for adventure and serenity. For them, the equation was simple: solidity, comfort and autonomy. Aluminum for safety, lifting keel to explore more freely, and an elegant hull that transforms every mile traveled into pure pleasure.

Today, freshly retired, they are setting sail for a round-the-world voyage through the trade winds, following Jimmy Cornell's legendary route. It's a carefully thought-out, well-prepared project, supported by the Grand Large Yachting Group's Services division, so they can set off well-equipped.

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Watch their inspiring video testimonials below: the story of a dream come true.

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Runners before cruisers

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For Allan, competitive sailing was a big part of his life from an early age, as he studied in Scotland and then in London for the first few years of his career. Linda's entry into the sport came when they spent time sailing together in Menorca, first on Lasers, then on 420s, before returning to London where they raced double-handed on lightweight dinghies for the rest of their working lives.

"Linda and I raced dinghies from 1985 to 2012. In southwest London, one of the big clubs had a large Fireball fleet, which attracted us to this single trapeze performance double-handed dinghy. We sailed Fireballs for several years until asymmetric spinnaker skiffs came on the market. Then we joined with other club members to buy an ISO when this model came out, and then an RS500, whose class we joined. We even organized the RS500 World Championships in 2011, the year before the 2012 Olympics, on the very Weymouth site that would host the Olympic sailing events! "

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We had no idea that people were living on sailboats year-round living sailboats that this was a tangible option that could be applied to us.

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A new tactical option

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‍"We started chartering boats in flotillas in the 90s, mainly in the Mediterranean, a little in the Caribbean. A few years before we retired, in 2013, we were in Greece on a flotilla vacation looking for post-retirement ideas, and the captain of the flotilla kept talking about these "privateers" who lived constantly on the move. We had no idea that people lived on inhabitable sailboats year-round sailboats that it was a tangible option that could be applied to us. Until then, our lives had been organized in a certain way. We were actively involved in dinghy racing and occasionally went on cruising vacations, but above all we were building and pursuing our respective careers: a very different mindset ," explains Linda. It wasn't long before they decided to take to the seas for their retirement!

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The approach to the starting line

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‍Whenthey stopped working, they quickly and decisively traded in their 14-foot RS500 for a 41-foot blue water cruising sailboat (christened Touch of Grey) on which they lived for over 5 years and sailed 23,500 miles,"to test life". Adopting a new mindset as cruisers, they moved from day cruising to coastal cruising, then on to an Atlantic crossing and an East Coast cruise that took them all the way to Nova Scotia.

"We confirmed our embrace of the lifestyle that cruising represents, but we also quickly learned the limitations of the 41-foot production boat for extended cruising, blue water cruising and offshore sailing. We started looking for a new boat in 2017 and visited the Annapolis boat show. Allures wasn't on our radar, but we came away both unimpressed by the boat we had in mind, and positively marked by theAllures 45.9 : let's just say it hit the nail on the head! There was no real competition.

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‍" TheAllures 45.9 felt more spacious and modern, and was well laid out according to principles we'd understood were important to us over the previous 5 years of cruising."

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The Allures offered good visibility from the saloon and good lighting, a practical central table and a work/technical room. We liked the fact that we could get into bed the right way round, without having to climb in and turn around. The forward sail locker was spacious, and we were attracted by a more flexible under-sail configuration for greater performance. Finally, with its aft gantry and davit, theAllures 45.9 was designed to accommodate solar panels and could lift and carry the tender... we were moving from a weekend boat to a quality offshore cruiser, truly designed for life at sea! We placed the order for our Allures 45.9 in April 2018, and Stravaig was launched in June 2019."‍

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Taking advantage of the laughing stock

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‍"After the boat was delivered to the yard in Cherbourg, our plan had always been to get to know our boat by means of rather short sailings, coastal cruises or to relatively nearby destinations. Very quickly, we also steered clear of the CoviD-19. In March 2020, we were on the boat in the Canary Islands when containment was declared in Spain; yet we had planned to spend the summer in Norway until that country closed its maritime borders. In the end, we headed for the Channel Islands, where we were lucky enough to obtain local boat status for the summer. We were quarantined for 15 days in Guernsey, but then spent two months enjoying the Channel Islands in a unique and exclusive way, as there was no tourism for the entire summer of 2020."

After sailing the Channel Islands, getting to know the boat and fine-tuning it, Allan and Linda were well prepared for the Atlantic crossing and beyond. The Stravaig blog begins here, with the story of their 10-day voyage from Guernsey to Lanzarote!

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Double-handed offshore sailing

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‍Fromdinghy racing to theAllures 45.9, the plan has always been to sail double-handed! In January 2021, Allan and Linda set sail from Lanzarote to Granada. They share some of their favorite moments and insightfully blog about topics such as weather routing and boat handling, which are recurrent in this logbook, particularly intended for sharing the adventure with their loved ones. Weather itinerary -"Our route, from Lanzarote to Granada" by Allan: "As far as conditions were concerned, we weren't in anything extreme, not prolonged extremes in time, anyway. When we crossed the Atlantic in 2016, it was a bit grueling with 3 people, but this time we felt pretty comfortable, just the two of us alone on board. Conditions were similar, in fact tougher towards the start of the crossing, but the boat handles well when the weather turns bad, and we never felt it get out of hand.

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Our sailing plan is quite flexible, with a wide range of options designed to adapt to conditions.

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We love the excitement of sailing with the Blue Water Runner (a downwind furling sail capable of scissor or single furling like a gennaker) which, at 150 square meters , is three times bigger than our mainsail! Another thrill was that between days 10 and 11, we crossed Charlie Dalin's path in the Vendée Globe less than a mile away and communicated with him by radio. You have to wonder whether he inspired our sense of competition, or whether we got some good weather advice, because we went on to record two consecutive days! "said Allan.

The rest of the Transatlantic log details the constant balancing act that is offshore sailing. In all this work, there is also fulfillment and deep pleasure; through the changes in weather and sail, the balance between manual steering and autopilot, the interaction of the boat's systems, an impressively high quality food program, not forgetting knowing when to rest, the need to take breaks to admire the scenery and appreciate unique encounters with nature.

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Steering by night

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‍"It was only 7pm, but it was already dark, and the wind was fairly steady in direction, but gusty. The Blue Water Runner was out to starboard in asymmetric format. As I prepared to take the helm, I realized it had been a long time since I'd steered in the dark. (In fact, Allan reminded me later that although we did weeks of night sailing on Stravaig, we didn't really do any night steering, so the last time I did was a year and a half ago.) I couldn't see the sail, the sky was black and the instrument display had been reduced for the night and was difficult to read. I spent ten minutes swiveling: the wheel was over-corrected, the sail was constantly sagging and the boat was swinging 40 degrees or more to one side... Then, just before I lost my temper, I understood the principle. As we discovered during our daytime sailing, this enormous sail requires surprisingly delicate handling. I began to hold the helm in the center and bring the boat back to windward a few degrees at a time. All became calm and she (and I) settled into the rhythm of the night. "All is well. Linda - Jan 3, 2021, Lanzarote to Granada day 14.

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‍Thejourney and the destination - on a loop!

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The couple spent the spring of 2021 scouring the islands, scuba diving and snorkeling in the turquoise waters of the Caribbean. Following a seasonal migration of sorts, they gradually made their way north to the U.S. East Coast, while making plans for next season's magnificent sailing grounds: the Bahamas!

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An extraordinary food program

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‍"On Stravaig, I think we eat quite differently from other people. I like to cook, we eat in a contemporary way, mainly raw food. I've learned to work around the difficulties of cooking at sea, and even then we eat very well. One of the interesting things about sailing to other countries is finding new ingredients, but also working with limited ingredients and finding healthy and delicious food, being creative."

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Professional writer and editor, Linda takes cooking to the next level on theAllures 45.9 Stravaig!"On a crossing, we tend to eat less (apart from snacking during quarters) and have found that we prefer simpler dishes. However, for our wedding anniversary, Linda went above and beyond to prepare something very special for us: pan-fried brill fillets in Guernsey butter, accompanied by a salad of fennel, zucchini and red onion with a lime and orange vinaigrette. One word to describe it: Brilliant. For dessert, we each had a vegan dessert from a trendy brand. I have no idea what it was free of (gluten perhaps, but certainly not sugar) and especially what it wasn't free of, the brand in question being so dominant on the packaging that everything else was recorded in type too small to read. Not as brilliant as Linda's dish."

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Discover "Stravaig'n the Blue", Allan and Linda's blog, by clicking here.

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Stravaig v. [Scotland]: to wander, wander aimlessly; to cross, go up and down (a place).

This picture gallery is the story of a meeting. On the one hand, English sailors Julian and Patricia from Herefordshire, who have been cruising in New Zealand for over a year aboard A Capella of Belfast, their Allures 45.9. We met them at the end of 2019, as they were preparing to sail to the Samoan Islands.

Stranded in New Zealand waters due to sanitary restrictions, with no way of getting their yacht back to Dover, they had considered a radical solution: contact Allures to sell their boat in Auckland... and order a new one in Europe! In the end, reason prevailed over impulse: A Capella was transported by cargo ship to Europe in March 2021.

On the other side, Gilles Martin-Raget, a leading figure in sailing photography, based in Marseille but present in Auckland for the 36th America's Cup. Between the opening of the village in December 2020 and the closing ceremony in March 2021, he will be intensively documenting this great celebration of international yachting, enriching his site with an impressive gallery.

At the beginning of March, the paths of Julian, Patricia and Gilles crossed around Kawau Island. Located in the Gulf of Hauraki, 40 km north of Auckland, the island is nicknamed "the island of 100 pontoons" for its near-absence of roads. Its rare biodiversity and landscapes reminiscent of Brittany, Provence or the far reaches of the Pacific make it an exceptional setting.

This inspiring natural setting becomes the stage for a spontaneous photo shoot, capturing the elegance of the yacht and the freedom of its owners. TheAllures 45.9 is revealed in all its beauty: an aluminumcenterboarder designed to fully experience those other places that awaken the soul.

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Discover this enchanted interlude, in pictures.

My name is Julian, and I'm the owner ofAllures 51.9 #3. Half Argentinean and half Italian, I was born in Argentina and lived there for 37 years, until my wife Daniela and my children and I moved to Switzerland 7 years ago.

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I sailed all my youth, starting out on dinghies when I was a kid, then moving on to bigger boats, and gradually I got into racing and even ocean racing. Then I got married, and had children, but when they were small it was complicated, even I didn't feel like sailing at the time, I thought more about being with them at home and so I stopped sailing altogether. When we moved to Switzerland, the first thing I did was to go and see a cruising school, with the aim of getting a sailing licence on Lake Geneva, but I saw that it had become so complicated in terms of administration and safety that I decided to give up.

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Back to basics

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‍But then, with this coronavirus thing, there was a combination of things. The first had to do with an Argentinian friend of mine, who had also been living in Switzerland for 5 years, and who then said to me "it's time to do something; let's take the motorboat license together because, to sail, you need a berth, and that's really very difficult here, with a waiting list of over 10 years". He goes on to say: "But if you buy a motorboat, it's possible, there's a private marina in such and such a place, and if you buy the boat from them, they'll offer you a berth". I don't really like motorboating, but it was a way of getting back on the water, and I was persuaded. I started taking courses, to relearn what I already knew, but this time in French and with local peculiarities to integrate at the same time. But very quickly, I said to myself "motorboats are great for getting your feet on the water, but they're not for me". So I bought a Laser, I'd had one before in Argentina, and that enabled me to start sailing again for real, and in a way get back to basics. ‍

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Looking out over the ocean

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‍A few months later, the first wave of the coronavirus was gone and we went on vacation to Cadiz, Spain. I remember, on the beach, by the Atlantic, which has this special color, the same one you see on the Argentine side and which I find very different from the Mediterranean. I'm no expert, but I find there's a really different energy. And so, looking at the ocean, I remembered all my dreams when I was young. My wife Daniela came along and said, "Do you remember when we first met, you wanted to sail around the world? I remembered, of course, and said to her: "Yes, of course, and I think the time has come... The children have grown up, and this coronavirus shows us that we shouldn't take anything for granted in life". And then my wife replies: "It's OK with me, let's go"! That same day, I call another Argentinian friend, who lives in Argentina, and who I've known for over 20 years. I tell him all about it, and say "Santi, I'm looking for a boat, and I've been looking at this and that model". He replies, "Stop it! I've been looking for information on the boat I need for two years, and I've been investigating it for months. I've still got a few questions, but if you want, limit yourself to this, this and this", and then he gives me the names of three models built by European shipyards.

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A thoughtful choice

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‍I wanted a bigger boat, Santi wanted a smaller one; he was looking for a sailboat with a maximum length of 46-47 feet, I was aiming for a 60-footer. He said, "No, 60 feet is too big for you; you'll be sailing a lot alone or as a couple, so you'll have to choose a smaller model". My friend shared with me the fruit of his research; I had done mine, which was much more limited, and we put it all together, then made a "short-list". I wanted an aluminum boat, but in my memory, all the aluminum boats I'd seen in Argentina were ugly, square-hulled and poorly maintained. I wanted a pretty, safe, high-performance boat... and that's when Santiago said to me, "You need to look at the production of the Allures shipyard". I'm talking about mid to late July 2020. We did a lot of videoconferencing with Santiago. I said to him: "Let's go, I want to act, I don't want to wait". He says, "No, be patient, we need another two years". And I said, "Oh no, it's now or never".

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"When we visited the Allures yard, we immediately saw the performance, the quality and the professionalism."

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A strong and rapid decision

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‍We came to Cherbourg with my wife at the end of August 2020: we had planned to also visit another construction site in England. As the possibility of crossing the border from Switzerland was limited, we made the trip by car, as we didn't want to take a plane. When we visited the Allures shipyard, we immediately saw the performance, quality and professionalism all around us. We also received an excellent welcome, and when we saw the way you treat the boats, the equipment, the skill... all this played a part in our decision. What's more, we didn't even look at the other shipyards we'd identified before! I had the experience of having built a boat in Argentina, and the word professionalism doesn't apply there, at least not with the yard in question, but unfortunately I'd say that's the case with almost all the yards in the country. They're often family-run, which is great, and I've got nothing against that, but where the first generation does things with a lot of conscience and effort, we see that too often the second generation burns everything, and in what they burn, there's your money and also, alas, quality. I've had a lot of quality problems.

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‍Thepromise of future emotions

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‍Coming here, I fell in love with this compromise between aluminum, the way this material is treated, the elegance of the boat, the shaped hull design, all of it. We signed the contract the day after we came, so it didn't take long.

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"The promise of this boat, when I see myself on board, is to be able to realize my dreams."

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The promise of this boat, when I see myself on board, is to be able to make my dreams come true. Our plans are, starting in the spring of 2022, and for the first year, to sail the Mediterranean, to take the time to get to know each other and fall in love with each other, ourselves and the boat. Then, in December 2023, we'll cross the Atlantic, and from there, once we're in the Caribbean, we'll have two options. The first is to cross the Panama Canal and sail around the Pacific, and then we'll see. The second option, which is unsurprisingly the one I prefer, is to head south along the Brazilian coast, towards Argentina. The arrival in Buenos Aires with my boat will be a highlight. After that, I'd like to sail down to Patagonia, go to the Falklands, a place I've wanted to visit all my life (for us it's the Falklands, not the Falklands!) and of course round Cape Horn, to tick that box. After that, we'll see: we'll either sail up the Atlantic or into the Pacific, probably via the Chilean canals. Nothing is set in stone, as we're talking about several years here, but one thing's for sure: it's going to be a very emotional program for us!‍

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A beautiful story of friendship

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‍When we told Santi that we'd signed the contract with Allures Yachting, he felt the pressure: we pushed him a little; I actually think that he didn't really need to be pushed, but that, coming from us, he wanted to, it was a way for him to see the story through, which is also a shared story. And so we made a promise to sail together, to cross the Atlantic on two boats, side by side. There's an emotional side to it, but also a comforting, reassuring aspect, because he's a really good sailor. There are a lot of people I'd like to do important things with in my life. But there aren't many who, like Santiago, both fit into this category and, at the same time, are good sailors.

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That's the whole story, and I agree that it's also a beautiful story of friendship.

Between sail and motor, which mode of propulsion prevails on this route?‍

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"For this crossing of the Northwest Passage carried out in August 2019, we sailed 90% of the time under sail between Saint-Pierre et Miquelon and Paamiut in Greenland, 50% of the time under sail along the Greenland coast, 70% under sail between Upernavik (Greenland) and Pond Inlet (Nunavut), then 90% under motor from Pond Inlet to Cambridge Bay, where we were in the ice anyway. Then another 50% by motor from Cambridge Bay to Tuktoyaktuk, then 80% by motor from Tuktoyaktuk to Nome (see map below). In fact, on this last section, either there's a lot of wind, in which case we take shelter in an anchorage, or there's no wind, and we make headway at 2 knots with the current against us, or we put the engine on so as not to arrive too late in the season in the Bering Sea. But we knew that before we set off, and we had to accept it, otherwise we wouldn't go.

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It is very important to have significant reserves on board, to be able to win the next point if reserves are lacking at a given stage.

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Then, in the Bering Sea, from Nome to Sand Point, we sailed all the way, with quite a few lows. All in all, that represents around 70 to 80% of motorized sailing over the whole course." So, of course, it's essential to have a high level of energy autonomy on board. This is achieved by means of gas cylinders whose standards and characteristics - it should be noted - differ considerably from one part of the route to another, but also and above all by being able to store large reserves of fuel on board: "One year, there may even be no diesel available at a refuelling point on the route, because the supply boat has not passed, and so it's very important to have significant reserves on board, to be able to reach the next point if reserves are lacking at a given stage. In fact, oil tanks are the first thing you see when you arrive in these towns and villages, both in Greenland and Nunavut."

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Opale logbook overview

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‍Therelative importance of engine-driven navigation is confirmed by Opale's logbook, which is highly instructive in many respects. The information scribbled there with precision by the crew touches on everything from life on board to weather conditions, ice observations, the effect of the tides, the daily amount of sunshine, and the adventures of friendly yachts encountered along the way.

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Thus, the diary page dated August 13, 2019 (reproduced below) mentions a wind highly variable in strength and direction, from 3 to 17 knots, but also a speed of 4 to 6 knots, reached indifferently under mainsail and solent or motor. There's also news of a friendly boat, Altego II, a sturdy 16-m steel keel registered in Slovakia and skippered by Czech circumnavigator Jiří Denk, with whom a photo session is first carried out. Later in the day, we learn that the yacht is blocked by ice, prompting Opale to write "Turn back to get away from the coast as Altego II is blocked by ice". The water temperature readings, taken at regular two-hourly intervals, show a continuous drop in temperature, a sign of the proximity of the ice. The account of a day spent heading south in the strait between Prince of Wales Island to the west and Somerset Island to the east, between 74° and 72° N, ends with a laconic, common-sense assessment: "South of Barth Island is stuck > Route West to get away from the coast and around the ice pack".

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‍Some happy memories?

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‍Of course, I'll always remember the good times spent with the crew, discovering an exceptional territory and environment together. There were two of us on board with Bénédicte as far as St Pierre et Miquelon. Then, from St Pierre to Nuuk, four friends joined us, so there were six of us on board. Then in Nuuk, three of these friends left, the second watch leader stayed, and three other crew members arrived, including my daughter Claire. We had to let a crew member go in Pond Inlet, as he couldn't risk being late for work reasons, and so there were five of us from Pond Inlet to Nome, where most of the crew left again, and then on the Nome - Sand Point leg, there were two of us again with Bénédicte.

‍Anotherpoint was the strong bond created with the crews of friendly boats, with a very pleasant sense of mutual aid, based on just-in-time information sharing: this state of mind and this constant solidarity had a real value for us, as much for the safety of all as for the pleasure of exchange, as for example with the crews of Altego II, Morgane, Breskell and also Alioth who left his boat at Sand Point like us.The landscapes also left a strong impression on us, especially in the areas where the coastline is the most jagged, and we were able to enjoy them in the special light of the Arctic summer. In fact, I was able to capture quite a few scenes, even with my cell phone, whose photographic quality pleasantly surprised me. Incidentally, unlike Altego II and Breksell, I didn't have a drone to film Opale in these magnificent landscapes, but I've since acquired one.

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Bear in mind that it's best to arrive in Alaska (Aleutian Islands) in the second half of September at the latest, as the weather in the Bering Sea can be very difficult thereafter.

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Finally, the silence, the wide open spaces, the feeling of immensity all around, are without doubt the strongest memories we brought back from this crossing.The real interest in terms of navigation lies essentially on the Greenland coast, which is the most extraordinary for its landscapes, making it worth the trip in itself. Navigation and scenery are also very interesting in Nunavut, i.e. on the first part of the Northwest Passage itself, between Lancaster Sound and Cambridge Bay, as far as Gjøa Haven. After that, the north coast of Alaska, between Cambridge Bay and Nome, is rather flat, even uninteresting, with lots of headwinds and featureless landscapes, and therefore few prospects in terms of visual emotion and, moreover, a certain paucity of stopovers. This is why, from the point of view of the interest of navigation itself, it is important to plan, as we said earlier, a fairly broad general calendar for the expedition, which will enable us to position ourselves sufficiently far in advance, both to take full advantage of the Greenland coastline, which really deserves it and can be a goal in itself, and to be sure of being in the zone at the right time, i.e. from the end of July, with the hope of actually crossing the hard zone around mid-August. Bear in mind that it's best to arrive in Alaska (Aleutian Islands) no later than the second half of September, as the weather in the Bering Sea can be very difficult after that.

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‍And to conclude?

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‍Marcand Bénédicte provide further proof that it is possible for yachtsmen to triumph aboard their sailboat over the Northwest Passage, a route shrouded in myth, a fertile factor in the maritime imagination at the same time as being guilty of a number of tragedies. It's also a chance to prove wrong those wise men of antiquity who, like Virgil, saw in the northern confines marked by the "ultimate lands" of "Ultima Thule" (a name taken up by Jean Malaurie), the limits of the man-made world, beyond which the unknown reigned, and whose mere evocation still today opens up an immense territory of dreams.

This success has not convinced Marc and Bénédicte that they have joined an elite caste, a club of "happy few" who have achieved unrivalled feats. As Marc Pédeau made clear during a presentation on this voyage in December 2019 to the community of owners of sailboats built by the Grand Large Yachting group: he is here to pass on and share his experience in all simplicity, and far be it from him to pose as a lesson-giver who would benefit in any way from his considerable experience of Arctic sailing.

It would be just as wrong to think that Marc and Bénédicte's attraction to the Septentrion (1) is exclusive.

Thus, this crossing of the North-West Passage was part of a navigation with a much broader scope, as expressed by Marc in October 2019 in an e-mail to Grand Large Services, the entity specializing in services for sailors, notably in charge of supporting customers of the Allures Yachting shipyard :

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"Over a period of 15 months, we will have reached Cape Verde (via Galicia, Portugal, Madeira, the Canaries), crossed the Atlantic between Cape Verde and Martinique, sailed the Caribbean islands, visited Cuba, then reached the USA via the Bahamas, sailed up the west coast of the USA via New York, sailed through Maine, Nova Scotia, Saint-Pierre et Miquelon, Newfoundland, then Greenland before completing the Northwest Passage: a total of 16,000 miles". The message concludes: "I'd also like to thank you for your help and responsiveness at various stages of the project: sending equipment, advice, and working on the possibility of fitting a propeller protection for the ice (which we didn't install in the end)".

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Likewise, Marc and Bénédicte's next sailing project has already been established, and it involves a clear departure from the Far North, although it is currently being constantly postponed due to a health crisis, with the result thatOpale, at the time of writing, was still stuck at Sand Point. This future experience can be summed up in a few words and a lot of miles: starting from Alaska, which they plan to cover in great detail, they will then be able to sail along the American West Coast and, from San Francisco, aim for Mexico, Polynesia and New Zealand. From there, they'll cross the South Pacific to Patagonia and the Antarctic Peninsula.

It's hardly surprising to find Antarctica high on Marc and Bénédicte's list of destinations aboard their Allures 44. For this white continent, even reduced to the tongue of land that is the Antarctic Peninsula facing Patagonia, accumulates almost mythical references in the imagination of every sailor - real or dreamt. This magic of the Deep South is particularly evident in books, from the account of Ernest Shackleton and his crew's odyssey aboard theEndurance between 1911 and 1914, to the pages of Gérard Poncet and Jérôme Janichon who, aboard the famous Damien, set out in 1969 on a 55,000-mile voyage more concerned with personal accomplishment than sporting performance, eschewing any heroic aims in the image of their contemporary Bernard Moitessier. These same Poncet and Janichon were the first modern sailors to cover a range of latitudes from 80° North to 68° South, and aficionados were delighted to see them again in La Rochelle, alongside their restored Damien, at the latest Grand Pavois, in September 2019, as Opale sailed to Sand Point, Alaska.

Whether extreme latitudes are southern or northern, they are endowed with an exceptional power of attraction. The sea spray of the open ocean, the dream of the poles and the infinitely varied nuances of ice, though endangered everywhere, are a perfect match. Many thanks to Marc Pédeau and Bénédicte Michel for taking us there, sharing with us this story and these images, which make a splendid contribution to enriching our imagination of blue water cruising.

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(1) Septentrion: Latin designation referring to the "seven oxen" - septem triones - which, in ancient Roman tradition, formed the circumpolar constellation of the northern hemisphere, now known as the Great Bear. Source : https://fr.wiktionary.org/wiki/septentrion

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‍Find here all the articles of this series "The Allures 44 Opale has crossed the Northwest Passage"

What were the main navigation difficulties encountered?‍

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It soon becomes apparent that navigation is not a bottleneck for Marc, who declares: "I learned to navigate with nothing, at the time there was no GPS but a Gonio and so I acquired the basics of instrument navigation, in autonomy, but I also like to use today's means and technologies. And anyway, the Northwest Passage is accessible via a predefined route, which doesn't leave a huge amount of latitude in terms of overall trajectories." ‍

It's true that in these parts, as in most of the sailing areas frequented by blue water cruising, common sense dictates that we adhere unreservedly to the precepts laid down by the Italian astronomer Cassini (1625-1712), who said: "It's better not to know where you are, and to know that you don't know, than to believe with confidence that you are where you are not". Wisdom that Marc Pédeau would certainly not disavow: "We crossed the Northwest Passage in conditions that enabled us to do some real sailing, at least on the first part of the route, as for example on the west coast of Greenland, where we only used inland passages with rather symbolic but nonetheless effective buoyage. It was necessary to navigate very scrupulously, including on sight, as digital cartography is sometimes inaccurate, even false, to the point where we relied on two separate mapping systems. We navigated outside by sight, with the help of digital tools."

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It was necessary to carry out very scrupulous navigation, including on sight, as digital mapping is sometimes inaccurate or even false, to the point where we were relying on two separate mapping systems. We navigated outside by sight, with the help of digital tools."

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On this route, we also have to reckon with fairly significant current regimes. In Greenland, from this point of view, the currents were rather favorable, then in Nunavut it was still manageable, and then we encountered current regimes that were always contrary from Cambridge Bay onwards, and therefore for the whole of the end of the course, which is quite long after all, with around 1,900 miles from Cambridge Bay to Nome. On this stretch of the route, we sometimes had to contend with very strong currents, and even more so on the approach to the Bering Strait, where to pass certain capes we had to face head-on currents of 5 knots and more - and in some conditions, which we fortunately didn't encounter, reaching 16 knots."

For the sailor, quantifying the risk is a constant challenge, and you have to take into account a number of factors: weather, currents, sea state, boat and crew, provisioning, energy autonomy, knowledge of the environment, and even reliability of information... To which, in the case of this crossing of the North-West Passage, you have to add the study of ice conditions, which represent a criterion of central importance at these latitudes".

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‍Pleasenote that venturing into the maze of Nunavut islands at nearly 75°N requires some prior knowledge, as the terminology and standards for describing said "ice conditions" are quite complex. These data are standardized by the World Meteorological Organization, and summarized in a very didactic way by the Canadian government's reference site on the Canadian Arctic zone. The site provides a high level of knowledge of Arctic glaciology and how to describe the ice, its formation, age, evolution and characteristics. This is accompanied by monitoring systems marked by the regular issue of highly operational forecast bulletins, which require a good deal of study before they can be understood and correctly interpreted.

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‍How does the presence of ice increase the risks involved?

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‍"The main risk is of course getting stuck in the ice, due in particular to bad information, or misinterpretation of information. In Greenland, we didn't have any particular worries from this point of view because there wasn't much ice. The icebergs were concentrated mainly around Disco Bay, where numerous glaciers pour out blocks of all shapes and an astonishing variety of hues, each more beautiful than the last. In Nunavut, we were able to take advantage of information issued by the Canadian Ice Service and accessible via the Iridium network. These were mainly ice charts giving the concentration and quality of the ice (young ice, old ice, ....); these charts are essential for navigation in this area.

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The Canadian Ice Service also issues a light text document giving ice opening forecasts: the document published at the beginning of July gave us opening projections for the entire passage. As it happens, this document gave less optimistic forecasts than the reality actually observed on site. The availability of this data is an obvious advantage for those wishing to make a success of the North-West Passage, with a very interesting level of information, but it in no way guarantees success, and if in any case you're not in the area at a time when it's practicable, you won't be able to get there at the right moment. It has to be said, then, that we were lucky enough to benefit from favourable conditions that summer. In fact, if we look at the state of the pack over the last 20 years, we can say that it was an average year in terms of ice."

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The accessibility of this data is an obvious advantage for those wishing to successfully complete the Northwest Passage, with a very interesting level of information.

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The summary of the Arctic Waters of North America Seasonal Summary for summer 2019, published after the season by the Canadian Ice Service, says it all: "Due to early ice fracture in the southeastern Beaufort Sea, northern Baffin Bay and northwestern Hudson Bay, ice conditions (sic) were below normal during the first part of the 2019 season. In fact, the rapid decrease in ice extent in the southeastern Beaufort Sea region is attributable to persistent strong southeasterly winds during the latter part of May. As a result, the pack ice shifted to the northwest. Temperatures in the region were also well above normal during this month (May). (...) From late August to early September, most of the Northwest Passage was bergy water or open water".

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‍What about the cold?

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‍"We didn't suffer hugely from the cold on the Northwest Passage section proper. We had been much colder before, in Maine and Nova Scotia, because our Reflex diesel heater wasn't working normally due to a deficient air supply. In the morning it was 2°C and during the day a maximum of 8/10°C inside the boat.

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An efficient heating system is essential for anyone embarking on this journey.

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When the stove was repaired by an ingenious friend from St-Pierre-et-Miquelon, we were able to put the heating on at anchor. While sailing, the weather was quite mild, say between 5 and 8, or even 12 to 15°C, so the cold wasn't a real problem, even though we were heavily covered. But be warned, an efficient heating system is essential for anyone attempting this route. We were also very interested in the water temperature, as it is a valuable indicator of the proximity of the ice. And of course, when the water temperature around the hull is 1.5°C, it's clear that it's not very warm inside, but it's never been so hard to bear in Greenland and in the passage."

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‍Suiteet fin de cette série : L'Allures 44 Opale a franchi le passage du Nord-Ouest : 5/5 - De l'Arctique à l'Antarctique

‍Whichsailboat to choose?

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‍MarcPédeau and Bénédicte Michel's motivations for attempting the Northwest Passage were, as we've seen, firmly in place several years before they set out on the adventure. And for them, the time had come - in 2014 - to choose a boat. Two key elements were included in the specifications for the purchase of this sailboat, carefully selected from opportunities offered by various specialists: "The construction material had to be aluminum; this was a completely spontaneous choice, for elementary questions of safety and mechanical resistance in the face of the eventuality, always to be taken into account, of significant friction or even violent impact with the ice. Similarly, we were looking for a centerboarder, so that we could shelter at the bottom of the anchorages and be as well protected as possible in the event of bad weather, or even a katabatic gale." As a result of this process, Marc and Bénédicte acquired Opale, a second-hand Allures 44, built in 2011 and bearing hull number 43 of this series born in 2003 with the beginnings of the Allures Yachting shipyard: "The last of the Allures 44s", Marc points out, and it's true that this model was replaced after 2011 by the Allures 45.

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Once this crucial question of the choice of yacht has been resolved, and without wishing to dwell on the steps involved in technically preparing an Allures for extreme-cold conditions, it remains to decide on the overall timetable for the project and therefore on a departure date, a key factor in the success of the operation.‍

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When to go?

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‍"A decisive point for the success of the undertaking is to plan a significant overall duration, with at least two and a half to three months of availability, timed to the end of summer in the northern hemisphere. We set sail from Nuuk on July 1, arriving at Sand Point on September 22.

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Above all, you have to consider that going to Greenland is a navigation in itself, which can take several weeks of a demanding crossing for the crew of a boat setting out from France, and that, at the other end of the scale, leaving the boat in Alaska, as we did at Sand Point, can't be improvised, far from it.

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‍Ourluck is that, being retired, we have time; so, in June 2018, we were in Cape Verde, at Christmas 2018 in Martinique, we spent 3 months in the Caribbean and Cuba, then reached the east coast of the USA at the end of March 2019 and, from there, undertook the Northwest Passage."

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‍"As far as this attempt is concerned, the previous year the passage remained closed, a sailboat even sank at the entrance to Bellot Strait, caught in ice and drifting very quickly due to the very strong current in the strait; the two sailors had to be rescued by helicopter. In 2019, we passed through Peel Sound, south of Resolute Bay, rather than Bellot Strait, which this year did not open before Peel Sound, as is usually the case. At the beginning of June, we left St Pierre-et-Miquelon; on July 1, we were in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland. The important thing is to be clear about the idea of leaving, while remaining aware that nothing is guaranteed. We had given ourselves a deadline to see if it would open up in the hard zone: we set this cut-off date at August 18, 2019, much as Jimmy Cornell did in 2015 aboard his Garcia, after a first unsuccessful attempt. And we passed!"

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‍"In Lancaster Sound, the ice opens gradually from the east towards Resolute Bay to the west from early August until mid-August, and then it opens either towards Regent Inlet as far as Bellot Strait, or through Peel Sound. The real heart of the passage, between Bellot Strait and as far as Cambridge Bay, usually opens around mid-August - it could be the 8th, the 12th, the 20th or even later. We left Burnett Inlett, in Lancaster Sound, on August 12, made our way without stopping so as not to get stuck in the ice, passed through Peel Sound, and arrived in Cambridge Bay on August 18, 6 days of intensive navigation and watchfulness to get through the key zone."

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This "typical" expedition schedule seems to represent a valid basis for all the successful Northwest Passage attempts of recent years. It was also the one chosen by crews who had to give up, such as those who scheduled their attempt for the summer of 2018, a year when the ice didn't open up.

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It remains to be seen whether these theoretical dates will be affected by global warming. Marc Pédeau: "Global warming certainly plays a role on a global scale: it has been established that the global volume of pack ice is falling steadily over the medium term (2020 is the second year with the least pack ice around the pole since these data have been studied), and this tends to increase the chances of passage, but local weather phenomena, such as lows which break up the ice and therefore encourage melting, or on the contrary displace the pack and can locally block any exit to the west. Nature's in charge, and it's vital not to forget that."

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"And so you have to set out with the idea that nothing guarantees success, and then consider fallback scenarios if the hard zone doesn't open up. For example, in 2019, in these alternative hypotheses, one of the options was to aim for Hudson Bay, accessible via a very narrow passage, the Fury and Hecla Strait, which in the end we didn't need to search for (the same passage that, in his day, William Baffin failed to find)!

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That's why you have to give it a go, hope that it opens up, and not ask yourself any questions, telling yourself that these fallback routes are also out-of-the-ordinary navigations, even if you can't in this case claim to have crossed the Northwest Passage proper. It's also very important to set yourself a deadline that's not too late, because if you arrive too late in the season in the Bering Sea, it can be dangerous".

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‍Which crew?

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‍"We wanted to do the passage as a crew so that we could have the possibility of taking turns, which otherwise would have been very trying in such a zone sailing with two people. I alternated leading the 4-hour watches with a very experienced friend who had already sailed in the ice. The rest of the crew alternated fixed watches between Saint-Pierre et Miquelon and Pont Inlet (six of us) and rotating watches between Pont Inlet and Nome (5 people on board).

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"Note:the various geographical features mentioned in this text are shown on the map reproduced above, a large-format version of which can be viewed here.

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‍Continuedto follow :The Allures 44 Opale has crossed the North-West Passage : 4/5 - On the notion of risk in navigation

‍‍It doesn't occur to anyone here to compare the merits and trajectories of explorers of past centuries, most of whom have remained famous if only because their names or those of their boats are frequently found on maps of territories in the far North, and moreover at the head of official expeditions strongly supported and financed by states or powerful armaments, with the contemporary, modest but well-executed pleasure-boating project of a telecommunications engineer who, as a young retiree, finally sees the opportunity to fulfill, with his family and friends, an Arctic dream that has been with him for years.

It goes without saying that the rise of pleasure boating from the 20th century onwards, as well as the considerable reinforcement of communications and positioning resources, and the deployment of meteorological and glacial observation and forecasting services, have made this crossing much more practicable in 2019 than in the glorious and, as we have seen, somewhat cursed era of the great discoverers.

And if we add to all this the clearly perceptible effects of global warming on glacier levels, with the scientifically attested and well-documented disappearance of the Arctic ice pack (see footnote), we can only conclude that this is no great feat, and that Opale's success is nothing out of the ordinary. And yet...

Marc Pédeau's very discreet profile conceals a strong personality, one in which determination is combined with competence without the need to flaunt it. Let's just say that our man is not the type to give lessons or boast about his actions, but rather to share his experience with a mixture of generosity, precision and restraint. While it's not uncommon for some yachtsmen to be attracted to sailing as such, rather than to the destinations it enables them to reach, it seems to us that Marc Pédeau oscillates between these two tendencies. On the one hand, he says, "I love the technique of sailing, I love the navigation, the tuning of the boat, the ability to make it go as fast as it can".

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On the other hand, he declares that he has always felt "a strong attraction to the boreal regions", and quickly became convinced that a well-designed and carefully-handled sailboat was the ideal way to satisfy his desire to discover northern latitudes.

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Forty years of sailing as a volunteer member of the Groupe international de croisière(gic-voile.fr) have taken Marc and his partner Bénédicte to the coasts of Norway, Iceland, Spitsbergen and Greenland.

This solid sailing experience then played a central role in his retirement, when it came time to acquire a boat and embark on this expedition, the ultimate goal for a man with a passion for both sailing and high latitudes.It should be noted that Marc's northern tropism is coupled with an attraction for the cultural dimension of the Far North, which he himself describes as "mythical". A lifelong reader of the geographer and explorer Jean Malaurie, he is well aware of the close relationship between the Inuit and their environment, as well as of the increasing fragility of the Arctic world as a result of global warming.Attentive to the world around him, but above all a passionate sailor, Marc was also a reader, in his twenties, of the Dutch sailor Willy de Roos who, in 1977, became the first modern yachtsman to complete the Northwest Passage. De Roos sailed the route single-handed in a single season, aboard his meters steel cutterWilliwaw.

‍Andthere's every reason to believe that the 1979 publication of Willy de Roos's book, "Le Passage du Nord-Ouest : du Groenland au détroit de Béring", in the collection "Arthaud mer.All these reasons explain why attempting the North-West Passage on his own sailboat seemed a logical project to Marc Pédeau, who declares:

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"This mythical route represents an ultimate itinerary, a culmination of the very notion of navigation in the Far North, to which we had already devoted a fair amount of time with Bénédicte, between Spitzbergen, Iceland and Greenland. All in all, we felt this project was more accessible than Antarctica, and that we would encounter far fewer people on the outskirts of Nunavut than in Patagonia.

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Note: Some projections indicate that the melting of ice, more or less rapid depending on the sector, makes the possibility of a totally ice-free Northwest Passage for 2 to 4 months in summer around 2100 credible (Arctic Council, 2009: 27).

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Note: the various geographical features mentioned in this text are shown on the map reproduced above, a large-format version of which can be viewed here.

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Continuation of this series :The Allures 44 Opale has crossed the Northwest Passage : 3/5 - Conditions for success

In August 2019, the Allures 44 Opale crossed the Northwest Passage,
a mythical passage in the history of navigation
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‍Thequestion of crossing the Northwest Passage has long been central to the community of European navigators and explorers, who were convinced that they could reach Asia by bypassing the American continent to the north.For three hundred years, most of those who ventured from the North Atlantic into these waters bordering the islands of far northern Canada to the east, then the Alaskan coast to the west, were guided by economic considerations and most often saw their enterprise financed by their respective states.

Although it alone represents a journey of 4,500 miles, three times the distance across the Atlantic Ocean, the Northwest Passage is in fact the shortest route between Europe and the Far East, if we consider that, with 8,500 miles from London to Tokyo, this maritime route represents a saving of 3,000 miles compared with the route via the Suez Canal (11,500 miles) and over 4,000 miles compared with the route via the Panama Canal (12,600 miles). Many of these explorers, no matter how renowned, and even though they led expeditions that were heavily manned and equipped with ships, were unsuccessful. More often than not, they were overcome by ice, hunger or scurvy, not to mention other difficulties linked to imprecise geographical knowledge and the errors of cartographic science, still in its infancy from the ^17th to the ^19th century.
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So it is with Henry Hudson
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In 1611, he was convinced he had reached the shores of Asia, when he came upon the immense bay to which he gave his name, and where he eventually lost his mind and his life, ending up abandoned in a rowboat after a mutiny. Baffin's first attempt at adventure was in 1615, when he explored the northern part of what is now Hudson Bay, but failed to find the western route - which did exist. Then, in a second attempt the following year (1616), he meticulously explored the Davis Strait between Greenland and Canada (the northern part of which was renamed the Baffin Sea in his honor), and finally convinced himself that such a passage was a pipe dream.

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Baffin's mistake was not to enter Lancaster Sound, the wide channel facing Greenland's west coast (on the western shore of the Baffin Sea) and leading very indirectly westwards - but at least it survived both expeditions.

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Captain Cook's third voyage
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One hundred and sixty years later, Englishman James Cook made the search for this famous Northwest Passage the focus of his third and final expedition, from 1776 to 1778. The glorious captain, explorer and cartographer had the distinction, compared to his peers, of attempting the route in a west-east direction, exploring the American West Coast in the process. Cook set out in search of a strait and did not aim to bypass Alaska and the Aleutians to the north. He was misled by a Russian map published in 1773 by the German academician Jacob von Stählin, which was highly speculative in that it depicted Alaska as an island separated from America by a wide strait.

With no passage available to his ships Discovery and Resolution, and soon confronted with the cruel reality of the ice age, Cook had to give up: he headed west, then across the Pacific to Hawaii and the Sandwich Islands, where the explorer died in 1779 without ever having seen his native land again.

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John Franklin Expedition

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Another major conquest project that ended badly, even catastrophically, was the Franklin expedition, from 1845 to 1846. Setting out from London at the head of two ships and 130 sailors, all well prepared for the ardors of the Far North, John Franklin tried to find the long-awaited route via the already famous Lancaster Sound, but in April 1846, the ice trap closed in on his two ships Terror and Erebus, blocked by the pack ice for over a year. With Franklin himself and over twenty men dead, the survivors, led by Crozier, left the ships and attempted to head south, but in vain. The loss of this expedition was a failure for Victorian England and its Admiralty, but it also led to unexpected advances in the mapping of these lost territories, which were examined by several relief expeditions.

Scurvy, disease, cannibalism, or simply the cold: conjectures about the causes of the loss of these men and of several members of the expeditions launched to their rescue have been vivid, to the point where, in 2016, the Franklin expedition was still giving rise to archaeological research around the remains of the crew, then the wrecks of the two ships, found in scattered order between Beechey Island, on Lancaster Sound, and the outskirts of King William Island, 300 km further south.

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Roald Amundsen Expedition

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It was finally with the 20th century and Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen that the North-West Passage was delivered. This expedition was conducted between 1903 and 1905; the future winner of the South Pole (in 1911) was at the head of a reduced crew and aboard a small meters boat - the Gjøa - which gave its name to Gjøa Haven, the shelter where he wisely decided to winter. This "light" option (the possible equivalent of alpine style for mountain lovers) proved to be the right one, enabling Amundsen not only to triumph over this major difficulty and thus open up a new sea route, but also to deepen Western knowledge of Inuit culture, while carrying out scientific observations relating to the North Magnetic Pole. On this expedition, Amundsen was the first to demonstrate that the North Magnetic Pole does not have a permanent geographical position, but moves regularly (note 1).

Having joined up with an American whaler from the West Coast on August 26, 1905, Amundsen can soberly mention in the Gjøa's logbook:

‍"The Northwest Passage issue is resolved".

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What the explorer doesn't know is that this feat will fan the flames of dreams of the Great North among many amateur sailors, to the extent that, at the end of 2019, exactly 313 boats of all kinds - from sailing boats to icebreakers - had been counted to have crossed the Northwest Passage since the beginning of the 20th century. Of these, 180 boats have attempted to cross the famous passage since 2010, and 23 in 2019 alone.

This growing traffic is the sign of a strong craze for this maritime route which, before inevitably becoming a regular trade route in the future, has in recent years become a popular destination, now offered by specialized cruise operators and on which more and more intrepid people are venturing, sometimes unwittingly, on jet skis, kayaks or other rowing skiffs, counting on the Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker to ensure their safety in the event of an incident.

We'll soon see that Marc Pédeau and Bénédicte Michel, who successfully crossed the Northwest Passage in August 2019 aboard their Allures 44 Opale and made it all the way to the Pacific without any notable incident, thanks to their determination to make their way through the maze of islands, bays and channels that this passage actually is, are not to be classed among the inconsistent.


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Read the rest of this article: The Allures 44 Opale has crossed the Northwest Passage: 2/5 - A logical project

Bruno, how did your sailboat trip come about?

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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:

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"Everything beautiful and good that people have done, they've built with their dreams."

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So you took the whole family to Varatraza?

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‍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.

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Four children, three cabins, two per cabin?

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‍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.‍

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But all went well...

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‍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.

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What will the children remember most about this year?

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‍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.

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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.

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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.

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How did the CNED distance learning course go?

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‍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.

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Which country surprised you the most?

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‍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...‍

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You also carried out a mission with Voiles Sans Frontières...

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‍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...

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But the end of the trip didn't go exactly to plan...

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‍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.

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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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Gary, where did this round-the-world project come from?

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I spent part of my youth sailing and diving in the Florida Keys. It was there that I decided to retire at 55 and live aboard a sailboat. I've read a lot of travelogues, talking about encounters, great cultures, diving, fishing, faraway lands and, of course, sailing. What's not to love? I used to say I was going to set the record for slow sailing around the world!‍

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How did you prepare for this long journey?

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‍You could say that the preparation began in my youth. I knew I had to choose a profession that would allow me to save enough money to enable me to retire at 55 - I thought 55 was realistic financially and young enough to be fit enough - and ended up becoming a surgeon. It's a profession I've really enjoyed, but there was always that long-term goal in the back of my mind. The real preparation began about 10 years before I bought the boat. I didn't have much sailing experience because I'd worked so hard. So I did a 10-day course in the British Virgin Islands. I passed three certificates there, which enabled me to rent boats. I started chartering sailboats once or twice a year to gain more experience. I also started a file of all the features that were important on a boat.

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I think reading Jimmy Cornell's books convinced me of the advantages of aluminum hulls and centerboarder sailboats.

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Then, a year before retirement, I signed up with Mahina Tiare Expeditions, along with five other people, for a crossing from Hawaii to Prince Rupert in Canada. The aim was to gain more offshore experience and have a certified ocean crossing for my future insurance company.

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Could you introduce the crew ofIllimité?

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‍For the first two years, experienced sailing friends always joined me for ocean crossings or long convoys. I made a few short solo sailings, but always lasting less than 24 hours, in accordance with my insurance policy. I would then put myself off the watch, or only for very short periods, but asked to be involved in any sail changes or other events that might occur. Similarly, as I had carried out the provisioning of the boat, I knew what we had on board and where it was, so I did the cooking. Then, in August 2017, I was joined in Tonga by my partner, Noëlle, whom I'd met earlier in the year in Florida. She had already sailed with me for a few weeks in Panama as a test. Since she joined me, I haven't needed any other crew. We do 3-hour watches at night but are very flexible during the day.‍

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What is your sailing rhythm?

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‍Noëlle doesn't like to go to bed after dinner, so after I finish the dishes, I go to bed at 8pm and we start our 3-hour shifts. This allows me to start the last shift at 5am, at which time I take out the sextant and put the fishing lines in the water. I let Noëlle sleep until she gets up, then I take a good nap at some point during the day. During the day, I usually download the weather files and send our midday position if we're using a routing service. We eat breakfast and lunch separately, but Noëlle always prepares a great dinner.

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When you're not sailing, how do you spend your days? 

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‍Boat maintenance, cleaning, weather, navigation and provisioning take up a lot of my time. I occupy a few free moments with reading. I often have an e-book on the iPad and a paper book in progress at the same time. I'd say my real hobby is underwater photography. Which goes well with diving. I have a database of over 750 photos that grows with each dive. I also try to update my blog every week on svillimite.substack.com. Another hobby when we're at sea, I try my hand at electronic navigation before every sunrise. It's very satisfying when I get within just a few miles of the GPS position with an alignment of stars or planets.‍

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What was your original program? 

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‍My original plan was to do more of a fairly straightforward round-the-world trip, followed by another following a more random route. I pretty much stuck to the plan until we reached Australia and Noelle asked if we could go up to Thailand. I told her no, as we were a bit late in the season for the monsoon. But you know how persuasive women can be, so we sped up a bit, caught a decent monsoon tail and reached Thailand, the Andaman Islands in India. We had originally planned to head for Bali and continue our circumnavigation, but we turned back east, and are currently enjoying some superb diving in Raja Ampat, Indonesia. After more than a year in the muggy heat of Southeast Asia, Noëlle says she'd like a bit of fresh air. So we're now planning to head for Alaska.

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Any surprises along the way? 

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‍Plenty! But I'd say my biggest surprise was my initial emotion. You'd think that when I landed in Cherbourg to take delivery of my dream boat in May 2015, after decades of planning and preparation I'd be jumping for joy, all excited. In reality, with all the changes I had to manage at once, I was a little naïve not to anticipate a little depression. Fortunately, after about a week and my first solo trip to Alderney on my new Allures 45, this feeling had all but disappeared.

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Have you met many people so far? 

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‍I have to say that the highlights of cruising are the people you meet. First of all, there are lots of great sailors. We've met some of them of all nationalities, and some have become very close friends with whom we've kept in touch. The local people can also be incredible. Especially when you get off the beaten track. So many people stop what they're doing to help you or to show you their country. Here in Indonesia, it's not uncommon to see several pirogues with children paddling towards you and asking to come aboard. Of course, they all want to take a selfie with you! Sometimes the story is unbelievable. We now have a very good friend in Malaysia who initially offered to drive us quickly to a store. About 12 hours later we had finished sightseeing and eating, without him accepting anything in return. While we were in New Zealand, some friends lent us their pick-up for a month to drive around.

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People's generosity can really be extraordinary.

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What happens next? 

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‍We'll be leaving Indonesia in January, heading for West Papua New Guinea where we hope to find some good diving spots. Then we'll head back up to Micronesia, Guam and Japan. After gazing at the cherry blossoms, we'll head for Alaska to fish for salmon. Then down to Mexico for the winter, with dives in the Sea of Cortez. Back to French Polynesia, then on to Australia. This time we should head south, visiting Tasmania, and New Zealand again. Finally, we should be heading west to South Africa. The original plan was for me to be in South Africa in December 2018; the earliest we should be there is 2022, but I'm sure that schedule will change too. That's one of the things I love - we're always changing our plans!

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Some indelible memories already? 

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‍Oh yes, plenty but if today I had to share three, I think these would be them. A stressful one, entering the lagoon at Samana Cay in the Bahamas, very narrow in the coral reef, which I couldn't make out well because of the breakers in 20+ knots of wind. I was a solo sailor and didn't think I'd attempt it, but a friend on an Oyster 46 had just passed by and checked that the mapping was correct. Knowing that I had the toughest boat in the world to go anywhere, how could I have avoided it? I got home without a hitch... phew! I also had quite a scare in Australia. We were tired of a rollicking anchorage off the east coast, as the wind had shifted, so we weighed anchor before daybreak. I quickly set a course on the chart plotter and off we went to Magnetic Island. At one point, my youngest daughter, who was with me at the time, asked me, really looking surprised, was that a rock there, passing by us? I turned to look, expecting to see a dolphin, but discovering a rock emerging from the waves less than three meters away! I had plotted my course right over Salamander Reef, which was just a dot covered by the thickness of the road line. We'd all been warned about the risks of zooming too low on the electronic charts, and I never thought I'd be fooled. Never again!

Finally, perhaps the most magical of all: we were on a mooring outside Bait Reef, still in Australia, when a humpback whale surfaced and took a breath less than 3 meters from us. We'd already seen a few whales, and Noëlle had just said it would be great if one of them could come closer to us. This one was a bit too close! Noëlle couldn't even get a good photo, she was so surprised.

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Gary and Noëlle's blogs are fascinating and richly illustrated. here.

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A shared dream, rooted in our origins

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"January 2020, Argentina, Mar Del Plata, 37 degrees South - In the northern hemisphere, we'd be in winter at the latitude of Seville. Here it's summer, warm days, and above all the last major stopover before Tierra del Fuego, where we plan to arrive at the end of January. We can't wait to get there. To leave behind the worries that have delayed our progress, and to make the most of this three-year break around the world we've been dreaming of for so long. We've been away for almost 18 months now, and there's a lot to think about.

How did it all begin? In Hervé's mind... Even as a child, he was sailing in the South of France, scouring the waters, both on his father's ship and in regattas, already in love with the beautiful sail. As for Mélanie, she was almost born on a boat, on the shores of Lake Geneva, while enjoying summers on the Atlantic. So for us, water is an almost more natural environment than land. So the project was quickly shared, enthusiastically and in all its dimensions.

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Take to the open seas to find yourself

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What prompted us to set up the project? The desire to take a break from the world of work, which had given us so much satisfaction, but staying in the 'corporate' mold was making less and less sense to us. The need to recharge our batteries and discover something new, to take back the reins of our lives had become vital. We'll see what we feel like writing as our next chapter.

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Preparing for a big trip

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The two of us managed the preparations for the trip, each at our own pace, in similar and different dimensions at the same time. Still, we had to take the plunge and keep an eye out for a certain alignment of the planets. Our parents? They're still in good shape, so they don't need us for anything other than the pleasure of seeing each other. Our children? We had the joy of welcoming them early in life, so in their twenties, immersed in their higher education, they have become independent.

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The ties that bind, even at the end of the world

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Mind you, autonomous doesn't mean independent at all, and modern communication tools are a way for all of us to experience our trip in a very gentle way, without really cutting ties. Sometimes the calls are about a simple cooking recipe (smiles); the pleasure of meeting up again by phone or video regularly adds a huge ray of sunshine to our already great days. For us, IT tools are both necessary and pleasurable: they're our security, our "Ariadne's thread". And sometimes this link becomes paradoxical, since by offering the possibility of being in permanent relationship with others, we don't experiment enough with our own relationship, and we don't explore our own interiority enough.

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The Deep South will give us the opportunity to step back. Beyond Ushuaïa, we'll be alone on our boat, exploring this little-visited world, living between land and sea, sky and wind, far from everything.

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The magic of crossings and first horizons

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We left in August 2018, after three years of intensive preparation, between buying the boat, its technical preparation (safety, comfort on board, piloting and communication tools...) and our own (navigation, offshore license, mechanics, electricity, medical autonomy...) with some great summer sailing escapes to test everything, put it in our hands, meet, exchange, read, learn, compare weather forecasts and proven weather in the field... In this area, and fortunately, today's tools are very reassuring. Although we've had 50 knots at anchor, we've never had heavy weather, rarely more than 35 knots at sea. Let's hope it lasts... Because setting off for three years in the footsteps of Magellan, from the Mediterranean to New Caledonia via Cape Horn, is no mean feat. It starts with a descent to the Canaries, then Cape Verde, before tackling the Atlantic crossing, with its incredible, magical nights. The Atlantic was completely different from what we had expected... we experienced absolute calms, during which the sea mirrored the sky, offering us serenity and plenitude. The impression of emptying ourselves, while filling up with life. We'll never forget bathing in the middle of... nothing, with 5,000 meters of crystal-clear water beneath our feet! A few squalls nonetheless, magnificent clouds rolling across the horizon, bringing buckets of rain and big draughts...

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Then the arrival on another continent, the encounter with a culture so different from our own, our strolls through the streets of Salvador de Bahia, our escapade in the Brazilian jungle, the discovery of such a colorful Rio... before discovering Uruguay and then Argentina. So many colorful memories!

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Sailing together, reinventing everyday life

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Although we usually sail just the two of us, for our first major crossing we took on board two totally unknown crew members, with whom, to prove the adage wrong, everything went perfectly. Only the rhythm of the watches was altered, or rather fixed. Because when it's just the two of us, flexibility is the key word. When we were sailing together, we soon started "passing each other at night" again, once our pairing had been reconstituted. With no fixed watches, each of us rests when we feel the need. We're always confident, but our senses and experience mean that we never sleep with more than one ear open. The slightest variation in heel, speed or even light immediately puts Hervé on the alert, and he often returns to the bridge ahead of any potential request for help.

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Time, the luxury of the sea

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Since we left, time has become distorted. Short and long at the same time. The days go by too quickly and some hours are immensely long. Too short are the stopovers, the visits, the encounters, the journeys inland. Surprisingly long are the formalities in each country, the boat maintenance (it's crazy, there's always something to do on these yachts!), the search for parts, even tools. Fortunately, sailors who share the same passion are always willing to help each other, and this makes things a lot easier when we find ourselves in unlikely places, lost at the end of the world. We're almost always the youngest members of this community, which is mainly made up of retired people, and we meet some very nice and happy people. We all speak the same language, which makes it much easier to get on with each other. Delightfully long are the sailing times, the moments between us. We're learning to live together 24/7, something that never happened in 'real life', in fact. Listening to each other, even in our silences, slowing down our pace, supporting each other in difficult times, adapting to each other's needs. Every day we make a little more progress in patience and letting go. One day we'll get there, maybe, really, we hope!

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The world under sail, between beauty and awareness

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Being in direct contact with our environment, close to nature, is a double-edged sword. At once eminently rejuvenating and sometimes despairing when we see the degradation that man is inflicting on the planet. At our level, we are as careful as we can be, aware that we are but little hummingbirds trying to extinguish the forest fire with drops of water. But, in keeping with the parable, we're doing our bit.

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Beyond the horizon, myriad possibilities

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In the meantime, we are well aware that the time we take is a priceless gift we give ourselves. The land remains magnificent, the nature and the people wonderful. It would have been a mistake to wait any longer to leave. Beyond the Strait of Magellan awaits Ushuaïa, Cape Horn, which also tempts us - we'll see if the elements allow us to go around it - then the Chilean canals up to Puerto Montt, before heading due west, in the hope of landing on Easter Island. Then, after long weeks at sea, the Gambiers, the Marquesas, Polynesia, Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu and finally New Caledonia. A myriad of delicious moments to come, to share, to experience. That's our program, and that's the name of our beautiful sailboat: Myriades.

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‍EDIT- February 14, 2020: Myriades has rounded Cape Horn! Visit the myriades.ch blog !

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Why did you set off around the world?

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‍"Sailing around the world had been in the corner of our minds for a long time, without really having a well-defined plan. Caught up in our daily lives, between work and family life, time went by so quickly. Nevertheless, over the last few years, as the children became more independent, we sailed the Atlantic coast between Ireland, Spain, France and Scotland on 'A Capella', the first of her name, a 1995 steel forty-footer, acquired in 2010. Each summer, we sailed a little longer, up to 8 weeks at the end. Through sailing, meetings and long discussions, the idea of sailing around the world became obvious. Circumstances turned it into reality. The boys didn't want to take over the family business in Herefordshire, so either we continued ad vitam aeternam what we'd been doing for thirty years, or we took up the challenge of changing our lives and realizing our dream. We still felt young, were in good health, with solid savings, and the prospect of experiencing Brexit didn't really excite us, so the timing was ideal to turn the tables!"

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Sailing around the world had been in the back of our minds for a long time, without really having a well-defined plan.

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‍How did you prepare for this long journey?

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‍"There followed two years more intense than we could ever have imagined, between balancing our previous life, planning, preparing, and organizing our future life on the water! Since upgrading our good old 'A Capella' for such a voyage seemed unviable, we decided to order a new Allures 45.9, a 14m centerboarder in the meters range. It will be 'A Capella of Belfast', delivered in August 2017, just in time to join the transatlantic rallie organized by Jimmy Cornell. The timing was very tight, but we were accompanied all the way by the entire Allures team. But once we were anchored in the Canaries, waiting for the right weather window to cross the Atlantic this time, we realized that we'd definitely made the right choice. The journey could really begin, and the transatlantic crossing went as smoothly as it went comfortably."

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‍What is your program?

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‍"The first year we stayed in the Atlantic, cruising the Caribbean of course, then the Bahamas, and up the east coast of the USA. Most of the sailing is downwind in medium wind, and between the original code 0 and the asymmetric spinnaker we added, we really enjoy ourselves under sail. This season, we're cruising the Pacific, captivated by the Galapagos, inevitably under the spell of Polynesia, on our way to Samoa, and should reach New Zealand in November."

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And how is your new life going?

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‍"Our lives have changed radically, more than we probably imagined, and every day offers its share of surprises. We've become experts in fields we didn't even know existed two years ago: astrological navigation, fishing, seamanship and... Scrabble! The record on board is 756 points, thanks to our special rule that nautical terms count double! But if there's one thing we're sure of, it's that we never regret our choice! We may no longer be at work in the conventional sense, but we're not on vacation either. We're sailors, traveling the world. Half of our time is taken up with looking after our yacht, checking the weather and dealing with administrative formalities for our next stopovers or with England, while the other half is devoted to discovering the countries we visit. What wonderful encounters we've had since our departure! We've met people from incredibly varied backgrounds, and we've become good friends with many of them. Even among circumnavigators like us, there are so many ways to chart your course. Each at their own pace, according to their own interests. Some, like us, enjoy the journey itself as much as the destination, and we like to change places at a reasonable but regular pace. Others don't leave an island without exploring it in great detail. Or still others are in search of the best diving or kite surfing spots, depending on their favorite activity."‍

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What is your assessment and what are the prospects at this stage of your trip?

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‍"In two years, we've made a few changes to the boat, and it's a process of appropriation that seems normal to us. 'A Capella of Belfast' adapts to us as we adapt to her over time, and we're really completely happy with our choice. It's the live-incenterboarder for our program. We plan to be away for five years, maybe six. Initially, we were planning to sail her to remote places like Antarctica. But we have to admit that the more traditional route we're following today suits us well in terms of sailing and is sufficient, for the time being at least, to satisfy our thirst for discovery. Then it'll be time to come back home and carry out other projects, while continuing to enjoy the boat, but on destinations that are probably less remote, such as the Baltic, for example."

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‍In conclusion, what is your best memory to date?

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‍"We've accumulated so many great memories that it's hard to choose, but crossing the Panama Canal and sailing the Pacific is really very special." Julian & Patricia

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Visit their blog to find out more

Preparations and first anchorages in the Canaries

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"In November 2010, Chap's leaves Bayonne for an Atlantic crossing. The journey begins with a stopover in Port Mogan, on the southern island of Grand Canaria, to refuel Chap's before setting sail for Guadeloupe.

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Sailors beware: a little devil makes a wonderful crew member when provisioning, and takes up very little space on board.

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55 miles away, we head for Tenerife, whose summit rises to 3,717 m. A pleasant downwind crossing, marked by a sumptuous sunset. First night at anchor south of Tenerife. Sea 24°C, Air 18°C at night and 26°C during the day, a clement weather pattern that allows us to take our first bath.

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An intimate stopover in Hierro, the island of origins

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75 miles is the distance we covered to reach Hierro, a small island, the most south-westerly of the Canaries. It's less well-known because it's less touristy, yet Christopher Columbus set sail from this island on his second crossing. At the time, it was the most westerly island in the known world! We're beginning to get a definite taste for life on board: no more planes, no more stress, the sea as an eternal restart, the sea that humbles us and the sea that gives of itself. We're enjoying every moment.

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First major crossing: from the Canaries to Cape Verde

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We then set off on our first major crossing, a 750-mile stretch between the Canaries and Cape Verde in a variety of weather conditions: from flat calm to 15 knots of wind from the east, north and west. The rhythm of the watches is quite quick to pick up. We live with the sun, especially as just after sunset there's a period of total darkness with an extraordinarily starry sky. Then, around midnight, the moon rises, lighting up the sea and making sailing timeless.

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Life at sea: watches, stars and offshore routines

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This Atlantic crossing convinced us of our choice of boat. Chap's is remarkably reliable. Life on board: we tinker, optimize and tidy up the sailboat that enables us to make these long voyages.

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This Atlantic crossing convinced us of our choice of boat. Chap's is remarkably reliable.

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We make the most of these moments by leading a life on board filled with various activities: crafts, reading, swimming and fishing.

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Cape Verdean stopovers: Tarrafal, Mindelo and world music

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After 750 miles, we reach Cape Verde with our first stopover on the island of Sao Nicolau, where we anchor at Porto de Tarrafal. The black sand on these beaches is famous for its high iodine and titanium content and its medicinal properties. We then head for Mindelo, capital of the island of Sao Vicente, one of the nine main islands of Cape Verde.

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We meet a very endearing people [...]. The Cap Verdians have music in their blood and a taste for celebration.

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Here, we meet a very endearing population and meet up with some of the sailors taking part in the Transat des Iles du Soleil. They introduce us to the island's colorful, musical evenings. Cape Verdeans have music in their blood and a taste for partying. The ARC (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers) is also in port due to lack of wind. The result is a very cosmopolitan evening, with some twenty different nationalities trying their hand at Cape Verdean dancing.

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The Atlantic crossing: 15 days of absolute immersion

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2,350 miles, or over 4,200 km without seeing land, is the distance we covered in 15 days to reach the other side of the Atlantic. We covered a little more than the normal distance, as we were forced to sail further south than planned to pick up some wind and avoid a windless bubble on the direct course.

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2,350 miles, or more than 4,200 km without seeing land, is the distance we covered in 15 days.

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The Atlantic is still a place of freedom and adventure: flying fish, dolphins, whales... an extraordinary crossing.

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Chap's, a long-distance travel companion

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The first thing we remember about these few days is that time takes on a whole new meaning. The other thing that struck us was the total freedom we felt. A fantastic experience, which nevertheless requires a little preparation, a little recklessness, stamina, patience, philosophy, and above all a boat that you trust, that you keep an eye on and that you listen to all the time...

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A new-found freedom, projects on the horizon

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And Chap's journey doesn't stop there! After visiting 25 countries on this Atlantic tour, we plan to set off again for a Mediterranean tour in 2020. See you soon for more adventures!" Arnault and Marie-Laure Chaperon

First sail to Spain and the Canaries

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"At the end of October 2012, Sodric left her home port of La Rochelle for a multi-year circumnavigation of the globe. An epic which begins in the most beautiful way, downwind, towards Spain and the coast of Galicia. A few days' stopover in La Coruña and then Baiona allow us to settle the final details of life on board, before setting sail for the open sea. Faced with poor weather conditions, Sodric calls at Cascais to await more clement weather. Just enough time to discover Lisbon and the majestic Tagus estuary, and we can once again set a direct course for Porto Santo, our first stopover in Madeira.

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We take the time to visit several islands in the archipelago before reaching the Canaries, where Sodric anchors in Abona Bay, Tenerife.

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En route to Africa: Senegal and Cape Verde

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After returning to France for the holidays, we continued our cruise in early 2013, heading for Senegal. A memorable stopover, touched by the country's traditional culture and the many enriching encounters, including with members of Voiles sans frontières. Thanks to them, we were able to take part in a solidarity medical mission. An extraordinary experience that we won't soon forget.

Next, the initial intention was to reach the Canaries from Dakar. But due to two to three meters of cross seas, and contrary wind and currents, we preferred to head straight for Cape Verde and the island of Sao Vincente. A place with austere landscapes, but made so warm by its inhabitants. Sodric will be moored there all summer, while we stay in France. Then we set sail again in early autumn, with the aim of visiting the whole archipelago: sometimes austere, sometimes lush, fishing, volcanoes... before crossing to the West Indies at the end of the year.

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Atlantic crossing: heading for the West Indies

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2,185 miles, 16 days and 14 hours of sailing, averaging 5.5 knots. That's how long it took us to reach Guadeloupe. A transatlantic race could just be summed up in a few figures, but behind it all lies the pleasure of being at sea.

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During these long crossings, listening to Sodric's messages is essential: a flapping sail, the pilot working too hard, a luffing start, are all messages to be taken into consideration.

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Having arrived in Guadeloupe after more than a year's sailing, Sodric was in need of a little care, and the technical area of the Pointe à Pitre marina was the perfect place to give her a face-lift: careening, antifouling, replacement of the daggerboard runners, removal of the wind generator... all essential work to ensure the perfect operation of our little house on the water. All in just one week.

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Caribbean stopovers and return to Guadeloupe

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We were then able to enjoy the turquoise waters with their multicolored fish, as well as some beautiful hikes on steep paths. It has to be said that we had chosen our moment well, arriving in the middle of the Abyme carnival: an important and colorful event. We then went from island to island in the Caribbean archipelago: Dominica, Martinique, Saint Lucia and the Grenadines, each with its own personality, gave us a lot. After returning to Guadeloupe to spend the traditional end-of-year festivities with the family, we headed for Panama and crossed the canal to reach the Pacific coast, then the mythical Galapagos. Sodric is now ready for its longest crossing ever, 3000 miles (5500 km) to Polynesia.

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We chose to head for the Gambiers atoll before reaching the Marquesas.

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Heading for the Pacific: Panama, Galapagos and Polynesia

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‍Afterfour months in France, we returned to the island of Tahiti, where Sodric was patiently waiting for us to do some work and go for a walk. It was now time to think about leaving French Polynesia, which in a year and a half had shown us so much.

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2017: New Zealand and New Caledonia

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Arriving in New Zealand is like reaching a high mountain peak. And not just because we're the exact opposite of France. Above all, it's because this country of sailors is probably the one that best symbolizes the idea of a great voyage. You have to cross the world's largest ocean to get there, and the last leg, 2,000 km long and involving juggling weather systems, is not the easiest: we left New Zealand for Fiji on May 18 and found ourselves in New Caledonia after 7 days of rough sailing! This is both the disadvantage and the advantage of traveling by boat: being dependent on the weather, but being able to wander from one country to another with no other constraint than the weather.

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2018: Heading for Australia and Tasmania

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We chose to make our entry into Australia in Bundaberg. Coming from New Caledonia, this town, located south of the Great Barrier Reef, is for us a good starting point for our next navigation: to sail slowly down the east coast to Tasmania."Jean-Pierre and Isabelle Bobo

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‍Ifyou'd like to continue following Sodric's journey , click here.