A taste for adventure

They’re still amazed today, several months after this astonishing encounter. One morning, the radio on board crackles: 

« Sailing June, Sailing June, do you read me ? Over. » 

That day, Natalie, Peter and their two children are exactly in the middle of the North Atlantic, on their way to the Caribbean. Pulled by her Oxley large winged spinnaker, their Nautitech 44 Open is moving at a good pace in peaceful Tradewinds. Of course, they know they are not alone on the great ocean. They left Las Palmas ten days earlier together with a fleet of 178 sailing boats competing in the ARC Rallye, heading toward Rodney Bay, in the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia. But the sea is immense, and except for a few AIS blips on the chart plotter, it’s been days since they’ve seen a moving sail. And now, they are called on the VHF in the middle of nowhere. Better still, the caller makes an appointment with them! It must be said that it’s Asinara. In other words, a sistership, a Nautitech 44 Open flying the French flag, whose crew they met in La Rochelle, when the two were preparing for their great adventure. But Asinara not racing the ARC, they could not have suspected that they were so close.

And they have everything to inspire dreams. They are handsome, bold, smiling, modest. With them, everything seems so obvious. They give the impression of crossing the oceans under sail as easily as you cross the boulevard next door on foot.

They tell their story, or stories, more precisely, from Sailing June’s wide saloon. Their Nautitech 44 sways gently at anchor. They say that they dropped their anchor in Leaf Cay, as others declare themselves located in Porquerolles or Glenan archipelago. But Leaf Cay requires to zoom in hard on the electronic chart to reveal itself. That big sand bar extends Torch Cay, which itself punctuates Little Exuma. 

You have understood : Sailing June is in paradise with crystal clear waters, moored in four meters depth, in a narrow pass that winds between islands, strips of sands and coral reefs, perfectly sheltered from the trade winds and the swell by Long Island which forms a real natural dike thrown across the waves, about ten nautical miles to windward. Such is the magic of the Bahamas…

And yet, this dream archipelago was not on their initial program. Peter and Natalie are both from the big Vancouver Island, all the way west of Canada, in this other paradise for sailors called British Columbia. 

Originally, they had planned to set sail from Victoria and then quickly head towards the Pacific Dream Islands. The obstacles, both fiscal and logistical -meaning the need to organize a long and demanding delivery trip from Europe- quickly led to a change in their plan.

This is one of the qualities of this couple that jumps out at you: their way of adapting their projects according to the constraints. This mental flexibility is so fluid that it seems to them to be a second nature. Leaving from Canada is complicated? Well, we’ll start from La Rochelle. What better opportunity to allow children to discover France ?

Speaking of the children, how did they take the idea of leaving their world, their home, their friends ? “At first, admits Natalie, they weren’t enthusiastic. They didn’t see the reason for all this. But they adapted very quickly. Especially when they discovered that they could make new friends anywhere and meet them from stopover to stopover. The other day, or daughter told us that she wanted our trip to last forever, that she didn’t want to go home…” It must be said that in the winter of 2023, to give the children an idea of what to expect, the parents rented a 44 in the British Virgin Islands. 

And the young sailors loved it.

As a result of COVID, the launch of Sailing June has been delayed. They spend an unexpected month in La Rochelle. They take the opportunity to discover the magnificent city, Aunis and Saintonge provinces, the Charente Islands. And they are enjoying themselves. Then they get on board. The children have their own cabin each in the port hull. The parents take all the starboard hull for them: “smart room” (the essential technical room with laundry room and workshop), desk, owner’s cabin: the family is at home.

But the end of June is already here, the boat is ready, they must leave. Heading for A Coruna? Like that? Without any navigation to get acquainted with the boat and get their sea legs? In short with little or no training? Exactly! Like that! Peter is an excellent sailor, they know the 44 Open from their cruise in the Virgin Islands, and it is not the Bay of Biscay that will intimidate sailors from Vancouver !

During the three days of the crossing, however, the infamous Bay of Biscay will play tricks on them in its own way. First with hours of calm during which the messy swell force them to use the engine. Then with a 35 knots gale, a way of reminding that this bloody Bay enjoys a reputation that is not undeserved.

They go through all this with a smile on their faces. During the first few hours, the children are not at their best, anesthetized by the onset of seasickness. Then the young crew adapt perfectly. When Sailing June pass the high seawall of A Coruna, her crew beams with joy. And of pride to have achieved this first crossing all together. 

Since they are now at the end of Spain, they tell themselves that it would be stupid not to make a “slight” detour through the Mediterranean. In the eyes of North Americans, the “Grande Bleue” (the Big Blue) must undoubtedly seem within bow range from Galicia. So, head for Gibraltar, and then Mallorca. Greece and Turkey to follow? They are tempted. But reason prevails: they are registered for the ARC, the timetable is getting a little tighter. So, it will be Tunisia before a return to Mallorca, to finish equipping Sailing June and make her totally self-sufficient.

But they must depart from the Mediterranean. They leave the boat in Tangiers for a fortnight. They fly back to Canada to visit family and friends before tackling the Atlantic. Back on board, they set sails for the Canary Islands.

Why the ARC, for adventurers who seem to be in love with solitary endeavors ? “Precisely, especially for the friendly side. To allow the children to make friends.” And for that matter, their intuition was right. “It was amazing. On our dock, they integrated into a group of about twenty children, and they had an unforgettable time.” 

At the finish in Rodney Bay, Sailing June took second place in her class. Because conviviality is not a sufficient reason to neglect the regatta! After a descent to the Grenadines and an express return to Martinique, where the local Nautitech dealer completely overhauled their 44 Open, they took part in the Nautitech “Échappée Belle”. And finish second, what a surprise !