They are 30 years old..
After 7 years of medicine and 6 years as an assistant, Grégoire is finally a surgeon... he could have settled quietly in Brussels and practiced, like his father, an emeritus surgeon. But no! With his young wife Pauline (28 years old), he elaborates a project: a sabbatical year on a sailboat. At first, the couple was interested in a Dehler 34, then finally the Comfortina - a sailboat already 30 years old, but very habitable and equipped with a beautiful aft cabin. Anakin joins the ARC + In Cape Verde, the young crew discovered a waterway at the stern: the jaumière tube was completely delaminated. As a result, the refit work was undertaken in Las Palmas and the boat joined the ARC"historic canal" . To sail their sailboat - which shares with a second Comfortina 32 the title of the smallest unit - Gregory and Pauline embarked two crew members, met on the internet. Their program:"First cross. Then the Grenadines, Cuba... and the return!"
They are 50 years old..
Manuela is brown and already tanned; on the pontoon, she knows everyone. This 50-year-old hillbilly loves to talk and meet new people. So the ARC suits him very well Manuela discovered sailing near Montpellier, where she studied at the age of 20. After a stay in the United States, she moved to London where she discovered the world of catering, then that of the BBC... she met Ian, who wore a Fastnet T-shirt - they participated together in two editions, aboard his Contessa 32. A travel project is being put in place:"We sold the Contessa for a Great Sun 39 of 1985 found in Rome. These sailboats built before 1990 are really strong. Mister X is prepared for the cruise, at the beginning it's hard for a sailor... we've been living on board for six months, it was decided quickly, not wanting to wait. For me, the most important thing is to cross the Atlantic. For my 50th birthday, I wanted something big. The ARC is a bit of competition, and as a result, it's easier to get team-mates back. Manuela and Ian's program? "Probably two seasons in the West Indies, then the Pacific. I really want to discover Japan... Then maybe Africa for the return? We have a vision of the future in tranches. And friends will come to see us, of course!"
They are 70 years old..
Smiling, relaxed, Jean-Jacques and Michèle - 70 and 68 years old - don't seem stressed on the eve of the start "my objective for the day is to find some beautiful tomatoes from the garden ", jokes the skipper. No crew aboard Whisper, their X43 nickel, bought in 2004: this transat, he manages it as a couple. "We've been sailing together since 1968! It's now or never," laughs Michèle. "We had a First 32 then a 42s7 continues Jean-Jacques. Our X has been based in Turkey for 5 years. In the winter, we started our habits in Saint-Barth. For the deckchair, we just installed a hydrogen generator. The bimini and everything, very little for us; we just put the hood when it rains and a cover at anchor, on the boom. Our program is to discover Guadeloupe, Martinique and the surrounding islands. And then, of course, to Saint-Barth. Then we'll go to the BVI (Editor's note: The Virgin Islands) to take the boat aboard a cargo ship. Whisper will then be based again in the Mediterranean, but this time in Italy."
