Discover sailing with your family
A former computer engineer, Yves is a Breton who has travelled a lot in his life. His passion for sailing comes from his (military) father who, as he changed, shared the pleasure of being on the water with his family. He started out as a dinghy, an Ace de Carreau (a kind of Vaurien, but with a Houari rig), then came a Corsaire and finally a Corvette.
As a teenager, Yves took sailing lessons and became a sailing instructor. He builds his first single-handed dinghy. But finally at 21, after flying out of the family cocoon, he bought his father's Corvette. With this 7-metre sailboat, he sails mainly in Southern Brittany, as far as La Rochelle. But professional missions abroad forced him to put aside the habitable sail. So Yves turned to windsurfing.
Cruising yachts in the Mediterranean
It was only on his return to France that he returned to cruising with a Sun Liberty (a 34-footer from Jeanneau) based in the Mediterranean. It is then the discovery of this basin with as main target: Corsica. The Sun Liberty is then replaced by an Océanis 45 (Bénéteau). Alas, Yves' wife fell ill, forcing the sale of the yacht and a halt to cruising.
Having become a widower, Yves makes a kind of assessment. He then remembers his childhood memories and the reading that accompanied him: always books of adventurers around the world in the image of Slocum. This idea, this childhood dream germinates in his head. It's time for him too to cast off. He sets out in search of a sailboat to fulfil his dream.
In search of the ideal sailboat
He then goes in search of a Super Maramu from Amel. But as he's visiting, he comes across a Wauquiez Pilot Salon 60. And it's love at first sight. This sailboat, which he finds elegant, is marine and above all very comfortable. The purchase is made in Port Napoleon in May 2019 after a survey.
In July, he leaves with it to validate it and estimate the work to be done. The appointment is already scheduled for September for a complete refit
A cruise to validate the sailboat
This summer cruise to Sardinia will be an opportunity to uncover many problems. He discovers that the successive owners have not really maintained this very well equipped yacht. If some points had been visualized by the expertise, others are updated.
During a gust of wind, it's the mainsail that rips. The mainsail rolled up in the mast will refuse to come out for the rest of the cruise. Fortunately, the hydraulic furling systems for the headsails are still functional.
Major refit works
On his return, Yves started the major works: nearly 70% of the boat has been completely rebuilt: electricity, hydraulics, but above all the replacement of the 2 original engines. The 2 x 80 hp Perkins were unloaded, replaced by 2 x 80 Nanni. The generator was also completely refitted. Aesthetically, this prestigious sailing boat has been entirely repainted. The hull of Triskell is now navy blue.
Ready to go around the world
Now the yacht is afloat, re-masted with some small finishing work to finish. Yves is on board and hopes to cast off as soon as the containment period ends. The programme for this round the world voyage will begin with a visit to the Mediterranean (as far as Turkey?) before setting off on the transat around September 2020. Then it will probably be Brazil, the Caribbean and Panama. But everything remains open depending on the meetings made during the trip.
An experience to share
Yves wants to share this great travel experience. To do so, he joined the Vog network with me and offers boarding, especially on the major crossings (Atlantic, Pacific ...) where he would like to build a crew of 4 people. Even though he is more than 18 metres tall, Yves manages to manage his boat alone with the automatic systems on board. Especially as all the systems are doubled to prevent a breakdown. But the desire to share the pleasure of discovering the world of sailing encouraged Yves to look for crew members.
