For over 10 years, Emmanuelle and Christophe have sailed the polar seas from Antarctica to the Arctic with their children aboard LifeSong, a Garcia 68, taking travelers to discover icy landscapes and lost islands. The Bord à Bord shipyard, located in Côtes-d'Armor, is now their partner in the construction of a new 78-foot (23.95 m) one-off sailboat specifically designed to cope with the extreme conditions of the polar regions.
As Emmanuelle explains in this second episode, this new craft is due to accompany them from 2027, enabling them to push back the frontiers of exploration even further. As they have always done, they will share this adventure with other enthusiasts ready to embark on new, atypical voyages.
A life between the poles
Sailing in the polar regions has become a way of life for Emmanuelle, Christophe and their two children. For more than a decade, this Franco-Canadian couple has been criss-crosses the polar regions aboard their Garcia 68, LifeSong , by sharing their explorations with eager travelers. '' We offer kayaking, hiking, glacier skiing and unique observation opportunities we're all in it together," explains Emmanuelle, who is also a mountain guide. Immersive expeditions that reveal inaccessible landscapes and offer an extraordinary experience for those who would like to try their hand at it.
Every year, the family organizes cruises lasting 8 months. The cruises follow one another, with only 48 hours' break between each departure. '' We tried extending the breaks to take a breather, but soon realized that this pace suited us better explains Emmanuelle. Their intensive program is also explained by the loyalty of their passengers: some return regularly, sometimes up to 5 times, such is the appeal of the experience.
Two children on board, aged 5 and 7
But beyond the adventure, the family was built on the sea. Their children, Jade, 5, and Raphaeël, 7, have grown up to the rhythm of sailing and stopovers. '' For us, living on a boat isn't just about being at sea, it's about a balanced lifestyle she's totally in love with this freedom. Before their Garcia 68, they sailed on a Baltic 51, a fiberglass sailboat that enabled them to reach Antarctica twice. '' We've even managed to go through the ice with a polyester hull! It's a very good boat she points out with a smile.
A boat designed for ice
Given the frequency of their sailing, Emmanuelle and Christophe decided to build a sailboat more suited to extreme conditions, based on plans by Vincent Lebailly.
The Bord à Bord shipyard, based in Plestin-les-Grèves in the Côtes-d'Armor region of France, has been chosen to build this aluminum Lifesong 78, which will measure 23.95 m in length. Designed to withstand impacts from icebergs, this boat will enable them to continue their family adventure while accommodating more passengers.
Its layout will be designed by Christophe, a cabinetmaker by training, to ensure optimum comfort while taking into account the challenges of the polar climate. '' The colder it gets, the more moisture and condensation become a problem. It's not just a question of size, it's also a question of construction and rigidity. We've really thought it through for our program near the poles the new boat was designed to be bigger, stiffer and better insulated. So they designed a bigger, stiffer and better insulated boat, with 7 cabins.
Work in progress, launch scheduled for 2027
Construction continues in North Brittany. '' Right now, they're mounting the couples on the chassis. In fact, they're lining up the skeleton of the boat, and then they're going to come and cover it with sheet metal she adds. The boiler-making phase should be completed by summer 2025, and the hull finished by autumn. This will be followed by a year and a half of interior outfitting and finishing. '' We plan to start again in 2 years emmanuelle, well aware that this period ashore will undoubtedly be a trying interlude.
This project goes beyond a simple change of boat, symbolizing the couple's commitment to pursuing polar exploration and sharing the world of ice. But what about their children, growing up in this unique environment? For 7-year-old Raphaël, living on a sailboat in the polar latitudes is an open-air school full of lessons. The young adventurer opens the doors of his daily life to us in the 3rd episode of this series dedicated to the LifeSong odyssey.
