/ 
The genesis of the project
Aurelia and Anatole met 13 years ago (in 2012) in New Caledonia. He was in engineering school and she was on a training course lasting several weeks. But it was 10 years later, after moving to Lorient in 2022, that the beginnings of a sailing trip took shape.
At the time, Aurelia was lacking inspiration for her songwriting and composition. She needs travel, new horizons and encounters to nourish her creativity. As for Anatole, having grown up on the shores of the New Caledonian lagoon, and having practiced sailing as a child and as a student, it is self-discovery and surpassing oneself in a sailing adventure that calls him.
Their respective desires then naturally converged in the project of going sailing. Initially, their goal was the Pacific Ocean: Hawaii for Aurelia and New Caledonia for Anatole. But leaving from Lorient, this trip would require at least 3 years' absence, too long for the planned onboard crate.
" After doing a bit of research, we were advised to buy a sailboat of at least 40 feet for such a long trip to such a destination "explains Anatole. A substantial budget, both for the purchase of the sailboat and equipment, and for expenses during the trip (harbor, maintenance...).
And Aurelia adds: " Let's just say that a round-the-Atlantic trip would be a good start ". By the time these words, uttered over a glass of wine, came to fruition, a year had quickly passed.
The journey begins when you seriously start looking for THE boat.
The need to leave becomes clearer, and the journey begins in earnest, when they start looking for the right boat... the right boat. Having to formulate a series of questions to answer their needs is already a giant step towards making their project a reality.
They visited around fifteen 36-foot sailboats in Brittany, to no avail. There was one Sunshine, visited in the port of La Roche-Bernard, whose owners inspired Anatole's confidence: "M ut the boat didn't tick all the boxes "he confides. They then took a vacation in the South of France, to take their minds off things, and came across an advertisement for another Sunshine for sale in Port-Leucate. It's called Rio.
The geographical location of this yacht makes it a real challenge to prepare her while living... in Lorient! This time, if the seller doesn't convince them, Aurelia has a good feeling about this boat. Anatole trusts his partner's sixth sense about this yacht, which, on the other hand, seems technically reliable.
Following the purchase, the yacht was quickly taken out of the water. It will remain dry throughout the winter of 2024-2025. Last spring, all the belongings from their house were put into storage, and Aurelia swapped her guitar for tools, paintbrushes, a sander, a sewing machine and putty. Intense boat preparation quickly immersed them in their new life.
" I really enjoyed this stage of preparing the boat, as it was an opportunity to put into practice all the DIY techniques I'd learned, and also to really get to grips with our sailboat "explains Anatole. We had to change the running rigging, mechanics, electricity and expose the hull to change its antifouling before we could set sail.
Aurélia learns to do-it-yourself while personalizing the interior: " I wanted color and comfort for our cocoon "She says of the changes they wanted to make to the layout of the saloon. Together, they repainted the partitions and sewed new cushion covers.
First tacks in the Mediterranean before heading out into the Atlantic.
A friend's wedding in Sicily, followed by a family get-together for a summer vacation in Mallorca, is the perfect opportunity for the Rio crew to moor up peacefully.
Many short sailings and beautiful stopovers enable them to get to grips with their boat and visit the Mediterranean: Corsica, Sicily, Sardinia, the Balearic Islands and Andalusia are all great cruises before heading out into the vast Atlantic.
Once past Gibraltar, the question of orcas arises. Without focusing on this issue, they keep closely informed of the movements of the groups they observe. Aurelia even organizes a concert in Lagos, Portugal, before heading for Madeira and the Canary Islands.
Reunion in the Canaries
Having met Aurelia a few years ago in Lorient, it's with great pleasure that we meet again at the port of San Sebastian, on the island of La Gomera, where another concert is being organized.
Time enough to share a few musical moments, interview them about their trip, and here they are, already preparing for their departure to Cape Verde. Optimizing the use of the pharmacy and completing the provisioning are, among other tasks, the very last preparations before leaving Europe in their wake.
Hugo, a friend of Anatole's, and his partner, Pauline, have embarked from Tenerife and will be part of the journey to Cape Verde. The couple will then look for another sailboat on which to embark for Colombia, as for the rest of their trip, they hope to cover the Andes Cordillera from north to south, on foot, by hitchhiking or by bus.
Now, at the end of 2025, Rio has just set sail from La Gomera. Heading for Cape Verde, before crossing the Atlantic. The aim: to discover its long swells, venture onto new islands, and draw inspiration from its landscapes and encounters. Aurelia and Anatole's aspirations will be fulfilled, and last we heard, they're free to change their program and course if the sound of a Pacific ukulele takes their fancy along the way...
