Gibraltar – Sainte Maxime (St Tropez)
20/09/2024 – 25/09/2024 – 758 Nautical miles
And then there were three. Less than 100 miles along the Andalucía coast after Gibraltar, one crew dropped out and it was just Germaine, Leander (an apprentice) and I left. Having only stopped in Gibraltar to refuel, and without the intention to stop anywhere to rest for the remainder of the voyage, we had to adopt a new watch system where we were doing solo shifts for 2 hours and then getting 4 hours off. It helped that all of us have sailing experience and were comfortable to manage Escapado alone while the 2 others could sleep.
The voyage was incredibly relaxed. We stopped for fuel and a shower in Ibiza about halfway through the trip. Luck was not our side with the wind, however. A constant breeze on the bow and the need to get to Sainte Maxime in time for the regatta meant that we just stuck the engine on, motor sailing for almost the entirety of the passage. I think we must have only had 10 hours of actual sailing in 5 days.
The most exciting part of the trip was off the coast of Barcelona where a thunderstorm passed overhead. Thankfully, it didn’t last long, but I was definitely nervous! It’s not every day you see lightning right above the mast.
We arrived in Sainte Maxime in the early morning of the 25th, almost exactly a month after leaving Hamble. I felt incredibly satisfied that I had finished the journey I set out on. I needed it, especially after Questina. A few hours of sleep and it was back to making repairs and making the boat race ready for Les Voiles de Saint Tropez, the regatta that brings 4000 crew and 250 boats from around the world to the Côte d’Azur. More of that in the next entry of my blog!
Race preparation includes swapping cruising sails for racing ones, getting the new crew used to the boat, unloading unnecessary weight from the boat, and practicing rigging and hoisting different foresails. Since I was given the position of bowman, my job for the next few days will be rigging, hoisting and bringing down various sails. I will finally be able to use and see a whole new set of sails that I have never had the pleasure of using. It is well known that you really learn how to sail during racing, and I can’t wait to see what the next week holds in store for Escapado and myself.
