Tamanaco - Stongest conditions yesterday

Hello everyone!

Sunday was windy, to say the least. We had our first squall in the morning, with 35+ knots wi d and rain showers. It lasted about 45 minutes. The remainder of the day was also windy, with 23-30 knots, and a big sea. Lots of white caps and big waves. In these other dit-il so e has to helm, as the auto pilot cannot cope. Fortunately, in Tony we have a seasoned helmsman who is also eager to share his knowledge. Thanks to his coaching we each became a lot more confident handling the big surfs. I one of them, Rodrigue hit 15.1 knots of boat speed, a new record for Tamanaco. Sleeping is difficult in these conditions, due to the constant rolling movement, and the noise. Our beds are equipped with Lee clothes which prevent us from falling. That said, the last 24hoirs were memorable, to see the power of the ocean and be one with it when helming Tamanaco. You feel alive!

A quick présentation of our crew:

The youngest crew is Valery, 46 years old. A school teacher by trade, he has benefited from a 2-month parental leave of absence offered under Belgian law to clear his schedule for this crossing. Valery is not only the youngest, but also the tallest, at 2.02 meters (6”10) in the US he’d be in the NFL. In his spare time, Valery sails his hobbie cat tiger in Holland. Valery is Vincent’s youngest brother and we used to windsurf together when I lived in Belgium.

Vincent, 50, is a university friend of mine with whom I share a passion for sailing and fast cars. We studied engineering together and traveled Europe on windsurfing vacations In The 90s. Vincent is alsoThe Godfather of our middle son, Eric. Elides sailing, Vincent has a passion for beer making and growing his own organic veggies. Sailing the Atlantic was always on his bucket list of dreams, to the point that he even helped me convince Carolina that we should get a sailboat.

Tony, 69, Is a friend of mine from the RORC Caribbean 600 race that we did together in 2017. Tony lives in Antigua for the last 40 year, where he owned a restaurant. Now he does mostly sailing, including weekly regattas on this Beneteau First 42. Living under the tropics he’s often cold here, and we spot him wearing an extra layer long before every one else does.Tony has a great sense of humour and tons of stories, and he’s fun to be around, besides being an excellent sailor.

Rodrigue, 52, is married to my sister Barbara. Also a teacher by training, he loves cooking and I that sense,he is a real asset to have onboard. He is jovial and always a good mood, and never gets seasick. This is the first time ever that he is away from Barbara and their four kids so such a long period.

Lastly, myself, 49,. I have been sailing since a young age, encouraged by mom and dad. In the 80s when I was a teenager, we all switched from sailboats to windsurfing, and so it wasn’t”t until a family cruise in 1995 that I was on a sailboat again, in Corsica. I enjoy cruising as well as racing, at our local yacht club in Connecticut, or at some offshore races such as the C6 an, in 1999, the famous Sydney-Hobart. Having my own boat was a childhood dream, and I am grateful for a successful career and a supporting wife that this is now reality. Carolina and I bought the boat from Hallberg-Rassy, in Sweden this summer and rather than having her delivered to North America I thought she should come “home” under sail. And here we are!