Rallye des Iles du Soleil

Good preparation upstream, constant monitoring and supervision and very favorable weather (steady winds of 20 to 22 knots and very few squalls) made for relaxed sailing - even if an ocean crossing is never a trivial affair! The second point raised by the participants was the quality of the welcome offered by the organization and the locals on Marie-Galante. The arrival in a picture-postcard anchorage, with the rally HQ with its feet in the sand, followed by the ritual of breakfast on the beach, seems to have met with unanimous approval. A word from the crew of the Saona 47 Ile de Rey, well known to our regular readers: “We had extraordinary conditions and an atmosphere that crescendoed from the start in Mindelo to the finish in Marie-Galante, which was a highlight... We’ve made lots of new friends and we’re going to continue sailing together in the West Indies. Now it’s up to us to make the most of it after this well-organized transatlantic rally. The secure framework is a real plus for us sailors and yachtsmen. The constraints of dates, training courses, equipment and medical care mean that we can set off with confidence and with a precise schedule to keep to. Not to mention the constant contact we’ve had, which has been very reassuring.”

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