Seven Summits Sailing

Welcome Aboard!

Enrique, Laura, their daughter Aizea and their dog Bandit have embarked on a round-the-world voyage on their catamaran. They headed for Greece, in the heat of late summer 2024. As they set off, they told us all about their preparations and their first few weeks at sea.

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Published 29/11/2024

By Julie Echelle

Issue: 199

Published: jan. / mar. 2025

Discover this issue

Who: Enrique, Laura, Aizea (4 years old) and Bandit (4 legs)
Where: Port Ginesta (Barcelona)
Multihull: Bali 4.2
Instagram: @seven_summits_sailing

First of all, who are we? Enrique is the captain of Aitayama and he spends his days planning our daily adventures. Laura, who used to work in digital marketing, has to her surprise transformed herself into a skipper, schoolteacher, meteorologist and washing machine. Aizea, who wasn’t even 4 years old when we set sail, loves testing out all the parks in the villages that we visit, playing with seagulls and jellyfish, and pretending to be a hunter on our hikes. And of course, Bandit, our 8-year-old golden retriever, is also on board with us.

We spent 5 years preparing this project. We weren’t sailors by any means, so we learned on Lake Geneva. First with Alain, from Léman sur Mer, with whom we passed our theory and practical Lake Geneva Sailing Licence. Then we started training for the offshore license with CCS Lémanique - first the theory, which was no mean feat, and then the 1,000 miles to validate it. We had our first experience of night sailing with Explora Project in Marseille, and we sailed around the island of Batz with Damien Cloarec and did a motor cruise with the CCS around the island of Porquerolles.

After having sailed on several boats, we then sailed most of our miles on our catamaran, always accompanied by a skipper so that we could get the best possible training.

We sailed from Barcelona to Gibraltar and circumnavigated the Balearic Islands.
I
n the summer of 2024, we obtained our all-important offshore license, having clocked up 1,000 miles! But the training doesn’t stop there: we took our SRC radio operator’s license, first aid at sea and further training in safety and survival at sea. We now have the skills to hoist the sails on our own!

We chose a catamaran for the stability and comfort when ocean cruising. It’s a Bali 4.2 called Aitayama (“mum and dad” in the Basque language). It’s equipped with a watermaker, so we’re self-sufficient in that department, a generator and, above all, 4 large solar panels that cover 100% of our electricity consumption.

We’re embarking on a 5-year voyage around the world. We’ll spend the first year discovering the Mediterranean, then attempt a transatlantic crossing. We like to travel against the current! We’ve chosen to start our voyage in the fall, which is a good time, as the most beautiful anchorages are empty, and we have the choice of places to drop anchor. The harbors are calm, the villages have returned to their normal, local life. Prices are much lower, and the temperatures are still very pleasant! The weather can be fickle, however: we’ve already had to contend with some strong winds, but we’ve got plenty of time and we’re not in a hurry. We’re also travelling in the wrong direction, as most of the boats are preparing for a transatlantic crossing. We, however, couldn’t resist the call of the Mediterranean, which is overflowing with beauty, culture and history!

On September 18, 2024, we left Port Ginesta, where we had been preparing the boat for two years. I felt a tightness in my throat and burst into tears after just a few miles. It was an emotional experience, the two of us setting off for the first time, with a dog and a child as crew, bound for the Balearics! We had mixed emotions: the fear of making our first 18-hour passage and the sheer joy and pride of having dared. Our long-awaited round-the-world voyage had just begun!