Aboard Mahoa, his 2019 Lagoon 450 Sportop, this experienced sailor is no stranger to changing course: "We owned seven monohulls before switching to a catamaran!"
The move to a multihull was prompted by plans to cruise the Caribbean and the Bahamas, but also by his wife's desire for greater comfort. She had grown increasingly tired of heeling over and having to go "down into the cellar" to cook. After considering the Nautitech 46 Open, the couple settled on the Lagoon for her performance, standard equipment and SporTop helm station.
Why take part in the Rallye des Îles du Soleil for a fourth time? "I started out with the ARC, but out of 120 boats, only five of us were French." Discovering the French-speaking rally and getting to know its organizers did the rest. "We hit it off right away. That made me want to do one rally, then two, then three…"
After arriving in the Caribbean, two possible itineraries are taking shape: continuing on to the Bahamas, Cuba, Mexico, Belize and Guatemala, where Mahoa could spend a few months outside the hurricane zone, or setting sail from Saint Martin back to the Mediterranean to spend time with the grandchildren… before another Atlantic crossing!
