Rallye des Iles du Soleil - A friendly, stress-free transatlantic rally!

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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