our 5 years sailing around the world
The idea to sail around the world started along time ago. Robin was 8 years old when he was looking at the world map at the back of his classroom, dreaming of how he could discover all the continents.
Almost born on a sail boat, he was taughtby his capable father very early on. Eager to gain sailing experience, Robin became the skipper of a Surprise (7.20 m) and won several regattas on Lake Leman in Switzerland at an early age. He sailed a lot in the Mediterranean Sea and after crossing the Atlantic for the first time with a friend he decided that the time had come for himto get his own boat to accomplish his dream.
On my side, I also grew up by the Lake and was passionate at a young age for all water sports. Kite boarding became my favorite sport and I travelled the world to practice and compete. I sailed as well on different boats on the Lake and created a womens regatta team!
When Robin and I first met in May 2016, we decided to live our common dream: sailing around the world with a bit of challenges! Passing through the North West Passage, visiting Indonesia, and the 3 Capes (Leuwin, Horn and Good hope).
We are both attracted by nature and the love of extreme sports. On top of sailing, we share the same passion for paragliding and kite surfing and we want to experience both in an untouched environment, exploring the wild areas.
We also love to welcome friends and family on board to share our journey.
So in one year we found Morgane, our 34ft. steel hull sloop Van de Stadt, already set up for the cold. Her Belgium owner had spent 27 years building her interior but then had difficulty with his eyesight and heartbreakingly had to let her go. He was thrilled that we would be taking her on the journey he had hoped to accomplish. We added 2 solar panels to be electronically self sufficient and made a few adjustments inside the boat. We quit our jobs and settled down to depart overseasfor 5 years!
We left Zeebruges in Belgium on May 1st,2017 and went up to Norway first (training to sail in cold conditions). After 3 months on the North Sea, we continued down the coast of Western Europe to Cabo Verde where we crossed the Atlantic in January 2018. From Grenada we went all the way up north again through the Caribbean Sea, where we met a couple with roots in Round Pond, Maine who set the stage for a Down East visit. We then continued north up the east coast of the US, hosting family along the way, including my sister with a newborn baby and my parents from Switzerland.
Like Joshua Slocum, we opted for an evening in Round Pond, ME. To enjoy a last evening with our Adopted American family, which is Beth and Buzz Billik who are warmly supporting us. To stay on schedule, we then departed directly for points Nova Scotia. The goal of this first part of our trip was to reach St Jones Terre neuve by June 15, 2018! We are now close! We feel ready to cross the Labrador Sea and look forward to spotting our first iceberg!!
Almost born on a sail boat, he was taughtby his capable father very early on. Eager to gain sailing experience, Robin became the skipper of a Surprise (7.20 m) and won several regattas on Lake Leman in Switzerland at an early age. He sailed a lot in the Mediterranean Sea and after crossing the Atlantic for the first time with a friend he decided that the time had come for himto get his own boat to accomplish his dream.
On my side, I also grew up by the Lake and was passionate at a young age for all water sports. Kite boarding became my favorite sport and I travelled the world to practice and compete. I sailed as well on different boats on the Lake and created a womens regatta team!
When Robin and I first met in May 2016, we decided to live our common dream: sailing around the world with a bit of challenges! Passing through the North West Passage, visiting Indonesia, and the 3 Capes (Leuwin, Horn and Good hope).
We are both attracted by nature and the love of extreme sports. On top of sailing, we share the same passion for paragliding and kite surfing and we want to experience both in an untouched environment, exploring the wild areas.
We also love to welcome friends and family on board to share our journey.
So in one year we found Morgane, our 34ft. steel hull sloop Van de Stadt, already set up for the cold. Her Belgium owner had spent 27 years building her interior but then had difficulty with his eyesight and heartbreakingly had to let her go. He was thrilled that we would be taking her on the journey he had hoped to accomplish. We added 2 solar panels to be electronically self sufficient and made a few adjustments inside the boat. We quit our jobs and settled down to depart overseasfor 5 years!
We left Zeebruges in Belgium on May 1st,2017 and went up to Norway first (training to sail in cold conditions). After 3 months on the North Sea, we continued down the coast of Western Europe to Cabo Verde where we crossed the Atlantic in January 2018. From Grenada we went all the way up north again through the Caribbean Sea, where we met a couple with roots in Round Pond, Maine who set the stage for a Down East visit. We then continued north up the east coast of the US, hosting family along the way, including my sister with a newborn baby and my parents from Switzerland.
Like Joshua Slocum, we opted for an evening in Round Pond, ME. To enjoy a last evening with our Adopted American family, which is Beth and Buzz Billik who are warmly supporting us. To stay on schedule, we then departed directly for points Nova Scotia. The goal of this first part of our trip was to reach St Jones Terre neuve by June 15, 2018! We are now close! We feel ready to cross the Labrador Sea and look forward to spotting our first iceberg!!
