9500 miles on the Atlantic in GARCIA Exploration 60

Experiences

6.6.2024

On May 28, ALBIUS IV, the 2nd Exploration 60 in the series, returned to Cherbourg after a first round-the-Atlantic express. We took the opportunity to interview her skipper, Philippe HASNE, about these 6 months of sailing.

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GY: What route did you take with the boat?

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PH : We left Brittany in November 2023, for the first peaceful descent to Lisbon, which we left after the holidays to head for the Canaries. A hop to Cape Verde followed, before crossing to the West Indies. There, we sailed between the Grenadines and Guadeloupe, before returning to Cherbourg via the Azores. A nice 9,500-mile loop in 6 months!

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GY: So, what did you think of the boat's behavior?

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PH : I was impressed by her comfort at sea. The passage through the chop is incredibly smooth, even in heavy seas like the one we experienced in Brittany just after the passage of storm Ciaran. With her inertia, you literally feel as if you're crushing the waves, and the passage is so smooth. What's more, the boat heels reasonably well, even when sailing close-hauled.

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GY: What did you think of the performance?

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PH: I was surprised by the performance in light airs. We had a transatlantic outward journey with very little wind. But even in these light airs, we averaged almost 8 knots over the crossing. There's no doubt that this is a boat that loves unbridled speeds: as soon as you open up a little, at full throttle, on the beam, it develops! With a little air, we're cruising at 9 knots, with peaks of 10 or 11 knots. During the return transatlantic crossing, still in the medium, we had 4 days of upwind sailing and were able to see that the boat is just as comfortable at this speed.

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GY: For the downwind sail, what choice of sail did you make with the owner?

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PH: I'm all for simplicity, especially as I knew we'd often be very short-handed on board. So we opted for a single, very large code 0, which works very well upwind to beam, with 15 knots of apparent wind.

Downwind, in the medium, we use the solent with the staysail, with the mainsail, of course. And in light airs, I bring out the code 0, which I pitch, to which I add the solent. There's no sock, everything rolls up, and it's very easy to reduce from the cockpit, even in a squall. And it also means fewer sails to handle.

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GY: Speaking of manoeuvres, what did you think of the cockpit?

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PH: Nothing to report, the ergonomics of the Helm station and maneuvers are very well thought out. Even though we obviously sailed mostly under pilot, who behaved very well indeed.

As for the forward part of the cockpit, with this gigantic "saloon", it's like the exterior of a catamaran, it's incredible. Only once did we have to use the inside saloon for a meal, otherwise we were outside all the time, well protected. Even when it was colder, before crossing, we closed off this area, like a hut, and with the inside heat from the heater, we were super comfortable.

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GY: What's it like in terms of comfort?

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PH : The most impressive thing is the silence on board. The boat's thermal insulation also provides soundproofing, whatever the conditions - it's amazing! Otherwise, there's plenty of space, a huge galley, a view of the outside, large storage areas, a laundry room, a technical area, a Workshop, the protected outside saloon... it's all very comfortable, I must admit.

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