History and Route Plans

Back at the turn of the century, an obsessive glider pilot met an obsessive classic boat owner and the rest is history. The pilot may have commented to the sailor that the first boat wasn't big enough for a family, and so the 50ft 1947 classic cutter "Croix des Gardes" arrived. After several years' hard work, and numerous overdrafts, she is ready to cruise the oceans. In December 2012, the family will leave Europe as part of the Panerai Transat Classique from Cascais, Portugal, to race with fellow classics to Barbados. This is our blog.

Routing has been a key issue in the planning of the trip based on most favourable winds and comfort. Leaving Lisbon at the start of December brings the likelihood of poor weather in the first week. That we shall just have to deal with, but the plan is to blast south, past the Canaries and on to 20 degrees south to pick up the trade winds. Then we should have a steady downwind run to Barbados. Boats have gone faster on radical routes - one year the boat that took the most northerly path was victorious - but we should have a pleasanter crossing the traditional way.

Once we reach Barbados, we are hoping for a little R&R before we wander off to explore. We definitely plan to spend some time in the beautiful St. Lucia, and then meander north hopping up the islands. For many reasons, we have chosen to miss out the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba, and go straight across from the BVIs to the Bahamas where we plan to arrive in March. From there we will continue north, take in Cape Canaveral for Matthew and finally arrive in Chesapeake Bay to admire the wildlife there. Original plans had been to continue to New York but this may prove too ambitious, and the return transat should be in June to arrive back in the Solent for the BCYC Regatta in July.