Broader View Hamburg is back to Martinique

Following the prize giving party for the 10th edition of the RORC Caribbean 600 in Antigua, the Broader View Hamburg sailed back to Martinique on Feb 24th. The remaining crew, comprising Georg, Juliane, Carlo, Arnaud and Frédéric, released the mooring lines around mid-day, looking forward to much nicer sailing conditions than during the regatta.

Forecasts showed wind speeds of 20-25 knots and clear skies, with an apparent wind angle of about 60 degrees in average for our route. We decided to sail with Jib 4 and 2 reefs in the main sail to avoid sail changes. Still, speed over ground was around 10 knots most of the time, except when we passed Guadeloupe on the leeward side where the wind dropped completely. Instead of having a watch system, we took individual breaks when needed, keeping at least two people on deck at all time. Sunset, moonlight sailing and sunrise were fantastic! We ended our sailing with some tacks in the “crazy man’s path” (le passage du fou) in Martinique between the main island and the diamond rock, before arriving at Le Marin harbor at 4 PM on the 25th.

Finding a place for the Broader View Hamburg happened to be difficult, as no reservation was formally made in advance and 81 extra boats from the Transquadra single- and double handed regatta (www.transquadra.com) were arriving at the same time. Thanks to Arnaud’s great efforts, we finally obtained a peer place on Tuesday, just a few hours before all were leaving. The Broader View Hamburg is now safely moored at Le Marin and ready for new adventures.