Who: David, Zam Bevan, Chris, Philippe, Samuel and Chuck
Where: Between Tahiti and Tikehau, Tuamotus, French Polynesia
Multihull: Corsair 37
Blog: www.sailtahiti.com
It took us a few days to set up the carbon mast, the fiber rigging and the rest of the equipment. No sooner had the trimaran been launched than a weather window opened up for the Tuamotus. In general, before setting out to sea on a new boat, it is advisable to carry out a series of sea trials to put everything through its paces. However, this crew offers an impressive amount of experience that has been earned over the years: David, manager of Sail Tahiti, has already sailed halfway around the world on a Catana. Zam Bevan is the production manager of the Corsair shipyard. Chris, owner of Miss Kim Thai and Motu Ninamu in Tikehau, is a former professional surfer and has recruited Philippe, another surfer. Completing the team are Samuel, a professional skipper, and Chuck, an American senior reporter. We left Tahiti ready for 175 miles of close-hauled sailing. The Corsair soon started to show its capabilities: 11 knots upwind at 40/45 degrees off the true wind which was blowing at 8-9 knots. It's a great sensation. The boat glides over the water and it's a real pleasure to be at the helm. It becomes even more enjoyable when we drop 20 degrees to test the Code 0: the trimaran hits 12 knots, with peaks at 13/14 in the surf. Squalls begin to appear on the horizon. The wind picks up to 15 knots, then 20, and we take in the first reef. At the beginning of the night, the squalls intensify. In the absence of the moon and before daybreak, we lower the mainsail and finish the night under jib alone, well furled. We progress at a sedate 7 knots. At dawn, Tikehau is only around fifty miles away. The squalls have lost their intensity and we hoist the mainsail with the first reef. We're already in the channel, the entrance is magical, and the sun is finally in the air. The coral heads are clearly visible and we sail alongside the coconut palms to Motu Ninamu. Miss Kim Thai is going to start a beautiful sailing career in the Tuamotus with all her Ninamu customers.
