The build didn't start properly until the summer of 1999, in a shed next to the family home in the heart of Finistère, France. In the meantime, the little brother Pha had been built in Martinique, sporting the same type of junk rig. In June 2005, they were able to test how the two junk sails on wishbones around parallel, unstayed masts, one on each hull, performed when sailing back across the Atlantic to Brittany. In 2013 the dream became a reality, and the Grand Pha, a 14 meter catamaran began her long voyage around the world's oceans and seas. Since her launch, the boat has already covered almost 12000 nautical miles. As for testing the sails and the hybrid engines, the results are increasingly positive as they are constantly being fine-tuned. We are currently at Huahine in Polynesia’s Leeward Islands. Avea's mooring is very pleasant, and there's a small hotel, “Le Relais Mahana" which welcomes dinghies, and you can eat there as well as rent cars. The main village is Fare, and it has a small supermarket, a gas station, a bank etc. Huahine has a rich archeological history, especially the many Marae, buildings designed for ceremonial, religious and social activities. At the village waterfall, we were able to see blue-eyed sacred eels; and we also discovered a ukulele maker. On our return, our friends had prepared a feast for us, followed by a Polynesian concert: one of them singing with his ukulele, the other with a small guitar, and me keeping time with a wooden instrument or my ukulele. When we left, they offered us each a great big shellfish necklace.
Bertrand and Marie-Hélène on board the Grand Pha
www.grandpha.net
