We set out from the Caribbean with the steady northeast trade winds, typical of the season. While the outward crossing is more comfortable, sailing downwind and with the boat more or less flat, the return journey is entirely upwind and across the water. Furthermore, while on the outward journey you're mostly in your swimsuit and shorts, on the return journey you're well-dressed, often in your own raincoat!
The first days are warm, almost an extension of the Caribbean heat, passing quickly with steady winds of 15 to 20 knots, with a course set north towards Bermuda. Then, slowly, the sea changes: the waves become longer, the wind fresher, and the horizon becomes an immense and monotonous space, where sky and water merge without a clear boundary! On board, the rhythm is structured in shifts: three hours on watch, three hours off, with regular checks on the sails, route, and weather updates. And the wind shifts from the north, northwest, so we change tack and so on until the arrival: Ponta Delgada - Azores Islands, the first outpost in the eastern Atlantic. The crossing is complete, and the ancient route has once again led us to our destination! Arriving in port is never just a landing: it's a rite of passage. Our gaze turns to the mainland with gratitude, but our heart remains suspended between the infinite waves that have taught us all the wisdom of the sea.
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