LIVE FOR IT: FIRST STOPOVER IN THE CANARIES!

From Pornichet to the Canaries: a baptism of fire and the first sessions for Ludo’s crew.

Nearly 1,500 nautical miles, a few breakdowns and the first taste of life at sea as a crew of four: the adventure is underway for the Ludes! In the Canaries, repairs soon give way to kiting, wing foiling and surf foiling. Aristide recounts this first leg, from learning the ropes offshore to the joy of getting back on the water.

Logbook

“Leaving Pornichet marked the start of a long voyage for us: sailing around the world together, with plenty of rewarding stopovers along the way. Our departure port was naturally tied to our shared history, and above all convenient for the final preparations, which continued at full speed right up to the day before 7 October. The date itself was symbolic too, falling a year of hard work after Ludo was hauled out for a complete refit.

On 7 October, at one in the afternoon, it was time to set off on the first leg towards the Canary Islands. Ahead lay 1,499 nautical miles and 10 days and 15 hours at sea: the opening chapter, or warm-up, for what will be the first Atlantic crossing for all four of us.

We headed straight into the jaws of the Bay of Biscay, making our way out in Force 7 winds and rough seas of 3 to 4 metres. By early morning, the weather had eased, but nature had delivered its first warning: the gooseneck, which connects the boom to the mast, broke exactly 24 hours after departure. No reason to panic. We handled the damage calmly and eventually felt comfortable deciding to continue without the mainsail and make repairs on arrival. Rounding Cape Finisterre involved a lot of tacking in shifting winds, giving the two crew members who were struggling time to find their sea legs. The passage south along the Iberian coast and then Morocco was smooth, carried by the Portuguese trade winds. Life on board was in full swing.

During the day, we made time to carry on with repairs, keep in touch and clean, but also to play games, share good meals and create memories together, finally celebrating our reunion. At night, watches began at 9 p.m. and ended at 9 a.m. the next morning: the constant lookout that no sailor can escape. Each of us used that time to enjoy a moment alone, gaze at the constellations, revisit a classic film or chat with the friend we were relieving.

On our fifth day at sea, at around 3 a.m., the fickle wind finally settled firmly in the right direction, carrying us straight towards our destination. The day before, a military exercise had treated us to the spectacle of torpedo launches and splashes. A surprising experience that Ludo’s former owner, Admiral Bridelance, would have enjoyed. Dawn broke on board, and the crew were lingering in bed when, at 9:45 a.m., Ari alerted the whole boat with a <FISH ON>! We all leapt onto the deck to haul this beautiful mahi-mahi out of the water. In no time, we brought out the metre-long fish cutting board we had made the previous week, the knives given to us by loved ones, and, of course, the gutting knife: a symbolic gift from our pontoon neighbour in Pornichet, a cook and round-the-world sailor. By 1 p.m., some of the fish had been prepared Polynesian-style, with the rest vacuum-packed and frozen to become carpaccio a few days later.

The day before our arrival, Saturday 17 October, we recorded our best day yet, covering 170 nautical miles in the previous 24 hours. It was a test for Ludo, as the spinnaker halyard broke in the 22nd hour of the day. The bell sounded the alarm for the resting sailors: all hands on deck! The spinnaker recovery went by the book. It was undamaged, and Ludo was back on course without delay.

On Funday 18 October, we arrived at Marina Rubicón on Lanzarote at 6:45 a.m. local time. The morning’s programme: fill up with water, stock up on fresh food, do a big load of laundry and prepare the first repairs…

By the end of this first leg, you could say we had found our rhythm. Life on board was settling into place, the improvements needed on the boat were becoming clearer, and we were increasingly eager to ride and surf the first spots of the trip.

At lunchtime, we headed to another island to reach the spot. Our first wing and kite session would be on the long beach at Corralejo, in northern Fuerteventura. The first sensations were impressive, with around 20 knots and passing squalls: overall, we adapted straight away. A first twintip session on the Steez, with its crisp pop! An ideal pairing with the Vertigo Aramid, offering reassuring stability in the air and enough speed to invite loops, whether for relaxed freestyle or launching sky-high. On Tuesday, a swell rolled in from due west, so we jumped into the dinghy at 8:30 a.m. and headed for a reef spotted the day before for a tow-in surf foil session. By 2 p.m., the weather was offering 12 knots of wind and long, metre-high waves to surf. We headed offshore on our wing foils to catch those beautiful swells, eventually joining the surfers at the peak. Léo, who is working on his manoeuvres, felt confident on his gear, allowing him to commit to gybes comfortably and try a few tacks. Benjamin and Aristide put the Fluid V3 Atmo through some lovely carves. We were discovering this foil for the first time. Unsurprisingly, it excels at this. It responds instantly when switching from rail to rail on the waves. The Neutra Light wing stays stable behind the rider while surfing, and its light weight makes it easy to get flying again early between sets.

Wing foiler: Aristide, on the Lethal FSP Pro, with the Droid Light and a Fluid V3 Atmo setup.