They say that in Brittany, the weather is nice several times a day. This saying was certainly borne out by the crew made up of members of LUC Voile participating in the Spi Ouest France 2024. The crew consists of Ian, Aubin, Annamira, Guilhem, François-Antoine (FAC to his friends), Théotime (who saved the day at the last minute), and Lina. This year we chartered a JPK960. A big thank you to LUC Voile for supporting us in this project. It was an enriching experience, to say the least! A huge thank you to Ian’s parents, who welcomed us and put us up during our adventure, and with whom we spent a great weekend!

Thursday, March 28

Ian and Lina arrived in La Trinité-sur-Mer in the early afternoon. The JPK960 was transported earlier in the week due to high winds on Thursday. Thanks to Iloria Bretagne for their quick response. We got acquainted with the boat upon arriving at the port. Then it was time to confirm our registration after sending the last missing documents. In the evening, Guilhem arrived, and we had pasta with tomato sauce—well deserved after an afternoon that turned out to be more intense than expected. Later in the evening, the rest of the team—Aubin, Annamira, and FAC—arrived from Lausanne after a 10-hour drive. Now it’s time to get a good night’s sleep before tackling the day ahead of us tomorrow.

Friday, March 29

After a hearty breakfast, we head to the harbor. The start has been postponed until 1:30 p.m. because of strong winds. We prepare the boat for our first day of the Spi Ouest France. It’s time to leave the harbor and head toward the race area. Here we go—we’re off! After getting the start wrong, we made a great start on the port tack alongside boats bigger than ours. Pink and orange aren’t that far apart as colors. Before we even reach the first windward mark, we notice that the D2 is loose. Back to the harbor. Aubin and Ian are going to buy the part we lost in the water during our journey. Thanks to Ian’s mom for getting us there in a flash. Iloria Bretagne then came by to tighten the mast. We’re now all set for our second day of sailing.

Saturday, March 30

We managed to run two races. First, a technical course with rough conditions and waves. The fish remember it well. Then a coastal course, with the sun shining. Very pleasant. In the evening, we have dinner with the team and meet our new crew member, as FAC will have to leave us for the rest of our adventure.

Sunday, March 31

A new day is dawning in La Trinité-sur-Mer. We’re the second boat to leave the harbor. It’s windy, there are waves, and this morning, it’s raining. We head toward the race course next to the committee boat. We decide to test the boat’s Code 5. Then we head back toward the race course. We end up in the wrong area—what a blunder. We’d gone a bit too far with our sail test. We were sailing downwind to get back to our starting line, and then… a loud snap! After a quick inspection, we realized the mule line had snapped. We realized that was the end of the Spi Ouest France for the LUC Voile team. So we headed back to the harbor and packed up our gear. We learned a great technique from Aubin, who showed us how to free the reefing line stuck in the boom: all you have to do is flush water into the boom using a water jet. We managed to enjoy the fantastic sailing conditions that Ian and Quiberon Bay offered us during the afternoon. In the evening, we had a great time with Ian’s parents over pizza. Another huge thank you to them! Then a good night’s sleep awaited us after this emotionally charged day.

Monday, April 1

For some, it’s back to Switzerland; for others, back to Paris; and for others, a stop in Lorient. And it’s time for the crew to rest after this adventure. It wasn’t the spinnaker race we were expecting, but we had a great time. A big thank you to the organizing committee. And maybe see you next year for an even more memorable return.