July 2007 : Holland Jachtbouw’s Skylge left Europe last November to explore the world. Her crew
of six have already crossed the Atlantic and Pacific oceans with a cruising itinerary that most crew members and owners only dream of. Deckhand Sarah Willmott sent us this report from the South Pacific.

We are here in Tahiti stern-to with a breathtaking view of Moorea and the reef from the foredeck.  In fact, I think we may have a better view than the 5-star resort down the road!  The crew has sailed in excess of 12,000nm, so, it is nice to spend some time in such a serene setting to reflect on our experiences.
 
Our time in the Caribbean was a fantastic time for everyone. We cruised the entire length of the Caribbean Sea from the BVI’s to Trinidad and even raced in two regattas.  In the St. Barth’s Bucket Regatta in March, Skylge really proved herself to be a modern performance classic, beating the new Kokomo by 2 seconds over the finish line on the third day! Plus, we only had 3 paid crew on board! We were smiling from cheek to cheek. The regatta got even better when Key West musician Jimmy Buffet in the middle of his performance starting singing about “buying myself that big fat schooner Skylge”.  Jimmy, if you are reading this, I am sure Holland Jachtbouw can help you build a schooner of your very own! Then, a few months later in the Antigua Classic Regatta, Skylge continued to make an impact winning the “Most Photogenic Boat” Award and again holding strong on the race course.             
 
In May it was time to leave the Caribbean behind and set sail for our longest voyage yet, 6,500nm to the Marquesas, via San Blas Islands, Panama Canal and the Galapagos.  After the Galapagos we had excellent winds and much to the happiness of Captain Robert Koper we were able to save fuel and sail over 75% of the way under trysail, genoa and sometimes main stay sail. We timed our arrival in the Marquesas perfectly as we were immediately invited by friendly islanders to their annual end of canoeing season party where we witnessed 25 locals devour 1 cow, 2 pigs and 25 red snappers!  It was certainly an exclusive experience that we were privileged to partake in and well worth the 16 days at sea beforehand!
 
That was two weeks ago, and since then we sailed to the Tuamotus for a quick stop before sailing here to Tahiti. Our owner is arriving soon and we are all excited to explore Tahiti and the rest of the Society Islands. After a month or two here we leave for Fiji, The Cook Islands and Australia where we will re-assess our itinerary.  Our world trip is well underway and we all look forward to what lies ahead.
 

Picture - On anchor off Rangiroa