After a well-deserved rest and a change of crew, Mauritius continues on its way.
Khaled, Émilien and Mathieu are back at the helm as sailors. Else and Marion, respectively sailor and volunteer educator, continue the adventure with our three young people still on board.
Once the skippers had passed the baton, Mauritius left Martinique and sailed past the Diamond Rock. According to legend, the islet owes its name to the shimmering reflections of its walls at certain times of the day.
The start is made on calm seas, but the first surprises soon appear. All around the blue hull: sargassum.
Mauritius is surrounded by a multitude of marine macro-algae. A huge shoal over 8,000 km long currently stretches from West Africa to Florida, and the sailboat seems to be right in the middle of it. The problem is well known in the West Indies. These increasingly proliferating algae pose a whole host of problems, both environmental and economic.
But it takes more than that to stop Mauritius. With all due caution, the crew continued on towards St Martin. Anchor is dropped in Marigot Bay. Dominated by Fort Louis, Marigot is the largest town on the French side of the island. For a week, the youngsters work on the sailboat. The booms are completely repainted, the bulwark cleaned, and all the elements that have undergone the rigors of the transatlantic race are meticulously maintained.
Next stop: the Bahamas.
Pacifique – Mathieu Lecellier & Marion Fert
