Velero Regina · video

What this video covers

A Belliure Endurance 35 named Maeva, built in 1976 by Astilleros Belliure de Calpe in Spain, is for sale in the Caribbean.▶ 3:10 Javi boards the boat with owner José to discuss the model's history and José's Atlantic crossing experience.▶ 2:02 The Belliure Endurance 35 was originally designed for ferrocement kit construction; Astilleros Belliure bought the license and built fiberglass hulls.▶ 3:22 The earliest boats, including this one, carry a mermaid figurehead rather than the later Belliure star — collectors prefer the mermaid versions.▶ 3:56 At 35 feet, the boat displaces roughly 10,000 kg, close to a steel boat of the same length.▶ 4:57 The engine has approximately 200 hours and is effectively new.▶ 0:58 José crossed the Atlantic solo the previous year from Cabo Verde toward Barbados when his autopilot failed mid-ocean.▶ 5:32 He spent one day testing self-steering rigs — twin headsails poled out, rubber lines on the wheel, trailing warps — none worked reliably on a closed reach.▶ 6:13 He then hand-steered 50–60 miles daily, heaving to overnight to sleep, covering 1,000 miles without autopilot over 19 days, extending a planned 17-day passage to 27 days.▶ 6:58 A heavy, pre-computer-era fiberglass hull will not self-steer on a closed reach regardless of improvised rig.▶ 6:17

More from Velero Regina

5000 SubscribersJun 2026Atlantic Crossing from West to East. Day 10Jun 2026Atlantic crossing to Europe. Day 3Jun 2026Heading to the AzoresJun 2026

From Velero Regina — see the channel’s boat, crew, and every analysed video.