WEsail · video

What this video covers

The crew of the sailboat Va departs Fakarava in the Tuamotu Archipelago for a two-day passage to Tahiti, driven by dwindling food supplies and a looming import deadline in French Polynesia.3:54 The vessel encounters sporty conditions and significant following seas immediately upon exiting the South Pass.12:55 During the 170-mile transit, the crew maintains a seven-knot average speed, setting a personal distance record for the boat over a 24-hour period.17:18 To maintain balance in dead downwind conditions, the crew drops the mainsail and sails under jib alone.17:39 The autopilot experiences a brief, intermittent failure during the passage, which the crew corrects with a system reboot.19:28 Upon arrival in Moorea, the crew secures the boat in a familiar anchorage and replenishes fresh food supplies.24:37 The passage demonstrates that sailing under jib alone can stabilise a boat in heavy following seas when the mainsail causes excessive rolling.

More from WEsail

13 Knots, Big Seas & Dolphins at Sunset | Sailing Back to Fiji's MainlandAug 2026We Don't Know Where We're Going Next | Leaving Fulaga, Fiji & Sailing SomewhereAug 2026We Ran Out of Gas Saying Goodbye | Our Last Days in Fulaga, FijiJul 2026Nobody Mentioned the Cave of Bones | Three Weeks in Fulaga, FijiJul 2026

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

The Sailing Directory Newsletter

One email with the fleet's best finds — the moments, boats, and stories worth your watch time. Enter your own address to get your own copy.