Vie d'écume · video

What this video covers

During the seventh day of a solo transatlantic return passage, the captain manages light wind conditions and a persistent, frustrating northerly route dictated by weather routing software.10:13 Sailing with a double-headsail configuration, the boat maintains an average speed of 5.3 knots, though performance drops to 3–4 knots in lighter air.17:27 The captain uses the Fast6 routing application and consults with a remote router, Pompelmousse, to navigate around a large area of calm air.20:53 To manage fatigue and prevent autopilot overheating, the captain hand-steers for short intervals, particularly at night, while relying on AIS alarms to track nearby commercial traffic, including a tanker that passed within 1.7 nautical miles.3:14 A significant hazard occurred earlier when the boat nearly fouled a large, submerged mass of drifting fishing nets near the rudder.13:48 The captain monitors wind shifts and sea states of 1.5 meters, occasionally running the engine to charge batteries and operate the watermaker during windless periods.9:11

Boats in this video

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