Sailing Avanti · video

What this video covers

Gerard and Jacqueline, sailing the yacht Avanti, navigated the Torres Strait from the Great Barrier Reef to Horn Island, Australia. To manage the region's extreme tidal currents and trade winds, the crew timed their passage to coincide with the incoming flood tide, maintaining an average speed of six knots under a single genoa. The 0.6-mile-wide shipping channel required close-quarters maneuvering near a 203-meter tanker. Upon arrival, the crew chose to anchor at Horn Island rather than the more exposed Thursday Island to gain better protection from 20-knot winds. The transit through the Torres Strait involved monitoring for intense Australian Border Force and naval patrols, which are active due to the proximity of Papua New Guinea. After a single night at anchor, the crew departed for a 750-nautical-mile passage to Darwin, planning to utilize favorable currents and winds to reach Indonesia before the onset of the northwest monsoon.

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