To live aboard a sailboat with their 7 children for the duration of a school year, this is the adventure chosen by Vincent and Olivia.
In the beginning, it was a young boy’s dream: “one day, I will be a Cape Horner.” At 40 years old, Vincent decided to follow his dream and, along with his family, embarked on a journey that would change the course of their lives! It would not be Cape Horn, but a tour of the Atlantic with his family aboard their sailboat, “Sea You,” a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 51.
He launched this project stemming from their common desires: to spend more time together as a family, to have a simpler, pared-down life, closer to nature and centred on the essential. For the parents, it was also – and especially – a way to give their children “a broader, more open outlook on life.”
The Crew
Vincent and Olivia embarked on this great adventure with their seven children, ranging from fourteen to two years old: Alix, Amicie, Soizic, Médéric, Augustine, Zélie and Ysance.
Since August 2018, the crew has been sailing the Atlantic. Departing from Bretagne, their journey has taken them to Spain, then to Africa, with stopovers in Senegal and in Cape Verde. Next, they headed for America, with stops in the Antilles, at Gran Roque, in Jamaica and Cuba... Then, the family will set sail for Brittany, with their return planned for June of 2019.
The Sailboat: a Sun Odyssey 51
“Sea You” is a magnificent Sun Odyssey 51 equipped for long voyages. After numerous months of research, it stood out as the ideal family sailboat with large storage capacity, numerous berths, robustness and seaworthy qualities.
Acting in Solidarity with the NGO, Voiles Sans Frontières
This voyage was also an opportunity for the family to bring school supplies to the children in the villages of Sine-Saloum, along the coast of Senegal, accessible only by sea, through the NGO, Voiles Sans Frontières.
Voiles Sans Frontières is an international organisation providing assistance to isolated populations that are only accessible by boat. One area of activity of the NGO concerns school support.
The family has raised funds in France, enabling them to purchase materials and textbooks in Senegal, which were then transported by boat to the villages of Sine-Saloum. This organisation thus meets the real material needs of the schools while also contributing to the local economy by making purchases locally in Senegal.
For more information, visit the family’s blog
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Would you like to share your own adventures aboard your Jeanneau?
If you would like to share your own adventures aboard your Jeanneau, please don’t hesitate to contact us by email, at communication@jeanneau.fr.
Here are a few of the images captured since the start of their voyage:
