John + Kristina Embark on an Epic Adventure Aboard the new Jeanneau Yachts 55
For John Tilley and Kristina Costalos, the idea of learning how to sail and one day sailing off over the horizon was something they always knew they wanted to do. When the Covid pandemic came along, they found themselves unable to work. Instead of a setback, they took this as an opportunity, and they looked at each other and said, "Why wait? Why don’t we just go now?"
Why wait? Why don’t we just go now
A thrilling two-year adventure unfolded, during which they purchased Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 50DS, Tucana, and sailed her along the Australian coast from Melbourne to the Whitsunday Islands and Lizard Island and back. Along the way, they chronicled their journey on their YouTube channel, Kristina’s Travels, which quickly gained popularity. So much so, that today, Kristina’s Travels has been viewed over 26 million times, making it one of the most popular sailing channels on YouTube!
In October 2022, Jeanneau America's Paul Fenn received a text message from Kristina, announcing that she and John would be attending the United States Sailboat Show in Annapolis as part of a YouTube promotion and would love to finally meet in person. Paul and Kristina had been communicating back and forth for several months but had never actually met so this would be exciting for both of them. Coincidentally, Paul Blanc, the newly appointed Director-General of Jeanneau, also happened to be attending the show. So all four of them got to sit down and talk about John and Kristina’s grand adventures aboard Tucana.
Paul and Paul soon learned that John and Kristina had sold Tucana and were now thinking about their next boat and their future. During their conversation, the idea arose that John and Kristina might enjoy spending a few weeks sailing around the Mediterranean aboard the new Jeanneau Yachts 55. Paul Blanc explained that the JY 55 was a very different type of Jeanneau with a unique design, ideally suited for live-aboard couples, and he hoped they could put it through its paces and provide first-hand feedback. He went on to explain that having an experienced couple providing feedback after sailing and living aboard it for an extended period of time, would provide great insight for the designers of the boat, Philippe Briand and Andrew Winch as well as Jeanneau itself.
Fast forward to July 2023, and John and Kristina are waving goodbye from the cockpit of the new Jeanneau Yachts 55 as they depart downtown Barcelona for Palma de Mallorca. Over the course of their six-week adventure, John and Kristina plan to visit Corsica, Sardinia, Nice, and several stops along the French coast before returning to Barcelona. It will be another grand adventure for sure. And while it’s unclear what John and Kristina’s future plans are right now or what their next boat may be, one thing is for sure, for now, they certainly are loving living aboard the all-new JY 55.
Be sure to follow John and Kristina’s amazing adventure by subscribing today to Kristina’s Travels. You’ll be glad that you did!
