Take time, travel slow, experience the journey.
SLOW TOURISMO
Back on Terra Firma!
We made it! Firstly a BIG thank you for all your wishes and gratulations that are still coming in to the iridium satellite powered ‘boat' email which, out of habit, we daily power up! We look forward to recharging here in Le Marin before returning home to Switzerland...
A Day in the Life….Sailing Across the Atlantic
"My day begins at 23:55 when the alarm wakes me for the midnight start of my watch. From 20:00 to 08:00, we split the night-watch into to 2 hour shifts amongst 3 of us. After a brief handover about any changes in wind direction, sails and speed I settle down at the...
Waiting for Wind
Week 1: Las Palmas-Martinique. Rough seas with wind up to 30 knots, big gentle blue waves in sunshine, day long torrential rain, outside a mass of wet, dense greyness, hard to make out where sea ends and sky begins. We've had it all and slowly had enough. The...
Sturm, Sturm, Sturm!
Quarterback, the new Autremer Concept's ship NEEL 45 Trimaran in route to reach the base in Martinique from La Rochelle is hitting a cold front 200 nautical miles south west of Portugal, the skipper and the crew decide to...
Cruiser Post
28.11.2014 - 16:10 "Here everything is ok after we hit a peak of 70.2 kn of wind last night. It was impressive and also a bit scary in the middle of night. Right now we have a bit of sunshine are listening to Pink Floyd and are watching 7-8 m waves. There will be two...
Bring on the Beef
We were sent to Baitona, a simple Basque influenced restaurant on Rue Saint-Jean du Pérot, relaxed atmosphere and really excellent food. And not just any steak. THE BEST Cote de Boeuf in La Rochelle!
Fair Winds and Following Seas
Earth Nullschool. This is THE most fascinating visualisation of wind and weather conditions. Wind, currents and forces are displayed in motion beautifully giving a unique sense of the energy.
Wandering through the Boatyards
Impressions from the boatyards and harbours of La Rochelle. Les Minimes is home to all manner of marine industry and boat-related services and suppliers.
Meet & Greet the Boat
After a smooth 900 km drive across France, we arrived in La Rochelle just after sunset. First stop down to the port to find the Neel and say hello to vessel and our partner for the many days of hopefully safe sailing ahead.
Countdown to an Atlantic Crossing begins!
Countdown and adventure begins at last for our first atlantic crossing! In the spirit of Slow Tourismo, we endeavour to rely entirely on the winds to travel the 4000 NM to Martinique.
If you’re crossing on a Neel 45 – prepare to be fast!
Our vessel of choice for a transatlantic was always the sleek, stylish and speedy Neel 45. Put into water on 18.11.2014, Quarterback is the 10th build from the Neel Trimaran shipyard in La Rochelle.
Fish or omlette, anyone?
With hours to fill as we sail, cooking and eating will be one of the highlights. To make sure we don’t arrive starved, grumpy and dehydrated, it’s essential to prepare a good provisioning list.
Up to Speed
NEW
Advice, interviews and stories from industry experts on topics related to sailing, cruising, qualifications and multihulls.
Cruiser Post
Checking in with updates and email from underway and faraway places.
Swiss Skipper Clinic
COMING SOON!
Swiss Skipper is always prepared for the practical reality: something can or will break. Here a collection of things that broke, how we fixed them at sea, the gadgets we’ve tried and tested and the essential tools to have on board.
