Boat International – April 2018

http://www.boatinternational.com | April 2018

As soon as he had his first money,
my husband bought a seven metre
monohull. After we married, he built
an 18 metre catamaran and we
sailed to Israel with our three
children. We liked it so much
we enrolled the kids in school
and stayed for six months. We
stretched the return trip to Brazil
over two years and then went back
to our regular lives but my husband
always wanted to take another big
trip. We decided to take this trip now
while we can still make decisions
for our children, who are 14, 12, 10
and four. Every week they get school
assignments and when we have
internet connection we send back
their homework. Last March
we flew to the Caribbean
and sailed to New Zealand,
arriving in November. I like
having the boat as a house
to go any place we want.
My husband loves the wind on his
face and also the machinery and how
it works. He entertains himself by
reading the manuals. Our favourite
discovery on our way to New Zealand
was the volcanic island of Niue and
diving among the corals in crystal-
clear water. I don’t know when we
will go back to Brazil. We don’t like
to make long range plans. We always
look forward to discovering the
next place and being together
on this adventure.

This month

Sergio and Tatiana Kulikovsky

Owners of Orion (27.4m)

My life in boats

Tara Getty

Yachts: Blue Bird; Talitha

Lengths: 31.6m; 82.6m

Years: 1938; 1930

Location: Palma

Your classic motor yacht Blue Bird is in

the yard. What’s happening?

She’s in Palma. Her 80th birthday present

includes refurbishing the rigs and the master

bathroom and upgrading the audiovisual

equipment in the master cabin, saloon

and upper deck living area. We are also

remodelling the crew area by installing an

extra single cabin, achieved by incorporating

the laundry room into the crew galley area

How did you use her in 2017? Where

did you go?

Blue Bird followed Skylark, our 16m classic

yawl, in the Classic Regattas (Ladies Cup,

Antibes, Porquerolles, Argentario, Mahon,

Cannes and Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez). Blue

Bird also cruised around Croatia and berthed

in Venice. We have never been to Venice on

the boat and, having a slight dread of the

July crowds, I was dubious about whether

this was going to work. It did and we ended

the trip on a high, in prime position, opposite

St Mark’s Square

What’s your standout memory from last year?

Talitha, a Mediterranean regular, went to

both Scotland and Norway and for me, the

latter has to be a standout memory. The

fjords of Norway are completely different

and somewhere I’d recommend

How else will you be celebrating Blue Bird’s

80th year?

Blue Bird was launched the same day that I

was born, albeit not the same year! We shall

be celebrating together in Corsica in May

After your trip to Cocos Island, any other

grand voyages on the horizon?

Blue Bird will venture down memory lane

and participate in the Association of Dunkirk

Little Ships’ 80th Anniversary Return to

Dunkirk voyage in 2020. From there, we plan

to travel to the Western Isles and then over

the top to Norway, Denmark and Finland

How’s the restoration of your other

Sparkman & Stephens, Baruna, going?

Baruna’s restoration is coming along slowly;

luckily we have had no hidden surprises.

Robbe & Berking’s work is outstanding and

we plan to get her sailing in place of Skylark

by the end of 2019. The main question for

us is are we going to be able to cope with all

the extra power? We may need some proper

muscle power...

Interview – Grace Trofa

92