Yachting Monthly - July 2018

ABOVE: Leaving
Halifax, Nova
Scotia, before
experiencing gales
and freezing fog
while crossing
the Atlantic

much as amongst themselves – in effect, they seemed

a perfect crew. Interviewing a couple of them later,

I was equally impressed. They had bonded so well

as a team that they still keep in touch, despite some

having now left school for university.

One student described the strangeness of a midnight

till 0400 watch, so dark and so far from land. When

it was rough, he felt completely safe while knowing

he was taking on forces far outside his control. If Toby

and Adam both came on deck in their wet-weather

gear at the same time, that always seemed much

more serious, and they knew to follow instructions

minutely. It is possible to feel scared and safe at the

same time.

On a rough night, with waves crashing over the bow

or blasting up through the scuppers, ice-cold water

running down their necks, they were still smiling. The

only break in good humour came after an uncooked

cake hit the fl oor – a rogue wave had hit them beam

on without warning. A girl using the heads, who’d

opened the porthole, screamed the loudest as 15

gallons of Atlantic water landed on her. They got

used to the mast’s sudden groans, loud enough

to wake the exhausted, and the bunks that dripped,

and water slapping the hull so close, with just an

inch or two of wood between them and the wildness

outside. Toby watched his crew as they transformed

into ‘exceptional, confi dent and fantastic sailors’;

he was proud of them and they of themselves. But

this is what racing for a month aboard Jolie Brise

does: the point is, the boat cannot sail without

their input. This buck stops with them. There is

no one else. It makes an unforgettable experience

for everyone, but for some it’s transformational.

OLD SCHOOL

As part of the regatta’s itinerary, vessels visited

smaller ports as ambassadors for the sail training

experience and Jolie Brise docked at Gaspé, along

the southern shore of the St Lawrence river. Three

or four days in one place can be quite wearing for

teenagers, so the local sailing club offered to let

them crew on their boats, as part of their regular

Wednesday racing. Everyone decided they’d rather

One of the joys when working with Jolie Brise is watching

how young people grow and develop over the experience

ADVENTURE