Palanad Transat Debrief
Palanad 4 also known as the Mach 50 has been making huge waves recently in the offshore racing scene. Her crazy scow bow stands out amongst the rest of the sleek designed race boats. The results speak for themselves, after an impressive Transatlantic race win followed by a class devision win and overall 2nd in the Caribbean 600. This boat clearly is something special and I was fortunate to sail on the boat in its convoy age from Antigua back to its home port La Trinité in France..or so we thought!
Arriving in Antigua the goal was simple; return the rocket ship that is Palanad 4 to its home port La Trinité safety and smoothly. When we left Antigua we had to sail North to escape the trade winds. Unfortunately for us we had to sail a semi close-hauled angle which meant it was in fact, not smooth sailing at all. For the first three days it was rough, wild and wet. The sea state mixed and lumpy and often squalls with 25+ knots and rain was something out team of 5 would have to manage. On the fourth day we were happy to be greeted with lighter winds and blue skies, finally drying out our offshore clothing.
As we continued north we had a large high to navigate through. Our route took us further west than we would have liked, passing Bermuda only a few hundred miles to the east. It was around this area where my phone decided to escape out of a hole in my salopettes which I had no clue was there. From day five to day 8 these days were rather slow. Managing to get through the high we were then with the wind behind us, however the weather pattern was not the most simple. We were forced to position ourselves the best possible to stay in a narrow lane of pressure, this lane taking us further north-west towards the most outer point of Canada. It was here I was lucky to see three Sperm whales. One popping up somewhat 5 meters or so from the boat. This turned to be a highlight of the trip.
Finally on day eight we started making our way East, picking up some nice breeze which eventually was leading to a low front coming up the rear. Building wind speeds and boat speeds as the low front got closer, on day 10 it quickly went from fast and fun to fresh and oh fuck. Taking down the masthead Code zero and replacing it for a simple J2 and one reef in the mainsail we were in a safer configuration. This still didn’t stop Palanad from surfing the waves and reaching speeds up to 25 knots. In these conditions (25-30knots & big waves), the boat felt comfortable and safe, the scow bow preventing the bow from digging into the waves. This day was great and as the low passed we were ready to hitchhike on the back of it and sail East towards the coast of France.
It was later this evening that we discovered an issue with the boat, an issue that compromised safety on board which meant we had to drastically change our plan. We could no longer sail to France which was still somewhat 1000+ miles. Our best option was to sail to the island of Horta, located in the arcapelo of the Azores. We were about 500 miles North-West when we discovered this issue, our task now get the boat to the Azores safety. With the issue we had to reduce our speed and performance. We were lucky to have sailed away from the low front and had a nice light wind sail lined up for our journey the Azores. These days were slower paced with light winds behind us, the sun shining from dawn to dusk meant we were able to enjoy sailing for what it is. Using the wind to power us across oceans and taking the time to enjoy being surrounded by nothing but nature. Having lost my telephone, it was somewhat a digital detox for me and I was able to completely disconnect from the world and be entirely present. Something I Believe is becoming harder and harder to do in the modern world. Bird sightings became more frequent as we approached the Azores and on one extremely light wind sunrise, we could see Flora. The most western island in the Azores. We were close.
The Last day we glided past the island of Flora under motor as there was not a trickle of wind in sight. Bean bags on deck and Binoculars in hand, it was a great opportunity to view the beautiful island. I grabbed a sense that there was something special about this place, viewing lush green forests and fields through the binos as well as waterfalls and volcanic peaks. For our last sunset before arrival in the Azores we continued with our little convoyage traditions and grabbed some snacks for the last Apero at sea. Soaking in the beautiful sunset and how lucky we are to be there. The next morning by sunrise, Horta was in sight and we arrived after leaving Antigua 14 days earlier. The boat parked up safely at the Marina and the crew stuffing our face with fresh food, we were happy.
Next up for the team was finding a solution to fixing the problem and continuing the delivery back to La trinité. For me unfortunately I had to leave due to the timing. Next up for me is some exciting Figaro Racing which meant I had to be back in France. Im certain the remainder of the crew staying in Horta will resolve the problem and get the boat back on track to La Trinité. Although we didn’t make it there the first go, I thoroughly enjoyed every moment on board and was able to learn a lot about this boat and offshore weather systems. A Big thank you to the crew for making it good fun and to the boat owners for giving me a chance to sail on your weapon of a boat that is Palanad 4. I hope to get the chance again but for the next few months.. Its Figaro time!!