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Daily report, 4 October
(Paris)
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The long route
Position at 7H00 (Paris) :
10° 25 S / 127° 03 W
Christine Janin is visiting
us at the PC Friday afternoon, she has good news to bring
and positive energy.
- «Raphaëla, at night, you should look at the
moon, as a companion for you in the weeks to come. Cherish
these moments, say to yourself that in a month it will be
over, you will be back in crazy urban Paris life and you will
regret having left all of this behind you. I would love to
be at your place right now (another one…)».
Raphaëla is in shape and has a good voice- I immediately
heard it in her Allo.
- «Yes of course you are right, but for the moment
the route is blocked, I am not even allowed to head towards
Tahiti. Will you be on the catamaran to meet me as well ?»
- «Well , since you are moving backwards, there is a
little window for me to come».
«The moon is very visible, it illuminates the whole
night».I jump on the occasion: «a little night
navigation in perspective, remember on the you had not done
it and you regretted this». She spoke about this
with Guy, they are studying the possibility. «Navigating
by night in the middle of Tuamotus is to be thought about
in advance.“ It’s always better than the
subway at 10H pm in underground neon lights…
The tone is light, it’s almost salon conversation, and
yesterday afternoon the sound was perfect. Arnaud has the
explanation: «She was hiding in the next door closet,
we will get her out later on». Life on board the
board is timed at the minute, «I do my laundry singing
at the top of my voice ,no one cares if I don’t sing
out of tune, there is no one there. It does not smell very
good inside the board but it only bothers …».
Edith and Corinne, our friends
shortened their day to join us, «Raphaëla,
don’t put on too much cream on your feet, you will slip
on the board». Corinne explains to Raphaëla
that «I hurried to arrive at the PC, because there
is TV here, so I don’t want to miss it».
Raphaëla laughs« You know the Pc is the latest
salon for discussion, you’ve just got to show up! ».
The moral appears to be stabilized…
The next day however was difficult,
«the wind shifted to the South East, There was rain
all afternoon. I held the sail as much as I could but I was
crying. I feel like a failure ». It is 7H in the morning
in Pénestin and I sit on the bed« Listen Raphaëla
you just said that the drift is in the right direction- don’t
be sad. I have a pile of messages for you (and for us…)».
She listens carefully, another difficult tight roping exercize,
I am not tired at all…
As she advances, the navigational
choices decrease, the objective remains to head for Tahiti
at a given moment. «I have a feeling I am going
to have to go under board again to look for goose barnacles».
But this operation is only successful when the board advances,
and it must be done at the right moment. If she scrapes the
board now with 3 or 4 days of weak winds it’s as if
she was wearing a plaster over a wooden leg…
«The only valid piece
of weather forecast is “undertain weather conditions”.
The sophistication of the tools only adds to the hazards in
the forecast. "I would not feel comfortable if I
had to work within such a loose science».
Science – she studies science at the Ecole Vétérinaire
in Nantes, «I recall a course about cancer (the
person who did the course will remember…) that was remarkable,
the lecture hall was filled and everyone was listening».
For an instant she forgets about the great silence that envelops
her. We say goodbye with a smile…
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Photo : Odyssée du vent
2003 |
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