In autumn 2015, three Lagoon 620 were launched on the same day, all destined for the same long delivery trip to French Polynesia.
Among them: Tuamota Dream. She left Bordeaux on 16 October 2015 in the company of her two sister ships, heading for the Polynesian islands and more specifically the island of Raiatea. Her crew told us about their voyage.
Who are you?
We’re a crew of five: Henere, Jean Pierre, Marc, Homai and Michel.
Tell us about your voyage:
Our voyage started in fresh water, sailing down the Garonne. The ebbing tides enabled us to sail down the river at up to 12 knots and reach the Atlantic Ocean, and more precisely the Bay of Biscay, earlier than anticipated.
After a final port of call at the mouth of the estuary, we finally left for a passage of several days, heading for the Canary Islands.
Passing Cape Finisterre was exhilarating, sailing downwind in winds of 30 to 40 knots and surfing at speeds peaking at 21 knots.
We found calm seas and light winds along the Portuguese coast. We were sailing goose-winged at an average of 8 knots.
After quickly taking on fresh supplies for the 3 catamarans in Las Palmas, we headed for the Caribbean, our first long passage.
The fickle wind often obliged us to change our heading, so that our course was to the south instead of the west.
After 20 days’ sailing, we reached St Barthélemy.
But our voyage didn’t end there! To reach the Pacific Ocean, we had to go through the Panama Canal.
Once in the Pacific, we headed for Hiva Oa in the Marquesas, our second long passage, and then towards our final destination, the island of Raiatea, where we arrived on 13 January 2016.
What was the highlight of the trip?
The voyage lasted 90 days, so there were many very good times.
We really enjoyed surfing at more than 19.5 knots off Cape Finisterre, and goose-winging off the coast of Portugal.
When we were sailing in the Pacific, we had days when we logged more than 245 miles.
Throughout the delivery trip, we only needed 200 hours running the engine, mainly for charging the service batteries.
We also shared wonderful moments of life on board… We spent the New Year holiday together in the middle of the Pacific Ocean; we enjoyed a lot of fishing, with more success on some occasions than others…
What did you like about the boat?
We particularly appreciated the impressive flybridge, which is very comfortable, and the stability and performance under sail.
At the special request of the owner, some options were not incorporated, so we weren’t able to take advantage of all the opportunities offered by the 620.
Any advice about sailing on board this boat?
To go even faster, we recommend taking a 620 with the maximum of options available, especially in terms of navigational equipment and sail wardrobe.
If you want more information about the 620, click here!