After several weeks at sea and nearly 3,800 nautical miles between the American coast and Polynesia, the Pacific Puddle Jump crews have dropped anchor. This year, several Excess catamarans were part of the adventure.
Excess has been the official partner of the Pacific Puddle Jump, the rally that connects the American Pacific coast to the Polynesian lagoons each season. This first season under the partnership has just delivered its first insights, rich in lessons learned.
On the more southerly and demanding Gambier route, Pélican (Excess 14), sailed as a family by Nicolas Chable de La Héronnière, reached the archipelago in 18 days and 12 hours, covering 3,076 actual miles with a peak of 200 miles in 24 hours. Over the whole crossing, the boat maintained an average of 6.9 knots, one of the best recorded this season, allowing it to complete a route 500 miles longer than the Marquesas route in the same average time as the rest of the fleet.
On the Marquesas route, Karma (Excess 13) and Takaya 6 (Excess 14) also made the most of the trade winds. Aboard Takaya 6, the multipurpose code allowed the crew to hold a strong speed throughout the downwind leg, taking full advantage of the favorable conditions on this route. On Karma, the Parasailor held its own even in squalls gusting past 40 knots off Fatu Hiva.
Beyond the numbers, it's the first Polynesian sensations that come up in every account. The scent of land found again after weeks of ocean. The light of dawn over the Gambier pass. The vegetation that suddenly appears after days of uniform blue. Nicolas Chable de La Héronnière recalls his arrival in the Gambier as a suspended moment, in the first light of day.
These crossings tell the story of what Excess has always sought to offer: pushing the limits of comfort at sea, without ever sacrificing the thrill of sailing.
