Location: St Lucia
There are some moments in life that leave you speechlessmoments where the accomplishment feels almost surreal, yet the experience is so profound that words don’t do it justice. Today, 31 sailors have arrived in St. Lucia after an awe-inspiring 23 days of sailing across the Atlantic from the Canary Islands. It’s a feat that will stay with each of them for the rest of their lives.
When the journey began, they were strangers to one another, but through the rhythm of the ocean and the challenges of the open sea, they’ve become a family, bound together by the adventure of a lifetime. Every wave they navigated, every gust of wind they harnessed, every sleepless night spent keeping watchthese moments are now woven into the very fabric of their shared experience.
Tom, Smash, Ben, Claire, Emma, Mac, Mich, Dan, James, Amy, Audrey, Cat, Chloe, Eliza, Grace N., Grace C., Lillian, Elis, Ruby, Talia, Boston, Brendon, Eduardo, Watson, Jesse, Liam, Lukas, Luke, Max, and Theoeach represents a story, a journey, a moment of personal growth. They embarked on this journey as individuals, but over 23 days, they became something greater: a team.
As they sailed across the vast, seemingly endless ocean, they faced all kinds of challenges. Some days, the winds were fierce, and the skies were stormy. On other days, the sun beat down relentlessly, and the sea stretched out in every direction, so calm and empty it seemed to go on forever. They battled fatigue, the ocean, and seasickness. But through it all, there was something stronger than the ocean itself: their determination to finish what they had started.
For many of them, this wasn’t just about learning how to sail. It was about testing their limits, learning to trust in one another, and finding the strength to push forward. It was about understanding that the journeyboth the physical and the emotionalwas the real destination.
Now, as the sail training vessel approaches the shores of St. Lucia, there’s a sense of awe in the air. The island is just a few miles away, and the crew knows they’re about to land in a place that represents not only the culmination of their adventure but also the beginning of something new.
The air here smells different: warmer and saltier, mixed with the scents of tropical flowers and the promise of land after more than three weeks at sea. The sight of the island’s green peaks and sandy shores is nothing short of breathtaking. For those who have spent the last three weeks looking only at the horizon, the sight of land feels almost magical.
But it’s more than just the arrival that’s importantit’s the journey itself. The bond that formed between these 31 sailors is a connection that will last far beyond the shores of St. Lucia. They will always remember the way they worked together to hoist the sails, navigate the night shifts, and share stories around the dinner table. They will always remember how they supported each other when the journey got tough and how they cheered each other on when the wind picked up and the ship surged forward.
Each of them arrived as a different person than when they first set sail from the Canary Islands. For some, the journey was about finding courage. For others, it was about overcoming doubt. Some discovered new strengths they never knew they had, while others found a new sense of peace in the ocean’s vastness.
And now, as they sail into St. Lucia’s harbor, they carry with them a piece of the Atlantica piece of that shared experience that will forever be a part of who they are.
So, as the crew of Vela steps off the ship and sets foot on the welcoming shores of St. Lucia, they carry with them the knowledge that they have done something remarkable. They’ve crossed an entire ocean together. In doing so, they’ve learned that no journey is too great and no challenge is too hard when you have the right people by your side.
Here’s to the crew. May the winds always be at your back, and may your journeys continue to be as extraordinary as the ones you’ve just completed.