How did I actually get to yachting? I have always been attracted by water and water sports. I like as well wind and the use of wind for movement or for flying.
Sailing is an amazing combination of both, so it was inevitable that one day I found myself on sea, on board of a sailing boat. It was in 2012, when I was offered to participate on a cruise from the Spanish Málaga by Gibraltar to the African coast, more precisely to the Spanish part of Africa – the Ceuta port – and back.
During this cruise I met Jirka Štýbr and his boat named Saralu. Saralu is a 12 meter laminated sailing boat manufactured by French yacht maker Dufour, she is easy to operate and offers comfort for up to 6 members of crew.
I was impressed by the cruise and decided immediately to attend yacht course led by Jirka Štýbr in order to get the skipper license.
In the same year, I sailed, as crew member on Saralu from Mallorca to the French port Marseille. I tried to gather more knowledge and experience in sailing and at the same time I confirmed myself the feeling that I really love this activity.
Besides this, I started to understand that people around yachting are very friendly, pleasant, helpful and always in good mood. Jirka Štýbr became my very good friend who passed me with big patience his knowledge. In the following years I did other cruises as member of crew as well as independently as skipper with my own crew – all in the Mediterranean Sea.
For 2015, Jirka Štýbr announced his intention to sail across the Atlantic Ocean. He executed the cruise from the Canary Islands through Cape Verde in the Caribbean with his friends. But the return cruise from the Caribbean through Bermuda Islands to Archipelago of the Azores was done only by me and him.
So far it was my biggest sailing adventure that let me taste once more the strength of the sea and wind.
During the cruise, I read for the second time Petra Ondráček’s book “Alone across four oceans”, where Petr describes his attempt for nonstop solo circumnavigation. I was fascinated by the description of the preparation, execution and unfortunate end in Auckland, Australia. Yet, the book invited me to try to attempt the same. It’s not a modest plan, but I was more and more convinced that it is feasible.
