Grand Large Yachting World Odyssey 500 Rally comes to Mackay for Outremer Boat Show
by Outremer Catamarans 16 Jun 2023 23:59 NZST
8-11 June 2023
Mackay boat show visitors getting a tour on Greatcircle Outremer 55 © Outremer
Outremer owners sailing as part of a three-year round-the-world rally enjoyed a memorable stopover in Mackay Harbour, Australia from 8 - 11 June to take part in the Outremer Boat Show.
For four days the three Outremer boats - a 55" and two 45"s, favoured for their blue water sailing prowess and comfort design for long-distance sailing - gave boat tours and sea trials to attendees, offering just a small taste of their life onboard and on-the-move.
For Dutch sailors Mark and Marijke, sailing aboard the Outremer 55 Greatcircle for the first time with the Grand Large Yachting World Odyssey, they feel in their element. Happy with the support of the Outremer team since their departure, the couple enjoy being part of a fleet of sailors who share the same ideas and values. They have already sailed over 19,000 NM since the delivery of their Outremer 55.
"It's been great to cool off in New Zealand, it's been a very hot summer all year round, with extremely blue waters, exotic destinations and lots of new friends. It really is the experience of a lifetime, and we're looking forward to building on it. We can say, and we've said it many times before, that we wouldn't be here without the continuous support of Outremer around the globe. Outremer 55 has met and exceeded all our expectations... The boat sails much better than we're used to. She's a fantastic boat. We can go wherever we want. We can go upwind and sail a lot faster.
To the question: Which boat would you choose if you had to do this all again? We answer without hesitation: the same one!"
The catamaran Greatcircle makes up one of the fleet of boats from 13 countries with 2 dogs that set out on this epic 30,000 nautical mile round-the-world adventure, which officially started from La Grande-Motte, France, in September 2021. The boats have been sailing together as part of the Grand Large Yachting World Odyssey 500 - organised by blue water sailing group Grand Large Yachting and famous sailor Jimmy Cornell - to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the first round-the-world voyage by Ferdinand Magellan and Juan Sebastian Elcano.
Local residents from the beautiful coast region of Mackay, as well as visitors from further afield, enjoyed a mix of sailing and socialising across the four days, including a blue water sailing seminar featuring experts from the sailing industry sharing some valuable life experience to those aspiring to enter into the world of blue water sailing adventures.
The Outremer owners left on Sunday 11 June for a long sail to South Cumberland Island, re-joining the rest of the 30-strong fleet before going on to Tanna, an island in Tafea Province of Vanuatu.
"Our mission as a company is to enable everyone, experienced sailor or not, to realise their dream of blue water sailing while respecting the oceans and providing them with security, serenity and support at every stage of the project. We are thrilled to be able to make this real by giving our sailors the opportunity to travel around the globe with the support of a group which provides not just a boat, but also the training and services to help ensure a safe and memorable experience.
What makes this really special is that, as part of the official events commemorating the 500th anniversary of the first circumnavigation, we are connecting like-minded people who will share together the experience of a lifetime. We cannot wait to embark on this fantastic journey with everyone involved," says Xavier Desmarest, co-founder of Grand Large Yachting.
Dedicated website: gly-world-odyssey.com