This is the route that we path during the Atlantic crossing. Parties on November 19 from Santa Cruz at 11:30 UTC, dropped anchor in St. Anne, Martinique, Friday December 10 at 6:30 am local
10:30 UTC. Exactly 21 days for a total of 3012 miles.
The report has no favorites for a quick crossing. First week of very light winds and had to often use the engine. And the forecast is not giving us good prospects until it had reached longitude 40. But we are still at 27 degrees. And here was the strong feeling that would be a long, this crossing, forced to slow down our path if he had not submitted the wind. First thought to the amount 'of oil: Required for recharge the batteries and not enough for the entire route was used sparingly, more thought due to the amount 'of drinking water and galley: already' in the preparation and loading is considered a much longer 'long, then no problem.
Anyway, hopefully in the wind! ("That's 'cause I feared most old sailors' the doldrums of the waves!"). Then a very deep low pressure dropped from Florida to the Canary Islands also reached latitude 15. Thus forcing him to get off quickly and the more 'possible to find d' meet most, if anything, the area 'South of the Depression, where winds were less severe'. Finally, the much-desired wind! ("Even if it otherwise?").
For several days have alternated the southwest and west, 15-20 knots. Neither too strong nor too wave. But since our route was to be 280 degrees at times impossible to follow
Then south to north moments. At least
and 'got the wind! After days of upwind, pero ', the crew put to the test, he began to read the much-desired North-east trade winds, this famous wind surfing has done for centuries with the pace of breast sailors who ventured beyond the' unknown.
But the weather maps we still had little to hope for. Another front was present and, with its counterclockwise motion, and given our position, always blowing from the southwest and west we met. High
pressioni completamente assenti. Quindi ancora per giorni e giorni circolazione antioraria.
A poco piu' di una settimana dall'arrivo, raggiunta latitudine 14 e longitudine 40 un leggero vento di 15 nodi da nord-est incominciava a presentarsi: finalmente! E via via sempre piu' intenso fino a 25 nodi, accompagnato anche da un mare formato di 12 piedi d'onda. L'equipaggio, malgrado la stanchezza incominciava a farsi un po' sentire si ricaricava subito: l'acqua dal colore blu Oceano imbiancata dalle spruzzate provocate dalle raffiche del vento, le creste delle onde frangenti, e in quel frangente, solo un attimo, un colore azzurro nella schiuma bianca. Che di notte ne senti solo il suo frangere, quasi un sorriso alle tue spalle. Una situazione fin d'ora solo letta sui libri.
Penelope vola: randa ridotta di due mani, genoa ridotto e tangonato, mure a sinistra, poi si stramba, mure a dritta. Velocita' media 9 - 10 nodi, su planata anche 11. Gli ultimi giorni abbiamo percorso buone medie, anche 210 miglia nelle 24 ore finalmente con rotta diretta sulla Martinica.
Prime luci dell'isola, venerdi 10 dicembre ore 2.00 locali, 25 miglia all'arrivo.
All'alba l'intera isola in vista alla nostra dritta. A tutti salta all'occhio il colore verde intenso della vegetazione: per giorni siamo stati circondati da azzurri, blu, rossi, rosa, cobalto, grigio.
Ore 6,30: entrata nella Baia di St. Annne. Spiaggia bianca, palme, acqua trasparente e cristallina: come di arrival of the first crossing traditional dip in the Caribbean waters and the usual toast to the crew.
E 'was crossing from east to west a bit' different, classically known for his pace under the stern Aliseo.
The weather forced us to very specific decisions, although they should lengthen the route for safety of navigation. And 'thanks to the instrumentation that we have now on board we can check the daily weather changes and make precise decisions, where catered' chance '. But above all thanks to
radio contact with friends that day Radiomir allow us to hear a friendly voice from the ocean making us feel, well, less distant and alone, we, as a small floating cork immense.
I wonder 'what will have' left this deep experience in the minds of those who lived it!
would like to thank John, Aldo, Alessandro, Lucia, Christian, Patrick, Henry and Adriano our companions for a trip that lasted 21 days, spent in the "microcosm", Penelope, for the entire period that has kept us all together.
Eugene and Paola
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visit and phone calls to www.skipperoceanici.it Antonio Giovannini, which is available at telephone number: 0584-22088; cell. 335-6493405 
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