When we anticipate using the WINGit system and will post on this blog site.

Tenerife to Cape Verde

Approx 8 November 2024 UPDATE: there was not enough wind on this trip to try to fly the kites. The most we saw was 18 knots true wind and not for long periods.

Cape Verde to St Lucia UPDATE**- We leave Cape Verde 17th November. Will do our best to fly the kite. The weather looks to be a little light on wind but may increase half way - fingers crossed!**

Please read the Atlantic Crossing heading for another update.

Galapagos to Marquesas (This is the 3000 plus nm trip)

Approx  5 March 2025

Galapagos to Hiva Oa (the Marquesas Islands)

This was the long 3100 nm trip we originally hoped that the WINGit would help with. Because of our poor training on it due to it being put out from July on installation, when the wind was good in the Palma bay, to September (with next to no wind) – we didn’t have the confidence to use fuel chasing potentially suitable winds to use it. The WINGit is very dependent on having almost directly behind wind of a consistent nature of at least 16 to 18 knots. This, so far has proved difficult, if not impossible, to find. The sea state needs to be fairly calm too in order to launch and retrieve safely also. There were occasions where we could have got it flying but there wouldn’t have been any pull – which is useless.

In the end we bought on deck fuel bladders which took us to 6,400 litres and arrived with 1,500 litres over. The boat performed really well even with the extra loading of fuel. The sweet spot economically was between 1550 and 1570 rpm which produced between 7.4 and 7.6 knots using 1.4 litres per nm. We searched for and used current exclusively of wind and this worked well to help fuel economy – any wind or seas behind was a bonus. We stuck pretty closely to the rhumb line and made good time as well. It took us 17 days for make the crossing.

As far as we know Entre Nous is the first boat of her class to make this long crossing. Certainly as far as the World ARC records go as well as anecdotally around the place.

Lagoon were very good supporting our plans and came up with all the engineering for the WINGit attachments and advised on floor loadings for the fuel bladders. We are sorry not to be able to deliver a more favourable report on the WINGit. Not sure what the real practical uses for it are – maybe more recreational? Maybe making a point about wind power? (we have sailing boats for that) But unfortunately, I have to say that for economy, speed and reliability – fossil fuels win for us. We have an entire WINGit system for sale

The reason for picking these legs is that this is when we expect to have the right wind conditions ie: behind and 15 plus knots.