Simon and Alice, both keen sailors, met at the Lycée Livet high school in Nantes, when they took the scientific preparatory classes for enrolling in a grande école. The two students wanted to go to ENSTA Bretagne for its naval architecture course. Over the holidays, they met up regularly to go sailing and take their friends with them on cruises lasting a few days in the Gulf of Morbihan. Once they arrived on the ENSTA Bretagne campus, they firmed up their plans to sail across the Atlantic, teaming up with a solidarity mission supporting a Senegalese school.
As soon as we got to ENSTA Bretagne, we swiftly set about getting our plans off the ground. At the end of Year 1, Marin, who I’d met at the Pornic sailing club, put us in touch with students who were already involved in a transatlantic trip. Thanks to those contacts, we found our boat, “Vadrouille,” a 9-meter sailboat that we bought in August 2021.
In addition to planning the route and stopovers, Simon and Alice thought about the sense of purpose they wanted to give this trip. They found out about the association Voiles Sans Frontières, which works in Senegal, and reached out to them. The Maya village school in the Sine-Saloum region particularly needed a storage tank for harvesting rainwater and a new layout for the playground. Simon and Alice decided to include this stage in their sailing trip and to raise the funds needed for the project.
We both wanted to see Senegal and meet the people who live there, as well as embark on an inclusive, community-based experience.
The two students started an online fundraising campaign and asked if ENSTA Bretagne wanted to support them. A challenge was organized one Saturday on campus: a race in which 123 students took part, covering 1,412 km (the distance from Brest to Berlin)! €2,600 was raised in all for the project (including €1,500 funded by ENSTA Bretagne).
When we reached the village of Maya, all of the locals gave us such a kind and hospitable welcome during a traditional Serer ceremony.
On their second day, Alice and Simon got busy helping to put up fencing and clean the playground. The aim was to mark out a safe enclosed space for the children. The livestock, which roams freely, never lets anything grow. The fencing means that the children can plant crops and water them using the storage tank for harvesting rainwater, financed by the two sailors.
When the works were finished, to celebrate the successful project, football matches were organized with all the children in the village. The girls beat the boys 2-1, a fantastic win! This solidarity mission was an opportunity for us to engage first-hand with the community in Sine-Saloum, and, in doing so, to challenge our perspectives of life and our social constructs. We came away with so many memories of these rewarding encounters!
After this stage, Simon and Alice continued on their way. Their trip lasted almost a year, during which time action-packed stopovers were interspersed with quieter spells on the boat ideal for a spot of introspection and gazing in wonder at the sheer diversity of landscapes.
During the trip, we came across such a wide variety of people (including locals, boat-hitchhikers and families). It was a truly edifying experience.
The beauty of nature is simply breathtaking. Out at sea, it’s just you against the elements. The scenery is constantly changing depending on the sea state, starry sky, cloud cover… Between Senegal and Cape Verde, there were dolphins, flying fish and communities of plankton. The water was teeming with life, it was magical.
On their return to Brest, both students have settled back into their studies for their final year. The two friends know, though, that there will be other projects and other experiences to come!
Our journey didn’t end there!
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