The Medatlantic adventures of Philéas

On Friday, October 14, 2011, the MEDATLAN project was about to become a reality. But what exactly is MEDATLAN? It's a long-distance cruise, the idea for which was launched a year earlier by Admiral Hubert Pinon, president of the Toulon Naval Sailing Club (CNMT). The plan is a crossing of the Mediterranean and Atlantic Oceans by sailboats belonging to the sailing club. The idea was a hit, and ten adventurous owners, all members of the sailing club (including one sailboat from the Brest Sailing Club and another crewed by the Marseille fire brigade, which will join the Toulon flotilla in the Canary Islands), decided to support the project for this crossing.

After several months of serious preparations and a final week during which the crews worked tirelessly to be ready for D-Day, a week during which the days never seemed long enough, D-Day arrived. The big step was about to be taken.

Family, friends, the deputy maritime prefect, a delegation from the maritime prefecture, music from the fleet's crews, press from the French Navy, regional press (Var matin), television (France 3), curious onlookers, all were present at the quay of honor, Quai Cronstadt in Toulon to bid a final farewell to the sailors, who were moved by so much warm support.

The steps

• Toulon - Ibiza
• Ibiza - Gibraltar
• Gibraltar - Cadiz
• Cadiz - Canary Islands
• Canary Islands - Cape Verde
• Cape Verde - The Antilles
• Martinique - Grenadines
• Grenadines - Martinique
• Dominica
• Marie Galante
• Grande Terre (Guadeloupe)
• Guadeloupe
• Les Saintes
• Antigua
• Nevis - Saint Kitts - Statia and St Martin
• Saint Barthélemy - Bermuda
• Bermuda - Azores
• Azores - Toulon

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