À la télévision à La Réunion 🇷🇪 | Mon tour du monde à la voile en solitaire

Moored at Le Port marina on the island of Réunion, Dutch sailor Jacqueline Evers of Solo sailing around the world welcomes journalists Delphine Poudrou and Laurent Figon from TV1 Réunion aboard her 8-meter sailboat Loveworkx. Moored in the marina basin for 3 weeks, Evers takes time to rest and service onboard gear while preparing for the next offshore passage across the Indian Ocean.

Reflecting on her stay, Evers appreciates the close-knit harbor setting, observing how sailors greet one another while heading to the docks each morning. She found practical assistance when a vital navigation instrument failed, explaining: “It’s a very beautiful island and the locals are really kind.” When her electronics malfunctioned, marina residents stepped forward to help resolve the issue.

Compact Quarters and Sea Berth

A trained couples therapist, the 57-year-old mariner undertook 3 years of preparation and completed 25 training courses before starting her circumnavigation in July 2023. Operating an 8-meter vessel demands functional simplicity. Inside the cabin, Evers shows the compact galley setup: “So, here is my kitchen. With its stove and its two burners, a small kitchen.” She also points out her sleeping quarters: “Yes, that is the bed where I sleep when I am sailing.”

Along the cabin bulkhead, personal photographs keep Evers connected with her family, whom she meets only during port calls. She points out photos showing time spent with her husband in Tahiti, a reunion with her son in New Zealand, and portraits of her parents.

From Fatu Hiva to South Africa

Having logged more than 20 destinations during her passage across the world’s oceans, Evers describes the discovery of the Marquesas Islands as her best memory of the voyage. Recalling that arrival, she shares: “After 30 days without internet, without a phone, but just me, the waves, and my boat, I arrived in the Marquesas at Fatu Hiva and I discovered this volcanic island and I cried because it was truly beautiful.”

With maintenance completed at Le Port, Evers readies Loveworkx to depart Réunion on Sunday, pending favorable weather and sea conditions. The voyage toward South Africa marks the ongoing progression of her global route, an expedition planned to span 4 years before concluding the following July.

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