We calculated that if we followed the great circle route from Mindelo (on Cape Verde) to Le Marin ( on Martinique), it would be a distance of 2091 nautical miles. The wind wasn’t always going our way so we actually travelled 2162 nautical miles which was 3.4% extra.
Artemis has two foresails. A bigger Genoa right over the bow and a smaller Jib set further back. Normally we use one or the other depending on wind strength. But we also have two poles on the mast which we can set out horizontally and hold the Genoa out on one side and the Jib on the other. This is what we mean by “two foresails poled out”. Perfect for sailing straight downwind.We took almost exactly 18 days so 432 hours which means our average speed was exactly 5 knots.
We did over half the journey (54%) with the two foresails poled out running directly downwind. The Parasailor and the Genoa both contributed 16% of the distance. The combination of Genoa and main was in use 14% of the distance and we used the motor for 0.2%!
The sails carried us on our way and the solar panels, wind generator and towed generator kept the electrics working so the motor only ran to lift and stow the anchor and enter the anchorage. It ran for two hours so the whole journey cost €4.
Bloody expensive then, lol