Crossing the ocean in a 21-footer

Aina Bauzà (ESP) established a new transatlantic solo sailing reference time by completing the distance on the 21-foot Mini Class boat. Departing from Cadiz (Spain) on March 3, she arrived at the island of San Salvador in the Bahamas on April 3, completing the nearly 4,000 nm course in 30d, 22h, 34m (to be ratified by the World Sailing Speed Record Council).

At 29 years old, her goal was to cover the distance in less than 21 days, but adverse weather conditions delayed her arrival. “The weather did not allow taking the shortest route; I had to go far south to stay in the area of favorable winds and cover many more miles than planned,” explained Bauzà. Ultimately, she covered approximately 4,800 miles, with peak speeds reaching 18 knots.

During the first phase of the voyage, she encountered three cold fronts. Although the arrival in the Canary Islands was positive, she experienced some hours of low speed due to wind shadowing around the islands. Later, as she ventured into the Atlantic, she had to descend further south due to the proximity of the Azores high-pressure system.

During the crossing of the central Atlantic, she encountered trade winds that gradually intensified, with days of winds exceeding 25 knots and waves up to 4 meters high. Finally, as she approached the Caribbean, a succession of up to four quite active cold fronts caused more variable winds and, above all, rainfall with considerably high intensities.

She was also surprised to witness a large amount of garbage in the ocean. “I found a kitchen fluorescent light or packaging, pipes… It made me very sad because it was impossible for me to pick it up at the speed I was sailing.”

Aina has been sharing live updates on social media throughout her journey, and now she plans to share this experience in a short documentary that will be produced in the coming months.