Upwind Beat
Tuesday, 29 May, 2025 | Upwind Beat to Tahiti
Well, here we are beating back from Bora Bora to Tahiti. So far this year I have sailed over 8,500 nm on FALKEN and today was the first time I’ve tacked her. It’s interesting because mostly I think I prefer downwind sailing when the boat is flatter and you don’t need crampons to get to the snack cupboard, but upwind has its advantages. The main sheet being relatively safe is a big one. There’s a sense that in open water and low traffic areas you can let the crew run the deck when upwind without the constant fear of an accidental gybe and subsequent preventer failure. I also believe that the corkscrew movement of the boat surfing downwind is more likely to induce sea sickness in those prone, and that despite the heel, the overall motion of upwind dynamics can be easier to predict.
I believe this cruising passage has been the first of its kind for Falken, as we have voyaged fewer miles but instead enjoyed time ashore and in stunning settings. Bora Bora did not disappoint for the crew, who filled every moment with activities both land and water based. We could have explored one of the other destinations in the Society Islands had it not been for a large swell that pushed up from the south, with predictions of up to 6m waves, while we were nicely protected inside of the reef.
The adventure is not yet over though, and we plan to spend tonight in Cooks Bay, Moorea, a stunning anchorage that I have visited previously and that exhibited some of the most stunning sunsets I have seen to date. Our dinner reservation is in place and, given the shorter nature of the trip, it seemed fitting to return to Tahiti early on the final day in time for a morning clean up ahead of crew departure. This will be my last night sail aboard Falken this year and I intend to make the most of it, with or without the crampons.
– Emily
Well, here we are beating back from Bora Bora to Tahiti. So far this year I have sailed over 8,500 nm on FALKEN and today was the first time I’ve tacked her. It’s interesting because mostly I think I prefer downwind sailing when the boat is flatter and you don’t need crampons to get to the snack cupboard, but upwind has its advantages. The main sheet being relatively safe is a big one. There’s a sense that in open water and low traffic areas you can let the crew run the deck when upwind without the constant fear of an accidental gybe and subsequent preventer failure. I also believe that the corkscrew movement of the boat surfing downwind is more likely to induce sea sickness in those prone, and that despite the heel, the overall motion of upwind dynamics can be easier to predict.
I believe this cruising passage has been the first of its kind for Falken, as we have voyaged fewer miles but instead enjoyed time ashore and in stunning settings. Bora Bora did not disappoint for the crew, who filled every moment with activities both land and water based. We could have explored one of the other destinations in the Society Islands had it not been for a large swell that pushed up from the south, with predictions of up to 6m waves, while we were nicely protected inside of the reef.
The adventure is not yet over though, and we plan to spend tonight in Cooks Bay, Moorea, a stunning anchorage that I have visited previously and that exhibited some of the most stunning sunsets I have seen to date. Our dinner reservation is in place and, given the shorter nature of the trip, it seemed fitting to return to Tahiti early on the final day in time for a morning clean up ahead of crew departure. This will be my last night sail aboard Falken this year and I intend to make the most of it, with or without the crampons.
– Emily
EmilyCaruso
View more passage logs
Dolphin party!
Kate was about to yank the spinnaker’s sock down when I spotted a stampede of fins heading straight for us. ”Dolphins!”, I yelled back to the cockpit excitedly. Post dinner dish duty was halted down below for the show.
The pool is open!
We stopped the boat, got the ladder down and put out a line with a fender behind the boat. I love swimming in the middle of the ocean, and a bit scary when you realize its more than 4000+ m deep! Love it!
Big Pink Sail Day
I had a most fashionable pointed striped hat at dinner, and out of the depths of a cupboard a cake was created, after 14 days at sea. A group of people I had never met two weeks ago made me feel very special today.