Life on board
Commitment
BALI 5.4 We meet an XXL team taking part in the Rallye des Îes du soleil 2024
On Monday 29th May, we met up with the crew of the BALI 5.4, GILISS, at the CATANA shipyard. We fell under the spell of this XXL sized family, who’d come to take delivery of their BALI 5.4.
We meet an XXL team taking part in the Rallye des Îes du soleil 2024.
On Monday 29th May, we met up with the crew of the BALI 5.4, GILISS, at the CATANA shipyard. We fell under the spell of this XXL-sized family, who’d come to take delivery of their BALI 5.4. We discovered a united and highly motivated team, ready to take on the challenge of the Rallye des Iles du Soleil!
Jean-Noël and Elise, newcomers to sailing, have chosen to put their professional lives on hold to allow their children, Samuel, Sélène, Lila and Giulia, to discover the world by way of the seas. “We’ll be following the adventure of their Atlantic crossing with the Iles du Soleil and sharing their daily lives during the rally on our social media. We can’t wait to share this unique experience with them,” says Myriam Benentendi, the group’s Communications and Marketing Director.
Elise, how did your project to buy a catamaran come about?
"Jean-Noël has always wanted to discover the world. We opted for doing it under sail because it met all our objectives: to form a team, to make the most of the children and family life, to travel in an “ecological” way by sailing, to take a break from our professional lives and above all to enjoy the purity of the sea! "
Why a BALI? And why a BALI 5.4?
" We chose BALI because we liked the BALI door giving a larger saloon, a foredeck that replaces the trampoline creating another space, the very functional layout of the cabins and the American-style fridge. The 5.4 model meets our desire for comfort with 6 people on board and space for children to study in good conditions. "
Why did you sign up for the Rallye des Iles du Soleil?
" We wanted to do the transatlantic crossing as a family aboard Giliss as a family challenge, as a family odyssey, but as we weren’t very experienced, we wanted a bit of supervision and support. So the Rallye des Iles du Soleil was the perfect compromise for us!"
How will your “nomadic family” programme unfold?
" We’ll be setting sail from the Adriatic Sea via the Strait of Otranto, then heading for the Straits of Messina via the Ionian Sea.
Then, having crossed the Tyrrhenian Sea, we’ll be making a technical stopover in France to prepare for
the transat. After this stopover, we’ll head for the Balearics, then the Alboran Sea and then .... the Straits of Gibraltar and finally the Atlantic! From the Canary Islands and La Palma, we'll be leaving for Cape Verde and Guadeloupe for the Rally. We’ll stay in the Caribbean for a while, then aim to transit the Panama Canal towards the Pacific Ocean, and on to French Polynesia. That’s the programme at this stage.😊"
Follow the adventures of this extraordinary family via their social media and on Instagram with BALI CATAMARANS @bali.catamarans
Presenting team GILISS
Jean-Noël,
47, a crazy dreamer but very thoughtful, determined and level-headed, a relentless entrepreneur and above all the initiator of this great forthcoming adventure!
Elise,
46, with her boundless energy is the conductor of this magnificent family and ensures the team’s solidity.
Samuel,
17, is an adventurer at heart who stops at nothing. Sport and discovery occupy his mind, and he’s a great lad who’s both affable and hard-working.
Sélène,
14, is a real star in the galley, exquisite with natural affability!
Lila,
13, a studious yet daring perfectionist who’s always one step ahead.
Giulia,
aged 9, the boss of them all, she leads the team with her smile and her little grin, with a dynamism and curiosity that’s simply unstoppable!
And last but not least, the star of the day, the BALI GILISS, made up of the initials of the children, in ascending order!
