la vagabonde sailboat

Sailing La Vagabonde Controversy Following News of Sea Collision, Explained

News has broken out that the yacht from sailing la vagabonde was involved in a collision in japan..

The members of Sailing La Vagabonde have reportedly been involved in an incident off the coast of Japan.

Sailing La Vagabonde is a popular YouTube channel with over 1.9 million subscribers. It features an Australian couple named Riley and Elayne, who have spent years documenting their travels circumnavigating the globe on their yacht La Vagabonde. 

What Happened to Sailing La Vagabonde?

Most recently, Sailing La Vagabonde has been traveling through Japan. However, it appears that an accident occurred during the family's journey.

On November 4, Riley from Sailing La Vabaonde penned a statement on their Facebook page, explaining the family's boat had been struck while they were sleeping and put them through "the most harrowing ordeal of [their] lives:"

"We recently experienced the most harrowing ordeal of our lives. Whilst my family and I were sleeping our boat was struck in an accident that has left us shaken and deeply impacted. We are immensely grateful for the messages of support and understanding from everyone during this time.  As we process and recover from this incident, we kindly ask for your patience as we take some much-needed time to regroup and assess the situation."

Riley clarified that no one onboard was physically harmed but that Sailing La Vagabonde's journey has been "interrupted indefinitely:"

"No one was physically harmed, for which we are deeply grateful. However, the damage to our vessel is extensive, and our sailing journey has been interrupted indefinitely."

Sailing La Vagabonde Collision Controversy Explained

Along with the collision, the Sailing La Vagabonde family appears to be dealing with some inaccuracies involving local media reports on the accident. 

In the same Facebook post, Riley mentioned a Japanese article that "contains inaccuracies regarding the incident" and asked for patience as they "address these discrepancies:"

"While we will provide further details in due course, we are aware of an article circulating in Japan that contains inaccuracies regarding the incident. We ask for your understanding as we address these discrepancies and manage the legal complexities involved."

The article in question was noted in an Instagram story from Sailing La Vagabonde's Elayne, who posted a picture of the article from Yahoo! Japan with the comment, "Hey guys. We were in an accident but we're okay. Thanks for all your messages, we'll reply when we can."

The Yahoo! article reports that a fishing boat collided with a sailing boat near the Island of Okinoshima in Kagawa Prefecture at 2:40 a.m. on November 4th. It was stated that there were five adults and two children on board and no one was injured, nor was there any oil leakage as a result of the collision.

It's unclear which parts exactly of the article contain the inaccuracies that Riley referred to, however, Japanese media has noted that the Shodosihima Coast Guard is investigating the cause of the accident.

Sailing La Vagabonde had only recently posted a new video blog detailing the family's trip to Hiroshima. 

During their journey, the La Vagabonde was stopped by the Japanese Coast Guard, and the members on board were required to show their official papers. However, they were released with no concerns, with Elayne stating the officers were "super friendly."

The video was posted to Sailing La Vagabonde's channel after the time of the reported collision and did not include any details on the incident, so it was likely a scheduled upload.

LATEST NEWS

• Boat Reviews

• Industry Directory
• Boat Accessories & Bling

SV La Vagabonde Damaged In Collision – Damage ‘extensive’

Australian Adventurers, Yachts-man & woman, and YouTuber’s Riley and Elayna, with their kids Lenny and Darwin abord La Vagabonde, the most popular Yachting channel on YouTube. They are currently vloging their Yachting trip as they traveling around Japan.

Early this morning, 2:40am local time, La Vagabonde III (LVB) took a collision from a local fishing boat hit LVB while the family slept. The 60 Trimaran Yacht heavily customised by Rapido has taken significant damage. Sailing is now on hold while they evaluate damage and start repairs.

Shaken After Night-time Collision

The family, deeply experienced with some 10 years of all-but-constant sailing, has been left grappling with a profoundly unsettling experience and an uncertain future. As their boat lay anchored for the night, they were struck, resulting in extensive damage that has placed their cherished journey on indefinite hold. Now, as they begin the arduous process of recovery and evaluation, they have provided an interim update to their Patreon supporter base.

The family took to their Social Funding platform, Patreon, to update their supporters, expressing heartfelt gratitude for the outpouring of support they have received. “We recently experienced the most harrowing ordeal of our lives,” they wrote. “Whilst my family and I were sleeping, our boat was struck in an accident that has left us shaken and deeply impacted.” Their post acknowledged the emotional toll of the event and the need to regroup as they assess the future of their journey.

Nobody Was Halmed, The Family Was Asleep

Fortunately, no one on board sustained physical injuries. For the family, this has been a source of immense gratitude amid the turmoil. However, the damage to the boat itself has been significant, effectively grounding the family for the foreseeable future. As the vessel served as both home and vehicle for their voyage, the incident has thrown their plans into disarray. While details about the accident remain limited, they are navigating the legal and logistical complexities arising from the incident, which may influence how and when they can resume their journey.

Adding to their challenge is a recent article in Japan that has reported inaccurately on the incident, sparking confusion. In their social media post, the family addressed this misinformation, asking their followers for understanding as they clarify the facts surrounding the accident. They noted that further details would be shared as they worked through these complexities, emphasising their commitment to transparency and accuracy once the situation stabilises.

For now, the family is focused on regrouping and determining the best way forward. In an already unpredictable lifestyle, this unexpected setback has introduced a new level of uncertainty, but the family remains committed to their dream. They have received a groundswell of messages from the sailing community, family, friends, and followers who have all offered support and words of encouragement, reinforcing the strong sense of community that often defines life at sea.

As they continue to navigate the fallout of this life-altering event, the family’s resilience is evident. Their story underscores the unpredictable nature of sailing and the strength needed to face unforeseen challenges head-on. Although their journey is temporarily halted, their commitment to returning to the sea remains, buoyed by the love and support of those who have followed their adventures.

La Vagabonde Facebook Post

We recently experienced the most harrowing ordeal of our lives. Whilst my family and I were sleeping our boat was struck in an accident that has left us shaken and deeply impacted.

We are immensely grateful for the messages of support and understanding from everyone during this time. As we process and recover from this incident, we kindly ask for your patience as we take some much-needed time to regroup and assess the situation.

No one was physically harmed, for which we are deeply grateful. However, the damage to our vessel is extensive, and our sailing journey has been interrupted indefinitely. While we will provide further details in due course, we are aware of an article circulating in Japan that contains inaccuracies regarding the incident. We ask for your understanding as we address these discrepancies and manage the legal complexities involved.

Feedback On The Post

Feedback on the Patrion Post was immediate and single-voiced – a range of posts are below:

Maurizio, 37min So sorry to hear, hope you can soon get up on that horse again, whatever it takes, you have been fighting so hard for it.

Michael, 46min This is extremely disturbing bad news to hear!!! Iam deeply sorry on your behalf, and so sad that your family had to experience this situation!! Love and all the best to you, Elayna, Lenny and Darwin also to Elly and the rest of your crew ♥️

JOHN, 50min Wow, that is terrible, must have shaken you all! I bet the boys were scared!

Clare, 51min ONG! So sorry to hear this and glad you all are okay. You’ll sort all of this out. You always do! Thoughts and prayers are with you all! ❤️🙏❤️

Oh No! Just reading this now. This is heartbreaking, and we are glad and relieved you are all unhurt. Take time to work this out and recover. Wishing the best for you all.

Oh my goodness. All the best wishes for a good recovery.

So sorry to hear this!! Glad you are all safe!

Sooo very sorry for your accident! Thankful for your safety, however beyond concerned over the problems you are dealing with in Japan… I can imagine how this has affected all of you emotionally! Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers.❤️

Local Reporting In Japan – KSB-5 News

Local news channel ksb-5 has reported on the collision, they have reported:.

The fishing boat collided with an anchored yacht (SV LVB) near Okinoshima Island in Tonosho Town, Kagawa.

No one was injured.

According to the Shodoshima Coast Guard Station, at around 2:40 a.m. on the 4th, the captain of a fishing boat called 118 (in NZ this is 111) and reported that his boat had collided with a yacht that was anchored in waters about 150 meters southwest of the western end of Okinoshima in Tonosho Town.

There were two people on the fishing boat, including the captain (70), five adults, including the captain (39), and two children from Australia, Sweden, France, and the UK on the yacht, but none of them were injured.

The collision also did not cause any water damage or oil leaks from either ship.

The fishing boat had departed from Shikai Fishing Port in Tonosho Town for bottom trawl fishing and was heading toward the fishing grounds off the coast of Chifuri Island. The yacht was scheduled to drop anchor near Okinoshima at 7 p.m. on the 3rd and continue toward Hiroshima Prefecture.

Check out the Boating NZ Review

We did a review of the Rapido 50 (the small brother of the 60) in August – check it out.

Rapido 50 Trimaran

Related Articles

This conversation is moderated by Boating New Zealand. Subscribe to view comments and join the conversation. Choose your plan →

This conversation is moderated by Boating New Zealand.

I have been following SLV for years. Riley, Elayna and Kai are experienced sailors. I hope that the Japanese fishing community is fair in revealing the full story of what happened. It will be a setback for Japan’s sailing tourism which evidently is not a destination for cruisers. I grew up in Japan through my school years and after college and was so excited and hopeful when I heard of SLV’s sail to Japan. I had hope that it would encourage more sailing tourism for Japan. I hope that SLV will heal quickly and the Japanese community steps up to help them.

Concerns and affections from Chesapeake Bay Country in the state of Maryland (USA) for your (collective) physical, financial, and emotional well being… Please muster “true grit” and the courage to contine your world-class sailing adventures and most importantly the most important mission…Your responsibility to rearing your two boys in giving them such a caring, thriving and nonpareil childhood! Your, joint responsibilities are to thos boys and , yes, to the four of you as a family! Your crew and the hundreds of thousabds of followers…we’re just spectators!

Live well and love one another!

LEAVE A REPLY Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

More from Boating New Zealand

The richard (dick) jones stor....

Corbett Triumphs in Nail-Bitin...

Records Broken at the Bridge2B...

Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race ...

Yay for squid!

You Can Take The Kiwi Out Of N...

Weekly Newsletter

Stay up to date with the latest developments shaping New Zealand's Boating world.

Social Media

Follow us on social media to stay in the loop with the latest trends and news shaping New Zealand's boating scene!

Events Worth Adding to Your Calendar

Have an event you'd like to list on Boating New Zealand. Contact us with the details.

Catch all the action of the Vendée Globe Race , starting 10 Nov, 2024 in Barcelona, Spain. Follow along with excitement at Boating New Zealand .

Extreme Boats Fishing Tournament , 29 & 30 Nov 2024 in Whitianga

NZ Lure Masters (Catch, Measure and Release competition) , 3 & 4 Oct 2025 , New Zealand wide

Stabicraft Te Anau Manapouri Fishing Classic , 25 - 27 Oct 2025 TBC in Te Anau Manapouri

Beneteau Owners Rally , 23 Nov 2024 , Auckland to Kawau

Sir Peter Blake Torbay Regatta , 30 Nov - 1 Dec 2024 at Torbay Sailing Club

Rolex Sydney to Hobart , 26 Dec 2024 starts in Sydney, Australia

New Zealand Sail Grand Prix , 18 & 19 Jan 2025 in Auckland

Bay of Islands Sailing Week , 21 - 24 Jan 2025 at Bay of Islands

NZ Millenium Cup , 1 - 4 Feb 2025 at Waitemata Harbour

Toyota Youth International Match Racing Cup , 26 Feb - 4 Mar 2025 in Auckland

Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race 2025 , starting 11 Oct 2025 TBC from Sydney Harbour

PIC Insurance Brokers Coastal Classic , 24 Oct 2025 TBC from Auckland to Russell

NZ Match Racing Championships , 2025 dates tbc in Auckland

JET BOAT RACING

UIM World Jetsprint Championships , 25 Jan -2 Feb 2025 at Wanaka (25 & 26 Jan) and Wanganui (1 & 2 Feb)

2024 Golden Homes NZ Jet Boat Marathon , 2025 dates TBC on Southland Rivers (Oreti, Waiau and Mataura)

National Jet Boat Rally 2024 , 2025 date TBC at Oliver Road, Bendigo (near Cromwell)

WATERSPORTS

Yamaha Rollo's Marine Bridge 2 Bridge , 2025 dates tbc Staged on the Waikato River between Cambridge & Taupiri, based in Hamilton, New Zealand

NON-MOTORISED SPORT

Waka Ama - 2025 National Sprint Championships , 12 - 18 Jan 2025 at Lake Karapiro, Cambridge

Waka Ama - 2025 Secondary School Nationals , 24 - 28 Mar 2025 at Lake Tikitapu, Rotorua

NZ Retro Boats Lake Tarawera Gathering , 16 Nov 2024 at Hot Water Beach, Lake Tarawera, Rotorua

Bay of Islands Cruiser's Festival , 20 - 23 Nov 2024 at Bay of Islands Marina, Opua

The New Zealand Sailing Trust 5 Day Sail , 13 - 17 Jan 2025 starting in Auckland

Auckland Boat Show , 6 - 9 March 2025 at Viaduct Events Centre and Jellicoe Harbour, Auckland

The Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show , 15 - 18 May 2025 at Auckland Showgrounds, Auckland

Lake Brunner Classic Boats Get Together , TBC Oct 2025 at Moana

Whangārei Maritime Festival , TBC Oct 2025 at the Whangārei Town Basin

HOT OFF THE PRESS

The richard (dick) jones story: sharp as a tack, corbett triumphs in nail-biting final of the 2024 new zealand match racing championships, records broken at the bridge2bridge waterski classic 2024, sydney to auckland ocean race 2025: the ultimate test across the tasman.

International Boat Shows

COMING EVENTS

METSTRADE 19 - 21 Nov 2024 to be held at the Rai, Amsterdam

Antigua Charter Yacht Show 4 - 9 Dec 2024 to be held at the Nelson's Dockyard UNESCO World Heritage Site, Antigua

Boot Düsseldorf 18 - 26 Jan 2025 to be held in Düsseldorf, Germany

New York Boat Show , 22 - 26 Jan 2025 to be held at the Javits Center, New York

Bahamas Charter Yacht Show , 29 Jan - 2 Feb 2025 to be held at Nassau, Bahamas

Houston Boat Show , 29 Jan - 2 Feb 2025 to be held at the NRG Center, Houston, Texas

Dubai International Boat Show , 19 - 23 Feb 2025 to be held at the Dubai Harbour

Miami International Boat Show , 12 - 16 Feb 2025 to be held in Miami

Auckland Boat Show , 6 - 9 Mar 2025 to be held at the Viaduct Events Centre and Jellicoe Harbour, Auckland

Palm Beach International Boat Show , 19 - 23 Mar 2025 to be held along Flagler Drive in downtown West Palm Beach

International Multihull Show , 23 - 27 Apr 2025 to be held in Terre-plein Ouest du port La Grande-Motte (34), France

Palma International Boat Show , 30 Apr - 3 May 2025 to be held at the Superyacht Village, Palma, Spain

Barcaly's Jersey Boat Show , 3 - 5 May 2025 to be held in the Channel Islands

South Coast & Green Tech Boat Show , 9 - 11 May 2025 to be held in Ocean Village Marina, Southampton, Hampshire

The British Motor Yacht Show , 15 - 18 May 2025 to be held at the Swanwick Marina, Southampton, Hampshire

Sanctuary Cove International Boat show , 22 - 25 May 2025 to be held in Sanctuary Cove, Queensland

Sydney International Boat show , 31 July - 3 Aug 2025 to be held at ICC Sydney & Cockle Bay, Darling Harbour

Hiswa Te Water , 3 - 7 Nov 2025 to be held in Bataviahaven Lelystad, The Netherlands

Southampton International Boat Show , 19 - 28 Sep 2025 to be held in Southampton, UK

International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition & Conference (IBEX) , 7 - 9 Oct 2025 to be held in Tampa, Florida

Annapolis Sail Boat Show , 9 - 13 Oct 2025 to be held at City Dock, Annapolis, Maryland

Newport International Boat Show , 20 - 23 Nov 2025 to be held in Newport, Rhode Island

Cannes Yachting Festival , 9 - 14 Sep 2025 at Cannes – Vieux Port & Port Canto

Genoa Boat Show , 18 - 23 Sep 2025 to be held in Genoa, Italy

Melbourne International Boat Show , Oct 2025, TBC to be held at New Quay Promenade Harbour Esplanade Seven Marinas

Biograd Boat Show , Oct 2025, TBC to be held in the City of Biograd, Croatia

Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show 29 Oct – 2 Nov 2025 to be held at several locations in Fort Lauderdale

Monaco Yacht Show , 24 - 27 Sep 2025 on Monacco

BOATS FOR SALE

Meet the Aussie YouTube family who live full-time at sea.

Australian couple Riley Whitelum and Elayna Carausu, better known as the couple behind the YouTube channel Sailing La Vagabonde , have spent nearly a decade documenting their idyllic yet challenging life on the high seas.

With two young kids in tow, they've shared everything from picture-perfect sunsets to nerve-wracking storms with their 1.9 million subscribers.

But this month, their adventure took a terrifying turn off the coast of Japan in what they have described as "the most harrowing ordeal of our lives."

• Share via facebook
• Share via twitter
• Share via whatsapp
• SMS Share via SMS
• Share via e-mail

Paul Mescal: Ditching His Dates & That Viral Interview

A midnight collision off Japan's coast.

In the early hours of November 4, while the family were asleep on their newly launched trimaran, La Vagabonde 3, they were jolted awake by a violent impact.

According to Yahoo! Japan , their anchored yacht collided with the bow of a fishing boat called "Taiyo Maru" near Okinoshima Island in Kagawa Prefecture.

Thankfully, there were no injuries, and the Coast Guard reported no oil spills or environmental hazards.

But Riley's own account hints that there's more to the story. He described it as "the most harrowing ordeal of our lives."

In a post to their followers, he wrote, "Whilst my family and I were sleeping, our boat was struck in an accident that has left us shaken and deeply impacted."

He added, "We are immensely grateful for the messages of support and understanding from everyone during this time. As we process and recover from this incident, we kindly ask for your patience as we take some much-needed time to regroup and assess the situation."

"No one was physically harmed, for which we are deeply grateful. However, the damage to our vessel is extensive, and our sailing journey has been interrupted indefinitely," Riley added.

Riley also pointed out inaccuracies in Japanese media reports, suggesting that some details of the collision remain unclear.

"While we will provide further details in due course, we are aware of an article circulating in Japan that contains inaccuracies regarding the incident."

"We ask for your understanding as we address these discrepancies and manage the legal complexities involved," he noted.

Elayna, also posted a comment on social media saying, " Hey guys. We were in an accident but we're okay. Thanks for all your messages, we'll reply when we can."

A singer meets a sailor, how Sailing La Vagabonde began.

The couple began their journey back in 2014. Elayna grew up on the remote west coast of Australia and was working in Greece as a singer when she met Riley.

Riley, from South Australia, had been out working on oil rigs to save up to buy his first yacht, La Vagabonde, which he was sailing around Europe at the time.

The pair hit it off and went sailing together, with Elayna eventually deciding to join Riley in his cross-country nautical adventure. She began documenting their travels online and uploading the 'movies', as they call them, to YouTube so friends and family at home could keep up with what they were doing.

This was around the time that alternate living went viral online, with everything from tiny homes to van life becoming hot property. Their channel boomed, and the couple have continued to live full time on boats and vlog their experience ever since.

Elayna and Riley have since welcomed two sons, Lenny and Darwin, who also live on the boat with them.

A life defined by high seas and high stakes.

This isn't the first time that Riley, Elayna, and their two young sons, have faced peril at sea. The couple has documented everything from battling fierce storms to handling mechanical failures.

One of their biggest challenges? Coping with the toll of constant rocking , sleepless nights, and the relentless grind of creating content while trying to sail around the world and raise their young family.

Elayna has previously spoken of the mental toll of their lifestyle in YouTube video titled "Burnout — I really don't know if we can go on", saying "After nine years of posting weekly videos and keeping up with it only missing two videos in nine years, it's just had a huge impact on my mental health and I just need a rest."

And while sailing the world with two kids sounds like the ultimate dream, raising a family on the open ocean has its own set of challenges.

From navigating remote locations to keeping the kids entertained during long passages, Riley and Elayna have shared the realities of parenting at sea in a refreshingly honest way—and completely relatable for anyone with kids.

This latest collision off Japan's coast wasn't the first time they've found themselves in a terrifying situation. Let's not forget the infamous "monkey attack" in Thailand.

In 2022, Riley and his two sons were exploring Monkey Island when a group of cheeky (and seriously aggressive) monkeys went for their belongings.

As Riley tried to retrieve the family's bags, things quickly escalated, and one of the monkeys lunged at their son Darwin. With no other choice, Riley found himself literally punching a monkey to protect his child.

"The head honcho was sort of marching down the beach and Lenny said to me 'Are we in trouble here, dad? Is it going to hurt me?'" Riley said.

"I said 'no, we'll be okay', but then they went for the bag and then they went for Darwin. "

Elayna added, "We can't say he got bit, but Riley had to punch a monkey and the tooth ended up in his finger in a couple of spots."

The family had to sail to get Riley immediate medical attention to the puncture wound on his finger.

"The rate of rabies is super high and it is a 100 per cent death rate if you do get rabies, so he's had to have 20-plus injections since the incident."

Fans rally behind the family.

Now, with their latest ordeal in Japan, Riley and Elayna's community of followers have once again rallied around them, flooding their posts with messages of support.

One follower commented, "I know your vessel means the world to you but it's all replaceable and family isn't. So glad you're all ok. What an awful thing to happen"

Another added: 'Sending love and healing vibrations to all on board, we admire your strength and tenacity. This is an incident that although harrowing and unfortunate, you are resourceful and will get through it.'

Others have shared similar sentiments, expressing relief at the family's safety despite the uncertainty of their next steps.

For now, it seems that their journey is on pause. Riley shared that the damage to La Vagabonde 3 is "extensive," and they have no immediate plans to resume their travels.

But if one thing's certain, it's that this family has faced enough challenges on the high seas to fill a lifetime—and they've come out stronger every time.

Feature image: Instagram.

TAKE SURVEY ➤

• family-travel

Sailing La Vagabonde choose Rapido 60 to sail world’s oceans

June 08, 2021

Rapido Trimarans is thrilled to confirm that Sailing La Vagabonde (SLV) will sail the world’s oceans aboard a Rapido 60!

In fact, SLV’s video announcing the decision to their 1.59 million subscribers (yes, 1.59m subscribers!) will go live live at 8.30am, Adelaide time in Australia (GMT/UTC +9:30) on 8 June 2021.

See the SLV video embedded below.

Welcome Riley, Elayna, Lenny +1 to the Rapido family!!! It is so good to have you on board!

Who is Sailing La Vagabonde?

SLV comprises an Australian couple, Riley Whitelum and Elayna Carausu and their son, Lenny. Additionally – and literally – joining the team will be their new-born, any day from now!

Riley and Elayna’s job is to sail the world’s oceans and, each week, bring their adventures to our phones, desktops and iPads via You Tube.

They began documenting their evolving journey on You Tube back in 2014 with a single-hull vessel. After a time, they upgraded to a twin-hulled vessel and, for the last 18-24 months, have been researching which boat would become the future of their sailing story, and proudly wear the title Sailing La Vagabonde III .

As part of their exhaustive selection process, they travelled to New Zealand in December 2019 for a test sail aboard the Rapido 60, Romanza . Owners of Romanza Dougall and Jaz Love were there together with co founder of Rapido Trimarans, Paul Koch. Some photos from that trip are posted below.

Eventually, falling out of Riley and Elayna’s exhaustive selection process was a three-hulled 6o’ (18m) trimaran, the Rapido 60.

Riley and Elayna explain why they chose the Rapido 60 (comments from video above)

But now, let’s hear from Riley and Elayna as to why and how the Rapido 60 met their criteria:

Riley – Rapido offers sailing performance and space

I know that the Rapido sails unbelievably well which is the main thrust behind all of our decision making.

(When we went to New Zealand), I knew it was going to sail well. I knew it was beautiful. I knew it was very well made because I’ve got a lot of respect for the boat builders.

The only thing I was worried about was the amount of space on board.

I jumped onboard ( Romanza ), ran around and I was like, “Ahhhhhh!, this is perfectly fine!” (Later in video Riley describes the forward cabin as being “massive” with a “huge” bed. “When you’re standing in the saloon, you’re actually standing in a huge room.”)

Elayna – Lightning speed at 25.7 knots

She goes at lightning speed. During the test sail, I was at the helm with one hand on the helm and we were going at 25.7 knots! I think I got the top speed for the day!

Riley – Maintaining a speed

25.7 knots – that’s extraordinarily fast. (And) that’s maintaining a speed; not surfing down waves.

Elayna – Just slightly heeling over

That was constant 25.7. In fact I think it was 26.7 but just in case, I will say 25. There you go!

It was fast and I was worried it would really heel over. (But) even at that speed, it was just slightly heeling over.

Riley – I want to be able to go at a good pace safely

I’m much more interested in average crossing times. I mean it’s good fun to go fast but that’s the least important on my list of things. I want to be able to go at a good pace safely.

It felt beyond comfortable.

When we were doing 20 knots, It felt like we were only going 10 – and it felt like we had so much more power just sitting there in reserve.

It felt like we were just ticking along and that is a nice feeling.

Elayna – Must be able to sail it single-handed

One thing that was really important for us with the trimaran was that Riley will have the ability to sail it single-handed because we will have two kids on the boat.

Riley – I’m not going…

I’m not going on a boat that I cannot single-hand.

Riley – Selecting a boat

In the end, it came down to what we really want to be on and what we think you guys (our viewers) want to see us sailing on.

This is so exciting.

And, I think, new.

Comment from Rapido Trimarans

As mentioned above, Rapido with Sailing La Vagabonde’s decision to explore the world on a Rapido 60, the Queen of the Oceans .

Elayna and Riley love the boat and also believe that it’s what “we think you guys (SLV’s 1.59 million viewers) want to see us sailing on”.

Dougall Love, co owner of Rapido 60, Romanza , once remarked that he believed the qualities found in the Rapido represent the “the future of sailing”.

With the extraordinary reach and exposure of Sailing La Vagabonde, perhaps the future is now a lot closer than many would have thought possible!

Post from the Sailing La Vagabonde website [7 June 2021]

We’re. So. Excited. We’ve been exploding waiting to tell you the massive news now that it’s official: LA VAGA III has begun.

It’s been a real labour of love to find our new home. It’s something that we’re really looking forward to and something we’re really confident we’re gonna love. We want to take you inside our new home, what it looks like…. hypothetically.

Yes, we haven’t built it yet, so this is as big a journey as ever for us. It’s clean and green, it’s a super stable and fast trimaran that we’ve always dreamed of.

As our family is getting bigger, these things have got that all-important storm-dodging speed and an insane level of stability.

The guys at rapidotrimarans.com  really know what they’re doing with these beautiful boats and we’re so glad to be with them.

• If you are interested in learning more about becoming a Patreon of Sailing La Vagabonde, click here .

Video below: Riley describes his ideas of a “good and safe multihull sailing philosophy” and how to apply them when selecting a boat that is right for you.

Related websites for Sailing La Vagabonde (SLV)

• Sailing La Vagabonde explain their multihull criteria , by Toby Hodges, Yachting World, 12 February 2021 (this article was published prior to SLV announcing their decision to ‘go with Rapido’).
• SLV’s You Tube channel
• SLV’s Facebook page
• Elayna Carausu’s Instagram page
• Riley Whitelum’s Instagram page
• Rapido Trimarans’ You Tube page

Starlink on Rapido 53XS, Picomole, re...

Starlink on the boat, how to have superfast internet anytime, anywh...

Romanza (Rapido 60) Claims Victory an...

Rapido 60 #02, Romanza, has dominated a dramatic and ePIC Coastal C...

Annapolis Sailboat Show 2024: Discove...

Discover the Rapido 40 at the 2024 Annapolis Sailboat Show, happeni...