After Jean-Jacques Savin reached the goal of his Atlantic crossing the day before yesterday evening the day before yesterday, we were able to talk to him personally today, and he answered our most questions from his wine barrel. Very short, of course, because the line was long.

float: Jean-Jacques, we are happy with you that you have reached your goal. Where exactly was your finish line?

Jean-Jacques Savin: My finish line in the Caribbean, which I reached at 22:00 on 28 April 2019, is at 21 degrees latitude and 61 degrees longitude. It was, only by wind and current, not reached by Alain Bombard.

What did you feel in this moment?

A big thank you to all my supporters who made the Atlantic crossing possible. Above all Tonnellerie Boutes-Garonnaise, who really supported me very much.

How are you doing health-wise?

I’m doing great! I had food planned for 90 days. The American research ship „Ron Brown“ provided me with food after 68 days, and on the 121st day I met the sailing ship „Melchior“. The rest of the time I fed on fish.

How did you make your drinking water, do you have a water-maker on board?
Yes, I have a hand-operated water-maker. I use it every two days to strengthen my muscles: 1,400 pump strokes for about 5 litres of drinking water.

When will you arrive? And where? 

I’m waiting for a freighter to take me with my barrel to Martinique, where my closest friends are waiting for me.

What scared you?
That I almost got hit twice by a tanker.

Had you sometimes felt lost?
I doubted when I drifted towards the Azores after 14 days.

Who were you in contact with?
I phoned the charming Audrey von Tonnellerie Boutes-Garonnaise every day.

Were you able to influence the direction your barrel was drifting in?
No, the barrel is not controllable. I completely relied on the wind and the current.

What did you miss most?
A siren to draw attention to me.

What will you do first when you touch land again?
Send a good thought to all who have supported me. It was a joint effort. Only together did we make it.

Jean-Jacques, we wish you a good arrival and always a handbreadth of water under the barrel!