Djemila Tassin at the helm. Image: Pedro Urrutia.

DJEMILA TASSIN, born on the island of La Palma (Canary Islands) to Belgian parents, grew up on the edge of the ocean and thus was born a passion that has remained with her since her earliest memories of sailing the Atlantic.

Djemila, an expert ocean sailor and oceanographer, has completed two ‘solo’ Atlantic crossings in the 2021 and 2023 Mini-Transat races. In 2021, Djemila was the youngest Spaniard to participate in the history of this race.

Adventurous, always positive and enthusiastic, Djemila is taking part in the third leg (LEG 3) of the round the world ‘Ocean Globe Race 23/24’ on board the Swan 57 ‘White Shadow’, skippered by Jean-Christophe Petit.

The Ocean Globe Race (OGR) 2023/24 is a race that commemorates and celebrates the 50th anniversary of the first Whitbread 1973 round the world sailing race, with full crew and stopovers. Sailing yachts from the same era as those that sailed 50 years ago are taking part, following the same route, with the same spirit, and with similar equipment and technology.

The third leg (LEG 3) started in Auckland (New Zealand) on 12 January and finished in Punta del Este (Uruguay) on 21 February 2023, after crossing the Pacific Ocean and crossing the mythical Cape Horn, with a total of 40 days of uninterrupted sailing.

We thank Djemila for sharing her experience of this ocean adventure with our readers.

Djemila Tassin. Image: Pedro Urrutia.

Interview with Djemila Tassin, ‘White Shadow’ crewmember

What was your experience aboard the ‘White Shadow’ on the OGR 23/24 round the world leg in which you took part (LEG 3)?

Starting from the fact that I am a solo sailor, my experience on board has been a most novel one, sharing the 40 days of sailing with 12 other people.

The result is more than positive, with an unforgettable experience and deep friendships created on board.

What would you highlight about life on board during a long voyage on a sailing ship? What is the daily routine like?

Life on board is at the same time routine and novel, as we rotate the watches so that they are not always at the same times. This means that the 2 watches (of 6 people) have both mornings and afternoons on watch.

There are 3 meals served per day and the shifts are divided into 6 hours during the day and 4 hours at night.

Watch. Image: Pedro Urrutia.

This race is sailed in the traditional way, what differences have you noticed compared to sailing a more modern boat?

The most interesting thing is to see the work of the navigator and his use of the sextant. It is remarkable the precision with which they have to note down the courses, speeds and distances travelled in order to keep track of the ship’s progress.

It is also fun to use a walkman and cassette to listen to music! As well as using the BLU radio to get weather information.

Sailing in heavy weather. Image: Pedro Urrutia.

Regarding sailing in the strong winds at high latitudes, has it been tough? How has the boat behaved?¿Ha sido duro? ¿Cómo se ha comportado el barco?

The boat behaved impressively, in the strongest moments the boat held up perfectly.

It is interesting to see how the crew is gradually getting used to the ‘crescendo’ winds, and that 35 knots were sailed as if nothing had happened, until everyone ended up calmly sailing in 45!

It is true that the day of Cape Horn and its 65 knots marked a clear threshold, above which one could feel more tension in the helmsmen and the crew in general and in the manoeuvres.

From left to right: Pedro Urrutia, Ingrid Banus, Djemila Tassin and Guillermo Cañardo.

In leg 3 you crossed the Pacific Ocean and the mythical Cape Horn, what was this moment like, did you celebrate it?

It was a mixture of excitement, tension, stress and happiness.

Lots of wind and big waves on a very cloudy day and sailing close to the coast made the experience unforgettable.

We saw the coast for the first time in 30 days and what a coast! Southern Patagonia and Cape Horn Island in the mist, it was all very film-like.

We were able to celebrate by calling the lighthouse keeper, taking photos and drinking a nice bottle of cava.

Djemila Tassin at the mast. Image: Pedro Urrutia.

 Before arriving in Punta del Este you suffered a breakdown in the forestay, how did you manage to continue sailing?

The truth was that it was an eventful morning, the breakage, securing the mast, understanding what and why it had happened and finding solutions.

We used the spinnaker halyards to replace the forestay, and what we had left of the mainsail to continue sailing.

Little by little we gained confidence in the new rig and set more and more sails to keep going when the winds slackened.

We had to be patient but we had extraordinary days surrounded by birds, dolphins and whales!

Djemilla, finally, would you repeat this ocean sailing adventure?

Clearly! Discovering the great south was incredibly interesting in human and navigational terms.

The weather systems despite being the same as in the northern hemisphere have other colours and sensations.

The cold, the grey, the huge and long waves as well as the constant gliding of the albatrosses is something I would love to experience again.

From ‘Bluewater Sailors’ we thank Djemilla Tassin for his support with this interview, and we wish him good luck and good winds in his next projects and sailings.