Alaa Alsanousi, a young Saudi woman living and studying in Paris, has just made history by sailing onboard "Océan Attitude" Figaro Bénéteau 3 number 35 in Lorient, France. She tells us more about this unique experience who gave her the opportunity to sail with renowned French yachtsman Franck Cammas, who's just joined the Oman Sail Team.
Marie-Laure Boulot (left), Alaa (right) & Franck Cammas
The trip:
It was an honor to be the first Saudi female to sail on Figaro 3 "Ocean Attitude", having Marie-Laure Boulot [owner of the sailing boat] on board, and the distinguished international skipper Franck Cammas, as well as Jaques Vapillon, a famous marine photographer.
I feel overwhelmed and lucky to have experienced this breathtaking sailing trip in 25 knots of wind! What an adventure... I was speechless!
I felt heavy and light at the same time! I could feel a joy filling my body as we were at sea, and I could feel my pulse, a pulse that was telling me I was free. I felt free from my life and from myself. All that mattered at that moment was the present and the connection I had to the endless ocean [Atlantique] that was surrounding me. And that's when I remembered that, at the end of the day, we, as humans, are made primarily of water. So just as water can get agitated we should shake the ordinary in our lives and never stop seeking new ways, new discoveries.
I literally fulfilled a dream. A dream that's still ongoing until today's date as this extraordinary memory will never fade away... It took me out of the ordinary of my daily routine. I really hope this beautiful sailing experience was only the first of many more to come! I now want to embrace the new person this amazing experience made of me, and I will keep my eyes peeled for more opportunities like this one.
Alaa's vision about Océan Attitude:The colors are fascinating, so vivid!The colors are visible from far, they let you imagine that there's something there, that you're not alone... The branding was made by Anne Vignal, a famous French artist, and you can clearly tell that it wasn't made by a communication agency. These colors are alive and they make sense.
To my opinion these colors give a sense of emergency as well as safety. They reflect the emergency to act for the conservation of the oceans. Therefore they clearly reflect the message that Océan Attitude is trying to spread widely.
Everything we do to the environment will have (and is already having) a boomerang effect at some point. Life is a cycle. It's now urgent that the states reach an agreement soon about climate change. But I also believe that individuals need to implement the change at their own scale too, by changing their habits, their interests, their activities, on a daily basis. We're all part of the solution. Together we can do it!
France, March 2019
