SAILED an EXTREME 40 (BACK IN BLACK) after a tough COVID passage

[@OurLakeLife]

Welcome back!!! Welkom terug!!! Wow, just wow!

[@CatamaranImpi]

Thanks Heinrich - hope all is well with you back home mate 👍👋

[@lightning9279]

I have to smile at the rough weather footage. Both of you are so humble and skilled in your sailing. Loved the vid. Happy cruising.

[@CatamaranImpi]

Thank you again for commenting - I guess at the end of the day weather is weather and one has to just remain humble in those situations. I was saying to someone recently who asked us about the storms we came through that I actually felt to just 'throw in the towel' at one point - it feels hopeless, and then I looked across at Ana who asked me if we were going to make it. She looked at me as if to 'say farewell' and at that moment I had to just do whatever I could to take control of the situation. So we are not always calm as we may appear - it gets pretty desperate sometimes and I certainly feel having a well maintained boat has pulled us through. In situations like this there is no room for multiple failures. Ana and I both realized with this passage / journey that we could be in seriously challenging conditions which is why there are seasons for everything and this was definitely the wrong time of year for this passage. The Covid-19 issue has made a lot of sailors do things we would usually not dream of doing. I think of the loss of my friends Craig and Del recently off the African coast - very sad! Cheers my friend - stay safe

[@lightning9279]

@@CatamaranImpi Sorry about the loss of your friends. Sailing Zatara season 4, episode 121 at the 14 minute mark you will see the Tonga military try to force the sailboat Windora off Minerva Reef. They had stopped there due to inclimate weather. The Tonga military tried to force them to leave. The NZ gov eventually got involved. But the Tonga military was wrong from the start. Sailors have a legal right to anchor in a nation's territory without proper documentation while waiting out a storm or waiting for a good weather window. Unfortunately the captain of the sailboat Windora didn't have the legal references with them. UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ONE LAW OF THE SEA section 3 article 17, 18,and 19 apply in this situation. These articles refer to the right to innocent passage. specifically 18. TH2. Passage shall be continuous and expeditious. However, passage includes stopping and anchoring, but only in so far as the same are incidental to ordinary navigation or are rendered necessary by force majeure or distress. I thought this info might come in handy in a pinch. Happy sails.

[@bobshaw4063]

@@CatamaranImpi So sorry to hear about losing your friends . May they R.I.P.

[@svharmony2024]

Great documentary of the COVID 19 sailing. Greetings from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA. Safe sailing.

[@lionelmaxim306]

Nice to hear you are both safe and well

[@mikephillips9311]

Good to finally have you back once again.......keep 'em coming mate!

[@vica5184]

Of course I'm interested in your Covid sailing update. You want to know what it's like here in the US? I'ts like watching two packs of stray dogs barking at each other across a fence. It's great to hear such positivity.

[@CatamaranImpi]

Aye Vic - I’m so sad to hear how you are experiencing things in the US. My son Terry lives there now and is really enjoying Florida and your great country. He says folks in the US don’t realize possibly how good they have it in the world and he hopes people will come to realize their good fortune and share the love. Perhaps sailing has taken us away from the front line news and it sounds to me that may not be a bad thing because we remain blissfully ignorant. I do hope things change for the better - Lord knows our world really needs people to pull together right now. Cheers and thanks for the comment

[@DesertSenior]

Welcome back. Missed you two!

[@CatamaranImpi]

Thank you Ken !!!

[@darrellb721]

It is so good to see you guys again safe and sound in our upside down world.

[@CatamaranImpi]

Aye Darrell - the world sure does seem to be on its ear at the moment! What we did notice on our passage was a sever change in weather patterns followed by magical blue skies recently and we can’t help but wonder if our skies are ‘clearing up a bit’ with less aircraft etc. Still, we really hope things settle down soon - it’s not good to feel stuck and unsure of the future. Fortunately we are in a country where the people are taking great care of us and that’s good right now 😅 Cheers my friend - keep safe

[@PolarTropics]

Nice informative video with great footage and as usual awesome editing specially the Black & Black sailing sequence. Glad you guys are OK down under!

[@CatamaranImpi]

Thank you 🙏 We had hoped to put something up people would enjoy so I’m pleased for these comments. Back in Black is an awesome craft - she seems to glide across the oceans effortlessly but on the boat one gets a real sense of power and speed and of how things can go wrong quickly. It’s truly an amazing craft and I love having had the experience to sail her :) The land Down Under is amazing - we feel at home here until emails arrive to renew visas 🤣 Cheers 🍻

[@deanxxi]

Sincerely very happy to see you two, my all-time favorite sailing teachers. Glad to see you both are safe and doing well. Welcome back!

[@CatamaranImpi]

Thank you 🙏 - so pleased to be in a space where we could share our experiences again :) We really appreciate your comment ! Take care Brent and Ana

[@arjenvanstraalen1342]

geweldig mooi om te zien

[@patrickcoleman3]

Good the TI guys looked after you , Back in Black is fast eh, cheers you two glad your ok,.

[@CatamaranImpi]

Hi Patric - Folks in TI were awesome !!!! Yip - Back In Black is a rocket ship and Michel is Rocket Man :) Nice to hear from you again ... Take care

[@patrickcoleman3]

@@CatamaranImpi I see you South African guys have a new motor sport hero in one Brad Binder, who won his first MotoGP race in Brno for Red Bull. KTM

[@CatamaranImpi]

@@patrickcoleman3 Thanks for telling us this - had no idea :) - My brother would be very interested as he and his son are both South African Motor sports number one's in oval track racing :)

[@jonessmith2068]

Well done excellent video, glad to hear you are safe and healthy in the land down under! That racing cat is greased lightening on water lol Cheers and fair winds from a nice warm for now Canada.

[@peterstarkey1360]

NOW THAT WAS SIMPLY..... FANTASTIC...luv it BRILLIANT. ..cheers & stay safe

[@CatamaranImpi]

Thank you Peter - we feel lucky !!!

[@peterstarkey1360]

Yes , there is an element of...luck...l suppose but l believe you put good stuff out there & when the need is there it comes back 10 fold...cheers

[@pedroluizmaineri3402]

I was very happy to see you! Mostly to find out you are OK during this time ! Enjoy life !!!

[@johanvantonder4642]

Hi julle, dankie vir die smaakvolle videos wat julle verskaf. Hoop om binnekort self ook te begin seil. Johan uit Toronto

[@michaelbrown8545]

Well I didn't exspect to see Impi back in Oz, Covid has certainly changed a lot of plans, glad you are both safe and well as it looks like you had a rough time of it coming back. Race week was a couple of months back so hope you stayed in Qld. Perhaps you will get a good chance to look at some of our land bassed beuty during your extended stay. Cheers Impi 🍻

[@antonditt1661]

Thank you so much! I have seen about a godzillion covid reports, but yours is the one I enjoyed the most by far. Greetz from Germany

[@CatamaranImpi]

Ahh thank you Anton - We really just did whatever we could to make it through and I guess everyone has a different experience - this was ours and so nice to be able to share it on. Cheers my friend - I hope all is going well in Germany during these tough times :)

[@geraldbond9365]

Best sailing video I have ever watched. The editing and music was spot on. I could watched the racing scene a hundred times and not be tired of it. Excellent job on filming and editing.

[@CatamaranImpi]

Thank you 🙏 Gerald It’s very nice of you to say so - I tried my best to bring the best I could of the Extreme 40 and hoped folks would get a good feel for what that boat does. You certainly make me feel it was worth the effort - thank you 🙏

[@roberttorres809]

Refreshing to see your video again. Thanks for sharing...

[@CatamaranImpi]

Cheers Robert. I appreciate the comment and am sorry we cannot keep them more regular. Cheers

[@sy-ronja3613]

Good to hear you are save and healthy. Keep up your great video work, it is much appreciated ⛵️🤙

[@CatamaranImpi]

Thanks so much guys - we actually miss the interaction with everyone - not sure how other folks get these videos out so often as we always feel we are moving :). Anyway we sure will try to share as much as we can and appreciate your comment . Cheers

[@nickmerritt]

Amazing couple, amazing boat, amazing outlook, amazing fortitude; we are the beginning of our catamaran journey and are so inspired. Thank you both!

[@lindawoodall822]

Thanks for sharing this update. Great racing video! Looking forward to the videos of your journey. It is nice to hear of the goodness of people during these stressful times. Needless to say we are so glad that you are both safe.

[@CatamaranImpi]

Thank you Linda 🙏 Yes - there are so many amazing people who want to do something good for those in need - it’s truly refreshing to experience this and we won’t forget all the lovely people who looked out for us on this tough passage 💕

[@4QWzbaxSzUAq9]

you guys are my hero's !

[@unclemuir]

Glad to see you are both safe and sound. Tricky passage but you did what you had to do. Brent I remember the first time I flew a hull on a Hobie cat ( over 40 years ago ). 2 weeks later I bought one for myself. I am sure that Extreme 40 was a great thrill. From what I understand Covid-19 is becoming under some control in Australia. I wish I could say the same here in Los Angeles. Take care. Stay safe.

[@CatamaranImpi]

Ahh 🙏 thank you! Yes I did the same thing - flew a hull on a mates hobie and went and bought one 😂 Yes Australia is getting this thing well under control - the government is doing a terrific job here and people are being very aware of how fast it can get out of hand. Initially we were a bit nervous of all the visits but it does seem state for state they seem to be winning it. I think Victoria is struggling the most to get control though but I hear they are working at it and borders are closed for now . 👋

[@Willow2024]

Thank you so much for the update, I had been worried about you both! So happy to hear you are safe:) Thank you for sharing your lovely life and adventures with us. You inspire me:)

[@CatamaranImpi]

Hi Holly and thank you so much for your beautiful words. It’s been a tough journey but also an amazing adventure with many people showing us their kind side. ❤️ 💕

[@jimk9417]

Great video, welcome back.

[@errolG68]

Wow! So pleased to have found you guys

[@CatamaranImpi]

Thank you 🙏 😊

[@micra07]

Merci pour cette très belle vidéo...!!!

[@CatamaranImpi]

Taïeb Qasimi avec plaisir Taieb!

[@robertorzech2466]

Wow , you could have made a whole video of that big storm you's got caught up in ! I hope you got enough footage toYeah Yeah Yeah ! Amazing speed ! exillerating riding that black speed demon ! cheers

[@gavingrantham136]

Brent & Anna - a very interesting bit of footage here, just glad to hear that both of you are safe and sound tucked away on the Aussie coast. This way you can ride out the storm that has hit the globe, then your journey may continue as planned. Stay Safe and keep those sails filled with blissful wind and enjoy the blue seas around you.

[@circumnavigation9386]

Thx so much Guys. You make the best video's.

[@CatamaranImpi]

Thank you - it's lovely to get a comment like that - we take 'forever' to make movies - lol! Thank you and stay safe

[@phf3238]

Happy to see you again.

[@CatamaranImpi]

Thank you Patricia xxx

[@SailingIdefix]

Good to have you back on the video thingy!

[@nickcooper14]

We need to make you guys Aussies so you can enjoy are wide brown land and the blue bits🤙🏼🤙🏼

[@CatamaranImpi]

Would love that Nick - we’ve got a deep respect and love for your land mate 👌

[@terrygrimbeek8553]

man, what a trip, knew it was rough but something else to see it. Back in black looked awesome though, really wish I was there.

[@CatamaranImpi]

Hey lad - that sure was and we appreciate you and Jenz keeping an eye on our tracks along with Darrin and some of our other mates. Sell lots of catamarans Terry - people are looking to be free! We wish you were here lad ...

[@hannahh.a.709]

Please arrange a meet and greet when you are back in SA. Would love to meet y'all

[@CatamaranImpi]

It might be a while before we are back in SA due to the COVID situation. Thanks for wanting to meet us 👍

[@keithbotelho9189]

I’m so glad you are doing well sail safe and stay healthy .

[@CatamaranImpi]

Thank you Keith !!!

[@goralki]

Just awesome hull flying footage, and speed. Felt as if I were there on the boat. PS dont underestimate your filming capabilities, you guys rock

[@captainwin6333]

Welcome back. Looking forward to all those updates.

[@moz1953]

really excellent to have an Impi vlog after such a long time - always worth the wait, have to say having been under lockdown for many weeks i've watched/listened to many experts from around the world talking about covid 19 and the chances of catching it outdoors are incredibly slim - it seems one of the side-effects has been paranoia, glad you are both safe and sound, very best wishes as ever to you both

[@CatamaranImpi]

Hey Moz - nice to hear from You again my friend 👌👋 We haven’t actually managed to understand the whole Covid issue quite yet but we could see how it was affecting people’s ability to be reasonable whilst we were sailing . One would swear some people think the virus will jump off the boat, swim across the water like a Viking, grab them by throat and destroy them. This is why we did not want to sail in a group and rather show the islanders that we were there at their mercy and posed no threat. Of course that has its own safety issues but we felt it really worked for us 👍

[@grimbeek1]

Well done. Great video. Although I'm not a keen sailor, this video almost converted me. The Back in Black are seriously talented. Awesome.

[@CatamaranImpi]

Thanks Wade - much appreciated man! Yip - we would of course LOVE to see you on the water - SOON! Tell the family they can cruise with us aye

[@dare28]

Amazing as always thank you for sharing with us..

[@CatamaranImpi]

Thank you Darko - always a pleasure and sorry we don't get around to it more often :)

[@GSAirTherapy]

Glad to see you're back, as well as safe and healthy! :)

[@CatamaranImpi]

Thank you!

[@joelenepreising7436]

Yea my favourite sailing hero's are back, so wonderful to hear that you are happy and save, enjoy your dream my friends you are the inspirations to many of us stay at home tjommies, may you have fair winds and good sailing, Love and best wishes from South-Africa!

[@CatamaranImpi]

Hey Joelene - would have been nice to pull into CapeTown and see the family and friends but we certainly feel safe out here and what a beautiful place we are in - Australians are incredible people - just love it ! So yes, we feel really good here and we hope all is well back in South Africa! Please stay safe and stay in touch xxx

[@Duh6666666]

I was just wondering about you two, glad to see you are safe! Those seas looked brutal.

[@CatamaranImpi]

Thank you very much guys ! Yes, those seas were worrying and of course one drops the camera to deal with the real stuff. I always think we should mount a permanent camera but then I always tell myself we won't be sailing those conditions again - lol - we certainly are trying to avoid these rough seas :). Thanks for commenting - really appreciate it

[@roycox3701]

always good content guys

[@CatamaranImpi]

Thank you Roy !!

[@sbwebster]

😧😮So glad you are safe...🇿🇦🇿🇦

[@waynesillick881]

Great video! We have bought a Lagoon 440 and looking to start cruising from Sydney in March. I don't want to find the conditions that you sail in so often, but if I do, can you pop over and take care of it? Awesome to watch how you two handle your boat.

[@CatamaranImpi]

LOL - thank you Wayne and we hope you enjoy your Lagoon 440, an amazing cruising boat Impi has been to us. Yes, please do avoid sailing in strong conditions - we very seldom choose awkward passages and it's usually out of season to a destination that we do - and in these situations we really have our boat totally prepared. This particular passage was one would never have done had it not been for Covid-19 - I think we explain that in the video and perhaps in my next video I can share what we did to get through it. And yes, for our subscribers - I'm always happy to hop over and help out in a storm - they just need to get me there :) I've even had sailors call me on Iridium for help in storms - very frightening stuff for both the newbie and equally for the sober experienced sailors :) Cheers my friend - hope to see you before we leave Australia !

[@waynesillick881]

Wow, thanks Brent! It would be truly amazing to catch up. Let's see how it all goes. This weekend will be reasonable in Sydney (not comparable to North Queensland). Hopefully some good offshore sailing and more work items on the boat. Got to find a way to wire the new electric toilets. The marine electrician wants $1,300 to wire 2 toilets, and that is a bit too much. Just need to find a way to do the wire run from the fusebox to the hulls. The joys of ownership. :)

[@davidfrost1428]

Awesome

[@glenpeters955]

The extreme 40 would be the perfect cruising cat, sure it's probably not the most ocean friendly craft but it's so fast - WHO CARES....... Stay safe you two and keep having fun.

[@CatamaranImpi]

Thanks Glen ! One could outrun many storms for sure but as you say probably tough in rough oceans although I used sail the Hobie Tiger around Cape Point in some tough conditions and it handled it well - as long as one can keep the boat moving and not try to stall it in rough weather 👌👋 cheers mate - nice to hear from you

[@bobshaw4063]

Hi Ana & Brent ": Happy New Year " !! I didn't know that Kent from Just Catamarans was your Cousin .

[@CatamaranImpi]

Yes Brent and Kent used to work together in SA.

[@caravanlife9115]

Great video 👍🙌❤

[@CatamaranImpi]

👋👍🙏

[@jon_14_6]

G'day Guys, welcome back to our great southern land, glad you made it safely. Can't wait to see those winward sailing vids. Have you ever seen the sailing channel, " Vet Tails' Sailing Chuffed", she has a great story. We are well in northern victoria and covid free in our community at this point. cheers Guy's

[@CatamaranImpi]

Hi David and thank you for the great and warm welcome! Yes indeed I have seen 'Vet Tails Sailing' and we love what she is doing although not been able to keep up with the stories. I never meant to single out channels we enjoy because I realize when you mentioned 'Vet Tails' how much we love her content. I hope you guys in Northern Victoria manage to keep ahead of the virus issue - we hear it's been a bit of a struggle down there, but I'm sure it will come right. Cheers and thanks again for the warm comment

[@claregross4289]

EPIC !!!!!!!!!!!!! xo

[@jog9986]

Wow, rough weather footage, was that when Jenz almost contacted the coast guard ?

[@CatamaranImpi]

Hey Jo - yes during that storm Jenz did in fact contact the MRCC NZ to report is missing. All our satellite comms went down so there was no way we could let her know what was going on and she did what she thought was best . It’s amazing how our tracking device and sat phone go down when we most need it! 👋

[@daveatticus1018]

70+ knots......holy cr*p, thats crazy

[@CatamaranImpi]

Yes Dave - not something we're proud of but running from Covid I guess pushed us into a passage not normally taken at this time of year. It sure is crazy stuff being in 70 knot winds . Cheers mate and thanks for commenting

[@Roucasson]

Glad to see you back on line! How could you attempt to sail back to Queensland against winds and currents, when catamarans are notoriously unable to sail up wind ! All catamarans ... except Impi, of course !!! 😉

[@CatamaranImpi]

Thanks Dominique - appreciate the comment and yes - lol - it is a question asked by many of our sailing friends here in Australia. I guess we weighed up the pros and cons of our trip back to Australia - we were quite concerned to become stuck in any one region and as much as we love Indonesia and the people that live there, we felt it would be better to be in a country where we speak the same lingo and can better understand each other. For us at our age it's the best decision we could make and I must give credit to Ana mostly for it because I would probably have just kept adventuring on in those islands. We were then faced with either a hop across to Darwin but that territory had very difficult and strict rules which included a bus ride for hours inland to AliceSprings - We can cover a bit more about that in our next movie. So yeah, this was more out of necessity than choice - some sailors stayed 'put' on an island there, some sailed to places that were 'friendly for cruisers' and many boats stayed in Lombok at Marina Del Rey under the watchful eye of Raymond La Fontain - great man. But even Marina Del Rey was being super careful on our approach asking us to 'keep low' to avoid any misunderstandings so one was constantly faced with a scenario where places were shutting down - Bali for example (next to Lombok) was a total 'no go zone' with police style boats coming out at night and 'pushing us further out' - no replies to VHF but their intentions were very clear - DO NOT LAND HERE. Raymond Lesmana as agent was / is superb - I will never visit Indonesia without an agent unless the intention is to stay in a very localized region and even then it's powerful to have his support. Raymond was getting worried about us in some territories - friends of ours had warning shots fired over their boat by the Navy off Flores at one point after not wanting to move due to weather conditions - so all the signs were there that we needed to get back to Australia. I do think boats staying at Marina Del Rey are safe - Ray is Australian and takes the lads surfing with his rib etc. and he has his ear to the ground, but ultimately one just does not know what happens . So yes, this is certainly not a normal everyday decision one makes to sail UP WIND in these conditions but it's doable. The tricky part is we want to sail as slowly as possible but one also needs to keep enough speed over the rudders so steerage is attainable and for the autopilot to stay 'locked on'. In pounding waves that is tricky stuff but by tacking with the mainsail reefed 3rd reef and working the genoa for power works well. On our rig / set up the spreaders are shorter than on some catamarans, and the genoa (jib) cars (tracks) are also closer to center on the coachroof than many catamarans which allows one to bring the genoa in tighter for a closer point of sail. (Disadvantage is then when winds are aft of midship but one then uses a barber hauler set up to get around it). We also set the main traveler and sheet - set to windward of center so the boom in effect lines up with the middle of the boat allowing for a closer angle. We balance the boat for sailing to weather - through for example the fresh water tank level etc. etc. I think the whole 'catamarans cannot sail up wind' (close to the wind) as a general statement - hmmm - some cats really can sail closer to the wind than others and closer than some monos too. The issue I have with sailing up wind is slamming the boat into the weather - and that's where it becomes tricky to find a balance in speed sufficient to keep drive on the rudders but also slow enough to protect the boat. I've also mentioned for years how we've found the trampoline aperture to be of utmost importance - slamming starts right under the trampoline and can not only damage the boat through impact but also 'knock the bows sideways' making it difficult to hold the angle - so one wants to have larger aperture trampolines to reduce the shock allowing water to find a way through from the underside. I could go on and on so best stop here :) Always interesting to hear your comments Dominique ... keep smiling and stay safe :)

[@hannahh.a.709]

Adrian from Muizenberg Cape Town South Africa

[@SailingIdefix]

I think impi needs new black carbon sails to compete against BinB 😂 - Australia clock wise tour in June time frame. I bet on impi !

[@CatamaranImpi]

👌😅 phew - no pressure there 🤣 Thanks for the comment and for sure those carbon sails would be nice aye!

[@henryphelps3590]

pH balance ~Thee~ greatest gift given ~Thee~ greatest gift ever received ~Thee~ cure for mankinds acidic addiction [ illness and disease ].

[@donk.5730]

HI HO, I just found your channel. Judging by the great comments below, I'm sure I'll be following you regularly- I'm interested in learning from an informative couple than watch silly self-centered rich beach-babies on a cruiser . Great to see classy intelligent people like you sharing insights on their journeys. Well Done ! Check out : 1- ''Follow the Boat'' & 2-''Adventures of an Old SeaDog''- KZbin Channels- very interesting- they also put a lot of work into their videos.! YES, I am happy to support 'Just Catamarans' - I've heard many great comments about Kent . Your son will learn the right way to treat sailors from him. Cheers...

[@CatamaranImpi]

Don K,. Thank you mate - look forward to interacting with you . We are flat out with some upgrades to Impi here in Australia so it’s busy, busy, busy and I struggle to get time to post videos on a regular basis, but we try our best :) Cheers mate 👍

[@aponoypi]

Fair winds and following seas. Stay safe. The badjaos or sea gypsies some of them still practice piracy. That's a big storm

[@CatamaranImpi]

Thank you 🙏 Ariel and always nice to hear from you ! Yes , our agent was warning us that piracy was a huge potential especially in poor economic times and the potential was there during Covid-19. I have to salute our agent, Raymond Lesmana and the Indonesian government who really worked hard to keep our passage straight and safe - I think the outcome could have been very different without their good efforts so we are grateful to Indonesia 🇮🇩 and of course very thankful to Australia 🇦🇺 who came through for us in a big way! That storm got way out of control and stayed there for close on two days - it was not a comfortable feeling to see no breaks on the radar hour after hour and we realized we needed to turn around and go with the waves, the wind etc. for safety! As mentioned, even at anchor everything was a challenge.

[@aponoypi]

@@CatamaranImpi good seamanship

[@longgowhereto]

3:44 Not allow a sailor from sea to step ashore is a sin. Even if it is a hobby cruiser. There are basic christian rules... The sailor shows yellow so sickness is on board, not the other way... As a son and grandson of seamen I am..... "biased".

[@wyzolma99]

Ah "covid".... how effectively was the WHOLE planet shut down?? It'll be interesting to see what history makes of it🤔