Where I Came From
A journey of 4,000 miles - from the low point in 1995 to the horizon of 2026
The Wind Between Cairns and Holland: A Journey of 4,000 Miles
The year was 1995. I was a young man with a big dream to circumnavigate Australia, and I found myself in Cairns, joining as crew on a dive boat. On the first evening, the storm hit. Three days of endless waves and terrible seasickness that broke my body and soul. I remember myself wandering on deck, pale and desperate, looking for a rope with my eyes - not to tie a sail, but to hang myself and end this suffering.
Who would have believed that the same young man, whom the sea almost defeated, would turn the water into his second home?
Today, at 55, with sailing instructor experience and thousands of miles behind me, the sea is no longer an enemy. It's the home field. I traveled between Greece and Cyprus, went down to Eilat, and returned to Australia - this time to the west of the continent, to Hervey Bay and the magical shores of the Whitsundays. But I always knew there was one more peak I had to conquer. The ultimate challenge.
The Search for the "Levanter"
When I was looking for the boat that would take me to the race, I reached the famous Rustler 36, the one that won the GGR in 2018 under the hands of Jean-Luc van den Heede. I slept in it for three days, made lists, calculated costs, and finally understood the reality: it's too expensive. I needed a boat that would be right for me, for my pocket, and for my soul.
So I came to the Levanter, a Tradewind 33 from 1980. I bought it from a dear man named Nye Bird. There's something stable, honest about it, exactly what I need.
The Race Against Time (and Doubt)
Right now, the Levanter is resting on the dock in Holland. I work on it day and night, preparing it for the moment of truth in mid-March 2026. When it touches the water, the real journey will begin: completing 4,000 nautical miles. I'm still debating whether to do 2,000 solo miles or go all the way and do all 4,000 alone.
At home, in Israel, I left a wife and four children. My wife says I'm irresponsible, that this madness is too big for me. Maybe she's right, but for me, this is my way of proving that the path I chose - the "outlet" where my water flows - is the right one.
I'm not going to sea to raise a trophy or to be first to the finish line. I'm going there for the challenge. To close a circle with that young man from 1995, and show him that the ropes on the boat are meant to lead you forward, to the horizon, and nothing else.
