Andy Lees – Laury’s uncle – with his special object

“I wanted to do the crossing to support my sister and niece and to create some memories about Laury with my kids. I’ve never had a great interest in sailing, but it was good to get an insight into what Laury enjoyed about it. I remember watching him go out on small boats when he was little. I regret not spending more time with him and Maïa when they were kids, but we lived in different countries. Before the trip, we hadn’t made enough time to talk about Laury as a family, so it was a good opportunity to make space to communicate about what happened. I was worried how it would be living in a cramped space, but the proximity wasn’t a problem - it brought us closer. Laury loved Breton music and dance, so it was great to hold a fest-noz in his memory. I remember one time he came up to Hexham for a visit and led some Breton dances at a New Year’s Eve ceilidh. He was only 15 and didn’t know anyone but his passion meant he had

no problem leading the whole crowd. It was the only dance where everyone in the village hall got up to join in. I was the one on the voyage always getting the map out so that’s my special object.”