Ellen Lees – Laury’s cousin - with her special object

“I was motivated to do the Channel crossing as I felt it would be a way to understand Laury better and his passion for sailing and I wanted to feel closer to him. Laury had taken us the ‘gang of four’ - Laury, Maïa, Rowan and myself - out on a catamaran at age 13 in Port Blanc, Northern Brittany and I remember how much trust I had placed in his sailing ability even at that age. I loved Laury’s cheeky grin and how he was always up for a laugh. Although he sometimes fought with his sister Maïa, I noticed that when it came to it, he was always protective over her. I found being at sea unpredictable, a bit like Laury himself. I also learnt a lot about my own qualities - I was calm at the helm and able to dissociate myself from any drama around me as I had a job to do. I observed how reliant the Skipper became on me and felt proud that I could live up to his expectations. I was often in charge of navigation, hence my choice of special object.”