Crossing the Atlantic as a family. Two crews, one shared longing for elsewhere.
Preparing an Atlantic crossing isn't just a matter of boat or weather. It's a life choice.
For two families aboard their Excess, the 2025 ARC (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers) was far more than a rally: the fulfilment of a long-held dream.
Caroline and Jonno, aboard Strelitzia, their Excess 14
Jonno discovered sailing in 2019. An immediate love affair. Very quickly, one thing became clear: the sea would be part of his life. Caroline, Franco-Colombian, grew up with the ocean, between childhood memories and early sailing trips along the south of France.
Together, they spent hours watching videos of liveaboards. The dream took shape… until the day they decided to take the leap. Now at the helm of Strelitzia, their Excess 14, they set off into the ARC with 3,000 miles ahead of them. A goal that sat right at the top of their bucket list.
Caroline and Kalle, aboard Lyfe, their Excess 11
Kalle knows the sea well. A former 49er sailor, he spent years in the world of racing and performance. But this crossing is different: he's living it as a family, with Caroline and their three children, Leif, Liv and Seve.
Their ambition? To perform in the rally, without ever losing sight of what matters most: the safety and wellbeing of their family. On board, life continues differently. The children follow school remotely from the owner's cabin, turned into a classroom. A reinvented daily life, to the rhythm of the ocean.
3000 Miles, Excess's new documentary, tells this story
The preparations, the doubts, the decisive choices, the turning points.
The documentary is available now.