After several years of bluewater sailing aboard their AMEL 50 Gaïa, Barbara and Thierry Courvoisier have made a major decision: to end their ocean crossings and offer their yacht for sale.
Both scientists by training and passionate sailors, they left La Rochelle in 2020 aboard Gaïa for a meaningful adventure—one that combined world exploration, environmental observation, and knowledge sharing. Their journey took them from the coasts of Europe to northern latitudes, through the Caribbean, Brazil, and Chilean fjords, before crossing the Pacific to reach French Polynesia.
Throughout this voyage, the Courvoisiers masterfully combined intellectual curiosity, scientific rigor, and a passion for sharing—through their blog sy-gaia.ch, educational projects, and their book Gaïa – Science and Sailing. Their AMEL 50 became far more than just a boat: it became a space for reflection, a floating observatory, and a bridge between seas and ideas.
But offshore sailing requires complete confidence—in your physical abilities, in yourself, in your partner, and in your boat. As the couple rightly expresses, age and fatigue can naturally begin to challenge that trust.
In a heartfelt message to the AMEL community, they speak with serenity and clarity about their joint decision: not to continue this type of sailing if they can no longer do it together, under the conditions they believe are essential.
The sale of Gaïa marks the end of a remarkable journey, but also the beginning of a new chapter for this yacht, now ready to sail on with new owners.
A page turns, but the AMEL spirit—carried by years at sea, exploration, and knowledge-sharing—continues to sail. We sincerely thank Thierry and Barbara for sharing their adventures with us.
Visit their blog: sy-gaia.ch
Photo credit: Barbara Courvoisier
