During the meeting, participants heard very interesting recollections of the preparations and the voyage to the Caribbean aboard a five-metre Setka-class yacht. The project began in 2012, when Szymon Kuczyński and Dobrochna Nowak began building a Setka-class yacht themselves. After seven months, the completed yacht was named Lilla My (Little Mi). Its construction cost only 6,500 zlotys!
Szymon Kuczyński sailed it alone across the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean, winning the Setką przez Atlantyk regatta, where Dobrochna Nowak joined him. They sailed together around the Lesser Antilles for three months, and then the two of them took a very difficult route to Europe, completing their eight-month voyage, “Łupinką przez Atlantyk”. This expedition proved that it is possible to sail cheaply, without an engine on board, and above all, that fulfilling one’s dreams should not be postponed—it is enough to want to do it.
The second project promoting sailing on small yachts, which Dobrochna spoke about, was a 2014 expedition north. At the Northman shipyard, a production Mazurian Maxus 22 yacht, 6.36 metres long, was adapted for ocean sailing. Dobrochna and Katarzyna Sałaban sailed the Maxus 22 on an expedition north, becoming the crew of the smallest Polish yacht to complete the route Poland – Shetland Islands – Faroe Islands – Iceland – Poland. It was the first expedition of this kind in history to be undertaken exclusively by women.
For its expeditions, Zew Oceanu received numerous awards, including distinctions in the sailing category for 2013 and 2014 at KOLOSY, the titles of 2013 Sailor of the Year of Wiatr magazine (the award for Szymon), 2014 Sailor of the Year of Wiatr magazine (for Dobrochna and Katarzyna), and the 2014 Voyage of the Year distinction.
The meeting was organized by Yacht Club Bolesławiec and Bolesławiecki Ośrodek Kultury - Międzynarodowe Centrum Ceramiki.