The Sao Visited by the Ponant

A few days after being officially christened (JSB 1656), the Société nationale de sauvetage en mer (SNSM)’s new RIB, the Sao, was visited by the captain of the Ponant, Jean-David Lemaire. On Thursday, March 12, the officer symbolically boarded the Sao alongside Julien Lestin, head of the SNSM’s Saint-Barth station. This gesture, however, was more than just symbolic, as the Ponant company, along with the Territorial Collectivity of Saint-Barthélemy, contributed financially to the purchase of the vessel. “This meeting provided an opportunity for a warm exchange between passionate sailors against the backdrop of a magnificent nautical gathering,” commented Julien Lestin, referring to the Saint-Barth Bucket Regatta held during the Ponant’s visit to Saint-Barth. The Ponant is a cruise ship built in 1990 by the shipyards of the Société Française des Constructions Navales in Villeneuve-la-Garenne. It is an 88-meter-long three-masted sailing ship with 1,212 square meters of sail area and a 1,000-square-meter spinnaker. It can carry thirty-two passengers and is crewed by thirty-three people. It features four decks, including a sun deck, and a restaurant.