About Aura
Aura is built in Germany at a now disused cabinetmaker factory in the town of Esslinger.
Aura was designed by the Dutch architect Ericus Gerhardus van de Stadter. Van der Stadt's influence in yacht design extends beyond individual boat designs. The firm has contributed to advancements in yacht construction techniques and design philosophies, leaving a lasting mark on the industry. He has, among other things, Signed Dehler boats, Etap, Optima, Trintella, etc.
The Aura was originally built for the owner of the furniture factory Esslinger ABT, he had it for 2 years, after which it was sold to Wolfgang Fits, a watchmaker from Berlin. Fits sold the boat to me in 1917, after he had been sailing around Spain for 14 years. He had to stop sailing due to illness. Fits had a long sailing experience, he had previously sailed the iconic Swan 40, but who said. Eslinger Van Der Stad 40 looks like a Swan, but is more luxurious and well-sailing than the Swan he had sailed. Therefore, he sailed in Aura for 36 years.
When I bought Aura, her name was "Kirby led the Soken"- Don't know the reason she has that name. I chose to reboard the boat to Aura.
Over the past 7 years, I have sailed approx. 10,000 nautical miles in Aura. During the first 5 years, we have sailed around Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Germany. We enjoy every single ride of her. She lies well in the water about with a fully loaded weight of 12 tons, she walks calmly in the lakes, she mounts herself well.
Our Team 2024
From Greece to Holland
Michael Rögen
Captain of the Aura.
Owner of Aura
Stine Johannesen
My wife
Bobbie Melville
First mate
YM offshore
John Gary Hastie
RYA Day skipper
Jon Addison
Coastal Skipper.
Tim Matcham
Have done plenty of short-handed sailing over the years. Several trips across the Atlantic.”
We have spent a total of 12 months sailing around Greece, thoroughly enjoying our time in this beautiful country.
However, the moment has come for us to sail back home with our boat.
We've enlisted the help of some experienced sailors to assist us on this journey.
It's approximately 4500 nautical miles back home, and we anticipate facing various challenges along the way.
Our journey began on March 26, 2024, setting sail from Preveza. Among our crew is Tim, hailing from the UK.
Tim is a seasoned sailor with multiple Atlantic crossings from England to the Caribbean under his belt. His own boat bears a resemblance to ours.
Our first stop is Spartochori, where we bid farewell to an old man and his son. From there, we make our way to Bathy for provisions before continuing to Nicolas on Zakynthos.
Zakynthos was a memorable stop, where we enjoyed our final Greek meal before embarking on our homeward journey early in the morning on March 30th.
We set sail at 6:30 AM, just as the sun began to rise, dispersing the morning mist around the boat. With calm weather and minimal wind, we relied on the motor for a few hours.
Our destination was the town of Porto Roccella Ionica, though the wind direction surprised us. Instead of coming from the southeast as predicted by PredictWind, it shifted from the northeast. As we cleared the islands of Kefalonia and Zakynthos, the wind picked up to a pleasant 14 knots, providing ideal sailing conditions with Aura. However, as evening fell, gusts increased to 36 knots, creating challenging conditions. We took turns steering for three-hour intervals while Stine attempted to rest in the front cabin. Eventually, she gave up and sought refuge amidships, struggling to find peace to sleep.
We arrived near Porto Roccella Ionica in southern Italy around 11:30 PM on Sunday, March 31st. Navigating into the harbour presented its own challenges, with a reef just outside the entrance to starboard. Despite the difficulty, we were guided safely into port by the harbor master's instructions via VHF and mobile communication. Thankfully, the Navionics map proved accurate, guiding us to safety with precision. Upon arrival, we were greeted by four Italian officers who assisted us in docking the boat. Exhausted, we quickly retired for the night after emptying the tank of undrinkable water filled in Zakynthos.
