By Lottie Hopkinson-Woolley

As time went on, OEC Group introduced us to Sovereign Cargo, who later joined as a key sponsor. They took on the task of organising the many moving parts of this operation. Daniel from Sovereign Cargo invested countless hours guiding us through the complexities of international shipping. 

The process turned out to be far more intricate than I could have imagined. From acquiring the necessary EORI number for Velocity—a unique identifier required for customs clearance—to carefully planning the timeline, we had to ensure Velocity would arrive in Peru by the end of February, just ahead of the team, without being held up in storage for too long.

Velocity’s voyage to Peru will take around 30 days, with a few port stops along the way before she is offloaded in Callao. Fittingly, the ship carrying her is named the “Callao Express.”

Looking back, we are incredibly grateful to OEC Group and Sovereign Cargo for guiding us through this labyrinthine process. I’ve learned that shipping items around the world is far more intricate than I ever imagined, and I’m beyond relieved to leave those brain-numbing spreadsheets behind.

There were plenty of challenges along the way. At one point, we weren’t even sure if we could bring along our homemade breakfasts and trail mixes, which had taken us two full days to prepare. Thankfully, that hurdle and many others were overcome.

When we finally land in Peru and have Velocity, her equipment, and all our supplies safely at Yacht Club Purano, I think the whole team will breathe a huge sigh of relief—and most certainly pop open a bottle of champagne to celebrate!