Please select your home edition
Edition
C-Tech 2021 America's Cup 728x90 TOP

Yassine Darkaoui and the ‘Natural High’

by Sail-World Asia, Phuket Gazette, Phuket News on 2 Jun 2014
Andaman Laser Challenge. Yassine Darkaoui Yassine Darkaoui
77 hours is a damn long time to spend perched on a Laser. It may not earn Yassine Darkaoui any massive fame or fortune, or even a Guinness Record, but it certainly earns him a huge amount of respect from fellow sailors.

At 1720 last Saturday 31st May Yassine finished his Andaman Laser Challenge – standing up. By then he had sailed 211.85 nautical miles between Phuket, Koh Phi Phi and Koh Racha. Not a distance record beater, but a considerable achievement in its own right. 'It was always all about testing my own limits', said Darkaoui, 'and I exceeded my own expectations both mentally and physically. This is the end of one adventure, and the start of a new one.'

Yassine Darkaoui is a passionate sailor today, but he has a darker story to tell. Back in his native Morocco he was a drug-user from the age of 19 and eventually became a heroin addict. Now, he is a man who has been given a fresh start in life. 'To break a habit you have to be positive that the mind can be conditioned to new things. It is indeed possible to change the way your mind works.'




Before he started using drugs, Darkaoui was a member of the Moroccan National Laser Team. In Phuket he has rekindled his love affair with sailing, and says that spending time on the water is a form of therapy that helps keep his mind balanced.

He is now actively involved in warning children in Phuket about the dangers of drug addiction, and recently shared his experiences with pupils at HeadStart School, where he gave a brutally honest account of his life with drugs. 'The solution is not to put the addict in prison. The solution is to teach young people that there are other ways to feel high,' says Yassine. And one way for Darkaoui to ‘feel high’ is to go sailing.

He may have been feeling more weary than anything else after 77 hours of continuous day and night sailing in a Laser, but as Merle Haggard (almost) sang back in 1985, 'I’ll take to the sea on a natural high'. Official celebrations will take place at La Boucherie Chalong on its Opening Day, 5th June, attended by the Governor of Phuket, the French Consul-General and members of the media.

And why was Darkaoui standing up for the last 11nm? Because he had chafed all the way through his shorts and his skin… well, you get the picture. Ouch.


Boat Books Australia FOOTERRS Sailing 2021 - FOOTERCyclops Marine 2023 November - FOOTER

Related Articles

Gran Canaria Gloria Windsurf World Cup Day 2
Philip Köster triumphs again in Pozo Izquierdo The 37th edition of the Gran Canaria Gloria Windsurf World Cup delivered a thrilling second day this Sunday, once again marked by strong winds and the talent of the world's best windsurfers.
Posted today at 8:47 pm
A perfect start to the 5th annual AEGEAN 600
Cloudless blue skies, crystal clear waters and perfect 12-15 knots of northerly wind At the very southern end of the Greek mainland at Cape Sounion in Attica, today's start to the 5th edition of the AEGEAN 600 was perfect: cloudless blue skies, crystal clear waters and perfect 12-15 knots of northerly wind.
Posted today at 8:39 pm
29er Europeans at Lake Garda day 4
One race, one storm, and one big lay day vibe With qualification wrapped and the fleet now split into six groups—Gold, Silver, Bronze, Emerald, Purple, and White—Day 4 of the 29er Europeans kicked off with early optimism and an earlier-than-usual launch in pursuit of the morning breeze.
Posted today at 7:09 pm
iQFOiL Worlds a Aarhus day 1
Full foiling conditions launch the World Championship with four high-intensity races for both fleets The iQFOiL World Championship kicked off today in Aarhus with dynamic and demanding conditions that truly tested the world's top foiling windsurfers. The wind was anything but steady, shifting in both direction and intensity throughout the day.
Posted today at 7:01 pm
Rolex TP52 Worlds in Cascais overall
American Magic Quantum Racing win Rolex TP52 Worlds after breezy week in Cascais. Doug DeVos' American Magic Quantum Racing crew were crowned 2025 Rolex TP52 World Champions today in Cascais, Portugal.
Posted today at 6:54 pm
Red Bull Sailing Academy Opens
A new hub for current and future superstars to reach the top of their sport Marina Monfalcone, North Italy, made waves yesterday, as sports superstars gathered to open the Red Bull Sailing Academy, marking the beginning of a new era in the sport.
Posted today at 12:53 pm
Gran Canaria Gloria Windsurf World Cup Day 1
Philip Köster edges out Marcilio Browne in one of the closest finals ever Philip Köster edges out Marcilio Browne in one of the closest finals ever as Pozo delivers 50 knot winds and waves.
Posted today at 11:42 am
America's Cup: French give the Brits the "Hurry-up
Frustration builds between Cup factions over lack of progress with Protocol. Last weekend's missive from the French America's Cup challenge team is further evidence over the building frustration with progress towards the 2027 America's Cup in Naples.
Posted today at 11:12 am
The oldest video footage of Moth sailing
A look back into our video archive, to when the name of this class first settled down We delve into our video archive to find the oldest possible videos that show Moth racing. Are these International Moths, British Moths... or was the name still Olive, Inverloch 11ft, National Moth or Brent One-Design?!
Posted today at 11:00 am
GKSS Match Cup & Nordea Women's Trophy overall
It is the first time the Match Cup Sweden title has been won by a Danish Skipper Denmark's Jeppe Borch/ Team Borch Match Race, and France's Pauline Courtois/ Match in Pink by Normandy crowned the new champions of Marstrand in a day of fierce weather for the final of 2025 GKSS Match Cup Sweden and Nordea Women's Trophy in Marstrand.
Posted today at 7:14 am