Breaking: John John Florence’s sailboat abruptly shifts course from Oahu to Australia! 

“Had the big sails up! Making nice speeds. Day one done! 264 miles, average speed 11mph, top speed 22mph”

Readers of yesterday’s despatch from BeachGrit may’ve noted, given the headline and the copy contained within the story, that the John John Florence-owned sailboat Vela, formerly Falcor, currently piloted by all three Florence bros, was headed from Vanuatu to the island of Oahu, three thousand nautical miles to the north-east. 

Well, it appears the Vela is actually going to Australia, despite earlier indications, or let’s face it…presumptions… that the Vela was headed back to its home port Haleiwa, a short drive from the Florence family’s beachfront compounds. 

A series of stories on John John Florence’s Instagram account, with its two million followers, showed the altered trajectory. 

And, as online sleuths were quick to point out yesterday’s message read, “Goodbye Vanuatu. Australia here we come” and not “Oahu here we come.

“Clear skies and nice wind. Had the big sails up!” writes John John Florence. “Making nice speeds. Day one done! 264 miles. Average speed 11 mph. Top speed 22 mph.” 

At the current average speed, the Florences expect to make landfall on Queensland’s Gold Coast late in the week, as early as Friday if wind and weather holds. 

For readers fretting about the triple world champ’s safety, although let’s be frank, we adore the little one Ivan the most with Nathan a very distant third, the Vela is a castle on the sea.

It has three “queen berths” (everyone’s a queen at sea), one thousand feet of sail area and a main saloon where all sorts of naughty and dangerous activities often take place at sea.

This ain’t no cheap boat with narrow cots and a large mirror shard on top of a steamer trunk and some taped-up magazine pictures on the wall.

A fine vessel built for adventurous trans-Pacific voyages.

More as it comes.

Meanwhile, Nathan’s latest dispatch from the South Pac.