Price
£960
Nights
Eight
Age range
18-65
Start port
Las Palmas, Gran Canaria
End port
Las Palmas, Gran Canaria
Passport
Yes
DofE
Yes
RYA
Competent crew
Voyage code
CF823
Bursary
Available
Voyage highlights
Bring in 2026 onboard our iconic Challenger 72, surrounded by sunny sandy beaches in the canaries.
Your adventure will start from and return to Las Palmas, Gran Cranaria, known for its black lava and white sandy beaches and as the starting point of the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC)
During your adventurous Canary Island voyaging, you will sail and explore the volcanic Island landscape – long enjoyed by sailors for its stronger winds in the acceleration zones between the islands.
Situated in the Atlantic Ocean — 100km west of Morocco with a subtropical climate all-year-round. Between November and February, the weather is mainly sunny and warm, with temperatures rarely dipping below 18 degrees. In addition, the sea temperature is consistently reported to be as warm as 22 degrees.
On day three of the voyage, you’ll join the local festivities in port to bring in the New Year, in unforgettable style as it’s the usual tradition for hundreds of yachts to gather across the islands in a carnival atmosphere.
On board, you’ll meet like-minded individuals aged 18-80 who you’ll quickly bond with and work as one crew, as you spend full days sailing on board an iconic Challenger yacht.
To top it all off, your adventure will support our life-changing youth development voyage programme. Proceeds from our adult voyages help us to provide bursaries for young people, who would otherwise be unable to take part in a voyage.
Take advantage of our winter-sun early bird promotions. Prices will rise on 1 Feb 2025 and 1 May 2025.
- Super early bird: Price discounted by 20% and will rise on 1 Feb 2025
- Early bird: Price discounted by 15% and will rise on 1 May 2025
Secure your early bird booking with a 30% deposit. Full payment is required eight weeks before the voyage start date.
The Canary Islands are all geographically unique and home to a diverse range of landscapes including sand dunes, rock formations, beaches, waterfalls, volcanoes, and caves, which can be explored on days not spent at sea.
There are at least 50 nautical miles of stunning sailing between the islands so after each full day’s sailing, you’ll most likely have a free day to make the most of this top winter-holiday destination. You can do this as groups or individually, but you will be responsible for organising your own tours and leisure activities, so a Lonely Planet Guide is a good investment!
Possible island stopovers include Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro to the west, or Fuerteventura and Lanzarote to the east. You may also stop at ports on the south side of Gran Canaria.
The Skipper will decide the route depending on the weather conditions, marina berth availability and other variables. The island ports all vary from lively and cosmopolitan to quaint and picturesque and you’ll have the opportunity to sample great Canarian hospitality, whichever direction you go.
After the Challenger returns to Gran Canaria, the boat will undergo checks and preparation in readiness to sail back to the UK on our Winter-Sun Deep Sea Challenge on Saturday 10 January.
Take advantage of our bundle offering and receive an extra 5% off if you book two voyages and 10% if you book more than two. Contact our Reservations Team for more information: reservations@tallships.org
New skills. Increased confidence. New friendships. Winter sun!
There will be plenty of photograph opportunities to ensure your memories are lifelong, so be sure to pack your camera! In addition to the stunning landscapes, you may also spot marine wildlife such as, dolphins, seals and fin whales.
Over the course of the trip, you’ll learn how to helm a large, powerful yacht offshore, experience the challenge of sail changing at sea and brush up on your navigation, chartwork and knot tying.
There is a sextant on board, along with the sight-reduction tables in case you fancy taking some sun or star sights on passage. This voyage provides the ideal opportunity to learn the basics of passage planning and celestial navigation.
Our adventure sailing voyages are fully participative. Over the course of the trip, you’ll experience steering the yacht, sail handling and ropework, as well as learning how to keep safe on board.
Our crews get involved in every aspect of running the vessel, so expect to be working in a watch system for much of the voyage, and taking your turn at helming, sail handling, cooking and cleaning.
During this voyage, you will work towards achieving your RYA Competent Crew certificate.
The RYA Competent Crew syllabus includes:
- Sea terms and parts of a boat, rigging and sails
- Sail handling
- Ropework
- Fire precautions and fighting
- Personal safety equipment
- Man overboard
- Emergency equipment
- Manners and customs
- Rules of the ‘road’ (at sea)
- Dinghies
The cost of your RYA Competent Crew certificate is included in the price.
RYA logbooks are available for purchase onboard at a cost of £6 (Skippers are only able to take cash for this).
All voyages of four nights or more qualify for residential section of the DofE Gold Award.
Please let our Reservations Team know before sailing if you want to use the voyage for this.
Passport
You’ll be asked to enter your passport details as part of the booking process. If you don’t have these to hand, please contact us as soon as possible after submitting your booking form to let us know your details, as we cannot accept your booking without this information.
You will also need to present your valid passport to the Skipper at the start of the voyage.
Once we receive your booking, we’ll need to review all of the information you’ve provided including your medical history and sailing experience, and so your voyage will not be confirmed until you’ve received an email accepting your booking. Please do not book any travel for the trip prior to receiving this email.
The Skipper will determine the final route depending on weather and other variables.
Once we get south of the Bay of Biscay, the weather generally improves and feels warmer. So, we recommend you pack shorts and t-shirts as well as warmer clothes.
If you share our values and are keen to do more, you may be able to support our mission further by joining the TSYT Volunteer Crew.
Your Skipper can recommend you for our Watch Leader training programme, if they feel you have the skills and attributes that we’re looking for.
All meals on board are included.
