Price
£1,800
Nights
20
Age range
18-65
Start port
Las Palmas, Gran Canaria
End port
Portsmouth, UK
Passport
Yes
DofE
Yes
RYA
Yes
Voyage code
CF824
Bursary
Available
Voyage highlights
Start 2026 with a bang! This 20-night voyage from Las Palmas, Gran Canaria to Portsmouth, UK is the perfect winter challenge for those in search of a big adventure in the form of 1500 nautical miles of passage sailing along the eastern shores of the Atlantic Ocean!
This voyage is aimed at adventure sailors who enjoy a physical challenge, are mentally resilient and keen to develop their offshore sailing skills as part of the crew of a large racing yacht. This passage will involve an extended period of offshore voyaging.
Together with like-minded individuals aged 18-65, you’ll spend multiple days at sea and quickly bond with your fellow crew members to work alongside one another as one crew.
Our crews come from a wide range of backgrounds and have varying levels of experience, but they all have one thing in common – the motivation to step outside of their comfort zones and sail our iconic Challenger yachts offshore.
Our Challengers are 72ft ocean-going steel yachts, constructed to withstand the Southern Ocean. Launched in 2000, they raced round the world in two editions of the BT Global Challenge, the route taking them against prevailing winds and currents, through some of the most challenging sailing conditions on the planet.
This means that our Challengers are the perfect vessel for this type of voyage and will make it an experience like no other!
As well as providing you with an unforgettable adventure, you will be directly supporting our life-changing youth development work. Proceeds from our adult voyages like this one, are used to boost our vital work, which supports young people aged 12-25 on their journeys to adulthood.
Due to the particularly challenging nature of this voyage, please do not hesitate to call us on 02392 832055 if you would like to discuss whether this is the right voyage for you.
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.
Travelling north from the Canary Islands, the potential port stops will be decided based on the weather conditions during the voyage window.
Winds may allow us to sail back via Portugal’s Azores. The islands are characterised by dramatic landscapes, fishing villages and green pastures and have long been a historic stopping-off point for vessels crossing the Atlantic. A brief stopover in Ponta Delgada is also a possibility.
Alternative routes may lead to Madeira or the mainland Portuguese coast, before embarking on the long sail north.
Once in the Western Approaches to the English Channel, you can look forward to the shelter and hospitality of an arrival in Falmouth Harbour. This historic port with its cosy pubs, eclectic restaurants and fascinating museum showcasing the town’s maritime heritage, has welcomed many a sailor and will provide welcome respite after long days at sea.
If you’ve made a fast passage, you may have time to cruise along the South Coast, stopping off in Brixham, Weymouth or Yarmouth on your way to the yacht’s home port of Portsmouth.
Make the most of the winter sun by adding our New Year Voyage from 28 Dec to 5 Jan for an unforgettable back-to-back experience!
- Book Two Voyages for an additional 5% off
- Book Three or More and enjoy 10% off
Ready to extend the adventure? Contact our Reservations Team at reservations@tallships.org for details.
New skills. Increased confidence. New friendships. Winter sun!
On board and ashore there will be plenty of opportunities to explore and capture memories, so be sure to pack your camera! In addition to the stunning land and seascapes, you may also be lucky enough to see dolphins, seals and fin whales en route.
Our adventure sailing voyages are fully participative, so you’ll be expected to get involved in every aspect of running the vessel, including working in a watch system and taking your turn at cooking and cleaning at sea, as well as your deck duties.
You will have plenty of opportunities to helm the powerful round-the-world yacht, to challenge yourself on the foredeck, change headsails at sea and to brush up on your heavy-weather sailing techniques, navigation skills and knot tying.
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.
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.
