Price
£2200
Nights
20
Age range
18-65
Start port
Santa Cruz, Tenerife
End port
Portsmouth, UK
Passport
Yes
DofE
Yes
RYA
Competent Crew
Voyage code
CF756
Bursary
Available
Voyage highlights
January doesn’t have to be the worst month of the year! This 20-night voyage from Santa Cruz, Tenerife back to Portsmouth is the perfect winter challenge for those in search of a big adventure in the form of many 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.
Together with like-minded individuals aged 18-65, you’ll spend multiple days at sea and quickly bond with your fellow crewmembers 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.
If the wind direction is favourable, we’ll 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.
If the winds are not so kind, there is the option to sail via Madeira or to initially make landfall on 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.
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.
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.
Early bird prices: If you book onto this voyage before Thursday 29 February 2024, you will be eligible to receive a 15% discount off the full price of the voyage, reducing the cost to £1,870. We recommend booking early to avoid disappointment!
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 onboard are included.
You’ll hopefully get the chance to complete the RYA Competent Crew course while you’re on board.
The RYA Competent Crew syllabus includes:
- Sea terms and parts of a boat, rigging and sails
- Sail handling
- Ropework
- Fire safety and precautions
- 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 on board at a cost of £6 (Skippers are only able to take cash for this).
All our voyages of four nights or more qualify for residential section of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award.
Please let our Reservations Team know before sailing if you’d like to use the voyage for this.
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.
