You will set sail from Lorient in Southern Brittany. First set course is Horta on the island of Faial in the Azores, the first leg of this East-West Atlantic crossing. Depending on the weather on the second leg, the length of the stopover can vary. Short if the window is good, slightly longer if a stand-by is necessary to reach New York in better conditions. And if the skipper doesn't think it's necessary, no pit stop!
Lorient is 1200 nautical miles from Horta, we have a direct route. We're allowing 7 to 8 days for this first leg, but it could be faster or slower, depending on the weather conditions we encounter. From Horta to New York, there are 2050 nautical miles to cover on a direct route, around fifteen days' sailing.
You will come aboard as a crew member. Throughout this offshore sailing crossing, you'll be on sailing watch, for around 8 hours within 24 hours, and on stewardship watch, cooking, washing up, etc. You may have to put up with bad weather, cold, humidity or heat, and sometimes “trouble”. As a transatlantic crew member, you need to be psychologically ready to take part in a transatlantic race.
Professional crew for this ocean crossing is made up of 2 professional sailors with Merchant Navy and Youth & Sport qualifications. They supervise the 10 crew members on board and ensure the safety of the boat. This is a committed crossing where everyone has an active part in running the yacht – 100% participation – and not a cruise.
Our crewed Challenge 67s deliberately don't use pilots or furlers. It's not in their DNA.In fact, it's one of the best ways to discover ocean sailing. Built for the BT Global Challenge, the crewed round-the-world race against the prevailing winds, they are rigged as cutters. The wardrobe consists of a staysail, Yankee 1/2/3, large genoa, asymmetric spinnaker and full batten mainsail.
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