Sail across the Bay of Biscay from Portsmouth to the Canaries
Price: £2749
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Casting off from Portsmouth on 31 October 2026 you will head west out of the English Channel and then South to the Canary Islands. This is a chance to do some serious offshore sailing and to cross the Bay of Biscay in a very sound boat. You will likely stop off at Cascais in Portugal on the way.
- The yacht is a Challenger 72 - an ocean going yacht built to sail around the world
- Sail 1600nm and across the Bay of Biscay
- 31 October to 15 November 2026
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Deep Sea Challenge, blue water mile-builder
The voyage from Portsmouth to the Canaries exceeded my expectations in so many ways. It was a great blue water mile-builder and a first class preparation for Trade Winds sailing . I'd recommend it to anyone considering an ocean passage especially the ARC. A tremendous experience in every way.
Ian J
Verified Customer
This trip is not necessarily for the faint hearted as the Bay of Biscay can be unpleasant at this time of year. Like the yacht we use for sailing to Norway, the ARC and the Fastnet Race this is a steel 72ft yacht. It was built to sail around the world the wrong way. It is great in heavy weather. The skippers we use for these trips are very experienced and highly qualified sailors.
You will head off out of the Solent and down the English Channel. Once round Ushant you will head across the Bay of Biscay. You may well end up heading further west before turning South to get a more favourable wind angle but also to miss the continental shelf area in the Bay of Biscay where the depth drops from 100 meters to 4000 meters over just a 10 mile distance.
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More Info on Sailing from Portsmouth to the Canaries
Iconic Challenger 72 Yacht: Challenger 72 yachts are tried and tested. They have raced around the world (into the wind) twice. We have entered one into 5ARC's and last 10 Fastnet Races. They have sailed across the Atlantic many times.
The trip: Sail from Portsmouth out of the English Channel and then south. The Bay of Biscay has a reputation but can often be relatively calm. We will approach the crossing cautiously with strong regard to the forecast and likely conditions. There will likely be a stop off in Cascais in Portugal before heading further south to Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands..
Experienced Skipper and Mate: On board will be a professional and extremely experienced skipper and mate with many miles of ocean sailing under their belts.
They also know the Challenger 72 yacht very well. They will be assisted by two watch leaders.
Key Course Details
Here’s a breakdown of the most important information about the Sail across the Bay of Biscay from Portsmouth to the Canaries:
Required Experience
- You need to have done a reasonable amount of sailing to join this trip.
- Ideally you want to be at least Day Skipper level or above
- The nature of the passage and time of year make for some potentially quite challenging sailing.
Duration
- 31 October - 15 November
- 16 days
Mileage
- Around 1600nm in total
- Plymouth to Cascais is around 780nm
- Cascais toe the Canaries is about 800nm
Building Confidence
- This is a great passage for getting ocean experience
- Build miles
- Cross the Bay of Biscay
Get Started In 3 Easy Steps
We make learning to be a competent yacht Skipper easy.
Pay a deposit
Once you’re sure you meet the requirements then you can book on. Either over the phone or online. You can either pay in full or with a deposit by 2 payments later on. See the Price and Travel section below.
Fill out the booking form
After you have booked you will be sent a booking form that asks for your sailing experience to date and some medical information. Once we have received this it will be reviewed by a medical officer and once approved you will then be insured. It is worth filling out this form in a timely fashion so that in the event you might have to cancel, for an insured reason, you will be covered.
Set sail
Cast off for some ocean sailing!
Sail from Portsmouth to the Canaries
Itinerary
You will join the yacht in Portsmouth on 31st October and depart the yacht from Gran Canaria in the Canaries on 15th November. It is possible you will stop of on the way at Cascais in Portugal but this is not guaranteed.
Upon arrival in the Canaries the boat will undergo a week or so of checks/preparation before setting off across the Atlantic Ocean to St Lucia in the Caribbean on the ARC. More details on the ARC and berths available can be found at this link.
The Yacht
The Yacht was built to sail around the world. A feat it has achieved twice in the BT Global Yacht Race. She is a very safe and solid yacht, spacious and comfy and well suited to sailing in the Atlantic. She meets all MCA (Maritime and Coastguard Agency) safety Coding requirements.
There will be a professional skipper and mate aboard who will ensure your safety and will give as much instruction as needed so that you the crew all come together to sail the boat as a team. In addition there will be 2 watch leaders. You will take an active role in helping sail and run the boat.
The accommodation is arranged towards the stern of the boat in areas of 2 and 5 comfy bunks. There is good refrigeration on board, a water maker and a heater.
What to expect/pre-requisites
Come with a friend or by yourself.
Experience is always welcome. You should be at least a Day Skipper. You will need to be healthy and reasonably fit. Whilst our experienced skipper and mate and two watch leaders re perfectly capable of sailing the yacht by themselves that would be quite hard work and you are expected to take part in all aspects of keeping a watch and sailing the boat and helping out in the galley (sea legs permitting).
When on passage all food is included. When in port one breakfast and either lunch or supper will be included, leaving you free to sample the local cuisine for one (or both) of these meals.
You should get some exciting sailing.
Warm clothing will be needed for the first leg. It will get warmer as you head south.
Price and Travel
The price is £2749.
The price includes personal insurance, fuel/gas, oilskins, berthing fees and all food on board.
You can pay in full and the time of booking or if you wish to pay a 25% deposit and the balance in due course please call or email the office and we will set you up with a payment link.
Travel to and from the yacht is not included
Travel
Travel to the yacht in Portsmouth is easy enough. Portsmouth Harbour Railway station is a 5 minute walk from the boat and less than 2 hours on from London.
The nearest airports are Southampton, Gatwick and Heathrow.
Gran Canaria has a good airport.
Other Legs of this Voyage
Coming soon - details of the sail across the Atlantic from Gran Canaria to the Grenadines in the Caribbean plus 10 day Caribbean voyages.
What Sailors Say About Us
5.0 based on 577 Happy Customers On Tripadvisor 
5.0 based on 337 Happy Customers On Google Reviews
Superb
I participated in the Mile Builder in April 2025. Excellent experience. Yacht was seaworthy and comfortable, victualling thoughtful, ample and tasty. Our instructor Tom was great, and I learned a lot. The land-based FCS team is really professional, friendly and efficient.
Julian J
Verified Customer
First Class customer experience
I’ve done a few practical and shore based courses with First Class and can honestly say they are just that.
The instructor’s are always top notch and you pick up on many tips and nuances of sailing outside the formal syllabus.
Boats always very well equipped and everything works as it should.
Booking process and pre event arrangements always detailed and straightforward,
Dave, Cheshire
Verified Customer
Great Instructors and lots of support
The course was very well paced and the balance between practical hands on practice and visual learning was very effective. All of this made even more enjoyable by our instructor who was extremely helpful (and patient) as we worked through the more complicated elements. I have sailed and trained with First Class Sailing many times from Day Skipper to Yacht Master and sailed safely through Hurricane Pablo on a Challenger 72! Even though I now live in Scotland I will be sticking with the First Class Team as I progress to Ocean Master and my goal to be an RYA Trainer.
ITs-PG
Verified Customer
Not Sure Where to Start?
Use our guides to determine your level and find suitable courses.
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Ready to sail from the UK to the Canaries?
This is your chance to do some ocean sailing.
- Tried and tested yacht
- 1600nm
- Experienced Skipper and Mate
- Lasting memories
A great boat
A great boat (Challenger 3) made light work of any rough North Sea weather; the skipper and crew/watch leaders were very knowledgeable and had everything under control, whilst also being fun and letting us get involved - you couldn't have asked for better; the boat was very well equipped (with copious good food and biscuits!); and there was nothing we could have faulted about the whole trip.
Fabian
Verified Customer
Ready to sail from the UK to the Canaries?
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