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France – TransAtlantic Sailing Adventure, Early 2025

Join us for a sailing adventure of a lifetime, on a remarkable journey from the west coast of France to the vibrant St. Vincent in the southern Caribbean on a new Excess 11 catamaran.  Two incredible legs are available, each offering its own unique blend of beauty and excitement: 

  1. Les Sables d’Olonne to the Canaries (Jan 21-31, 2025)
  2. The Canaries to Blue Lagoon, St. Vincent (Feb 3 – Feb 24-28, 2025)

BOSS is offering ASA 106, 107, 108, 114 and 117, and Sail Canada Advanced, Offshore and Catamaran certifications on all legs. Space is limited, so act now to secure your spot in their extraordinary expedition!

The La Rochelle region on the west coast of France has been the departure point for sailing adventures for centuries, from the French explorers setting out for the New World from the 1500s on, to the many contemporary ocean races that take Les Sables d’Olonne as their origin.

As we enjoy the increasingly warm waters as we head south, we will arrive at the Canaries, an iconic group of islands off the coast of Morocco.

From there, experience the adventure of a tradewind crossing of the Atlantic, as the  power of the wind propels our vessel while we navigate by the stars (and GPS!) to St. Vincent, traversing the Atlantic on a route that has captivated sailors for centuries. 

Skipper / Instructor

This sailing adventure will be led by Rob McLean, who is the Lead Instructor for BOSS.  Rob is uniquely qualified as he holds the distinction of being the only person certified as an Offshore Instructor by both ASA and Sail Canada.  Since the early 1980s, Rob has accumulated more than 35,000 of cruising miles, including 15,000+ miles offshore, on the Great Lakes, Pacific, Atlantic, the Med, and in the Caribbean.

In 2021, he completed a 7,000 mile passage from Canada to St. Vincent on his own 62′ schooner, Interlude.  In 2022 he led a 5,400 mile passage from Croatia to SVG in the Caribbean, and in spring 2023 sailed Interlude 2,000 miles from SVG to Halifax in Canada via Bermuda. In Oct-Dec 2023 he led another crossing from Croatia to SVG, via Mallorca, the Canaries, and the Cape Verdes. As an Instructor Evaluator / ASA Master Instructor he leads instructor development clinics for both Sail Canada and ASA.  His full sailing resume is here: http://robmclean.ca/sailingresume.html .  His professional background outside of sailing is summarized here: http://robmclean.ca/Resume.shtml

Expressions of Interest

If interested please contact Rob McLean at rob.m@barefootyachts.com, including a brief summary of your sailing certifications and experience, and indicating which leg or legs you are interested in.  We will then schedule an interview to confirm that this adventure is right for you.

About the Adventure

Two legs are available.

Leg 1:  Les Sables d’Olonne to the Canaries,  Jan 21-Jan 31, 2025.

Leg 3: The Canaries to St. Vincent, February 3-24-28, 2025

Certifications available on both legs include:

  • ASA 106 / Sail Canada Advanced Cruising
  • ASA 108 / Sail Canada Offshore Cruising
  • ASA 114 / Sail Canada Catamaran Endorsement
  • ASA 105, 107, 117 exams, or Sail Canada navigation exams if required as prerequisites

For details on relevant standards, see:

  • ASA standards: https://americansailing.com/certifications/
  • Sail Canada standards: https://www.sailing.ca/keelboat-cruising/

Note that given the extensive certification requirements Advanced and Offshore cannot be combined on the same leg.  ASA 114 / SC Catamaran Endorsement can be combined with Advanced or Offshore.

Maximum capacity on each leg is 4 participants, plus the skipper/instructor.

Pricing

The Base Participation Fee (USD) for each leg or combination of legs is as follows:

  • Leg 1: $4,495
  • Leg 2: $6,495
  • Legs 1 and 2: $8,750

The Base Participation Fee includes:

  • Fully-equipped 4 cabin catamaran with Skipper / Instructor
  • Shared accommodation.  While underway on a continuous passage, all participants will be standing watches, so there may be hot-bunking*
  • Full provisioning while underway
  • Fuel, ice, water
  • Marina fees
  • If participating in more than one leg, accommodation on the vessel while in port between legs

The Base Participation Fee does not include:

  • Air fare and ground transfers
  • Immigration or departure fees assessed by government authorities
  • Certification fees for participants seeking certification: see details here: https://barefootoffshore.com/bosssailing_courses/certification-fees/
  • ASA membership
  • Personal snacks
  • Alcoholic beverages (not to be consumed while underway)
  • Meals while in port between legs
  • Instructor gratuity at your discretion

* Hot-bunking means that you may not have exclusive use of a cabin. Everyone will have their own pillows and bed linens, and people are not expected to share a bed with someone else at the same time, but someone coming off watch may be expected to sleep in a cabin just vacated by someone coming on watch.

Planned Itinerary

Please note that details below are subject to change based on the impact of weather or other events on the schedule, and availability of marina space in the chosen destinations.

  • Leg 1: Les Sables d’Olonne to the Canaries

    Distance: 1500 miles

    Target dates: Jan 21-31, 2025

    We will depart from Les Sables d’Olonne and then head ~400 miles south-west to round the north-east corner of Spain.  From there we will head to the Canaries (either Tenerife or Gran Canaria, that decision will be made shortly.  At that time of year, the weather can be challenging in the Bay of Biscay, so we have allowed for enough time on this Leg to wait for a suitable weather window to cross Biscay.

  • Leg 2: Canaries to SVG

    Distance: 2700-3000 miles, depending on routing

    Target Dates: February 3 – February 24-28, 2025

    Brace yourself for the iconic tradewind crossing of the Atlantic as you journey from the Canaries to Blue Lagoon, St. Vincent. Experience the majesty of the open ocean as you sail across the vast Atlantic, embracing the spirit of exploration and adventure.

    If the tradewinds are farther south than normal, one scenario is to travel south to the Cape Verde islands and refuel again before heading west.

    Target arrival in Blue Lagoon is February 24-28, depending on velocity made good.

Contact Sailing School
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      • Caribbean Sailing Adventure 2025
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      • Mediterranean – Trans-Atlantic Sailing Adventures Fall 2022
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BOSS Last Minute Discounts

Periodically, BOSS offers last minute discounts when there are available spaces on courses as follows:

6 Weeks 5% discount save up to $135
4 Weeks 10% discount, save up to $270
2 weeks 15% discount, save up to $405
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