Mile Building Sail from Liverpool to Portsmouth
Sail from one historic port to another. Liverpool to Portsmouth on a Challenger 72 yacht. This is a 7 day mile building trip with some potentially exciting sailing on a really proven yacht built to sail in the Southern Ocean.
The Trip
Join us on a 7 day mile building trip from Liverpool to Portsmouth. Both ports are steeped in naval history and offer interesting start and end ports for this trip. Possible stopovers inclue Holyhead, Milford Haven and Falmouth.
The dates are 30th October - 5th November 2022.
Miles in your log book
The trip should see you about 450nm.
Sail Trip from Liverpool to Portsmouth
Starting from Liverpool the plan will be to sail out into the Irish Sea and South down the Welsh Coast possibly stopping at either Holyhead or Milford Haven. After rounding Lands End you may pull into Falmouth before hopefully having an exhilirating sail along the South Coast to Portmouth.
Home to the Beatles, some excellent museums, docks stepped in history, Liverpool, with the Mersey River running alongside, is a great place to join the boat.
You may sail through the Menai Straits between mainland Wales and Anglesey. If the tide is right. That will be key as the tidal range though the Menai Straits is fiercesome. It has the largest tidal range in the world, second to the Bay of Fundi in Canada.
The Yacht
The yacht is a Challenger 72.
She was built to race the wrong way round the world, a feat she accomplished twice. So she is sturdy and sails brilliantly. However, she is far from a stripped out racing yacht. She has a spacious galley and saloon area, two heads with showers, and everyone gets there own bunk.
She is the same yacht that we use to take part in the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC). We also sail her back across the Atlantic in January and February and we sail her down to the Canaries in November. We have also taken her to Norway and back a few times and have entered her into the Rolex Fastnet Race for the last 4 or 5 races.
To sail her involves lots of hands on team work so you will have opportunities to get stuck in in all of the sailing and jobs on board.
Accomodation
Down below is a big light saloon and galley, navigation station, two heads with showers.
The accommodation is arranged towards the stern of the boat in areas of 2 and 5 comfy bunks.
What to expect
Lots of sailing and some like minded crew mates! This is primarily a mile building trip but you will likely stop over for a night a couple of times along the way.
You will get to take part in all aspects of sailing and looking after the boat. You will be in a watch system and there will be plenty of night sailing.
The Irish Sea can be a lively place, particularly in November. The boat is the ideal vessel to make such a voyage and our experienced skipper and mate, will ensure everything is done safely.
Price and Travel
The price of the trip is £750 and includes insurance, fuel/gas, oilskins, berthing fees and all food on board.
Getting to Liverpool
Liverpool is well connected. There is a mainline train station.
If flying in from abraod or from within teh UK then the nearest airport (7.5 miles away) is the John Lennon Airport (LPL). The next largest airport in Manchester (30 miles away).
Leaving Portsmouth
Portsmouth is also well connected. The boat will moor in Gunwharf Quays which is a 5 minute walk to Portsmouth Harbour main line train station. From there is it about 1 horu and 30 minutes to London.
If coming from abroard or flying from within the UK the nearest airports are Southampton and Gatwick.
