This is a chance to do some serious offshore sailing and to cross the Bay of Biscay in a very sound boat.
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 area in the Bay of Bisay where the depth drops from 100 meters to 4000 meteres over just a 10 mile distance
You will join the yacht in Portsmouth on 31st October and depart the yacht from Gran Canaria in the Canaries on 16th 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 boats 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 here.