ARC & Atlantic Circuit

Atlantic circuit itinerary

  • Southampton - Porto Santo
  • Porto Santo – Canaries
  • Canaries Cruising
  • Canaries – St Lucia

Adventure Sailing

  • West to East Atlantic Crossing
  • Canaries to the Verdes
  • Verdes to the Canaries
  • Canaries to the Azores
  • Azores Adventure Sailing
  • Azores to Southampton

Big Spirit is spending Christmas in the Atlantic! Two crossings in 6 weeks!

If you have ever dreamed of completing an ocean crossing, now is your chance to do it in comfort and safety aboard Big Spirit.

The run will be divided up into several legs that will be available individually or as a total package for those who have the time to spare.

The highlight of the circuit will of course be the two Atlantic crossings the first at the end of November as part of the ARC event which sees a 2800 mile crossing from the Gran Canaria to St. Lucia the second a unique chance to sail upwind against the trades from St Lucia to the Canaries over the Christmas and New Year holiday. The sense of achievement of crossing the Atlantic the ‘right’ way on the ARC or the ‘wrong’ way on the Christmas and New Year crossing is something that will stay with you for the rest of your life! Both provide their own unique set of challenges, adventure and fun, those joining for sail from St Lucia to the Canaries will be joining us whilst the parties celebrating the ARC finish are still in full swing, what better send off could you ask for!.

Whilst we are in the Canaries in the New Year we are offering the chance for you to fly out and join us for anything from a weekend break to a full 2 week adventure sail down to the Cape Verde Islands, catch some winter sun and experience the fun and excitement of sailing a real ocean race yacht whilst enjoying the comforts of a winter cruise.

For example the ARC itself includes the entry fees, food and safety equipment required for the journey as well as a weekend sail during the summer from Southampton so you get a chance to properly meet the people you’ll be sailing with, the boat and get the feel of what being at sea is really like before committing fully to the 14-16 day crossing. All you need to do is arrange your own flights!

There are a huge number of options about which sections people may wish to join us for, the boat will have a professional crew of 3 plus 7-9 guests for the trip (the boat was designed for 18 so plenty of space to move still!).

For all prices, please see our Itinerary page

Please contact us directly if you are interested

More information about the ARC

This annual transatlantic rally starting each November in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria , has now become the most popular way to cross the Atlantic. The largest transocean sailing event in the world , every year the ARC brings together over 200 yachts from all over the world . The Caribbean destination is Rodney Bay in St.Lucia , one of the most beautiful islands in the Lesser Antilles. The 2700 nautical mile passage on the NE tradewind route takes on average between 14 and 16 days .

Conceived as a friendly race for cruising yachts to make the Atlantic crossing both safer and more enjoyable, participating yachts must carry a range of safety equipment including a liferaft, EPIRB and VHF radio. Daily radio nets contribute further to the safety of participants. The presence of experienced sailors is another incentive for those with little offshore experience.

The ARC has a special flavour, which successfully combines racers with cruisers, old with young, and provides entertainment for all. A wide ranging programme of entertainment takes place both before the start and after the finish. The ARC enjoys the support of the Tourist Authority of Gran Canaria, the Port Authority of Las Palmas, Rol Nautic and the St.Lucia Board of Tourism.

Book your trip now Ask us a question
handmade by juicy