2010 Destinations and Highlights

 

 

Beth Leonard—Blue Horizons, Dispatches from Distant Seas

 

Your dream might be big or small, or maybe you just need inspiration to dream about the future. Big travel plans; career changes; finding a leisure activity that keeps you sane; discovering you are confident enough to go where you want to go; or feeling you are not alone in your hopes and ambitions. This last year has been tough for many. Not everything can be cured by running away to sea, but a few days or weeks of outdoor adventure on a self sufficient sailing vessel, mixed with a dose of natural adrenalin and good company can work wonders...

 

 

World Traveller or GAP Year student? – Do it under sail
 

If you are taking an adult career break, planning a GAP year or suffer perpetual wanderlust then speak to us about how you can fit a tall ship voyage into your world travel plans. The young do not need much encouragement to take time out, but we also have a web page about the benefits of taking an adult GAP year.

 

Bark Europa: Tall ships Regatta from Valparaiso to Peru, then maybe trek to Maccu Picchu. (April 2010 limited places left)

Bark Europa: Going to the Galapagos ? Combine with Tall Ships Race from Peru-Ecuador. (May 2010 limited places left)

Bark Europa: Pacific Voyage, cross the equator and through Panama Canal to Caribbean (May 2010 last few places left)

Bark Europa: Panama to Bermuda – (June 2010 dates and prices TBA)

Oosterschelde: Sail a three masted schooner from NL to the Mediterranean in Spring 2010 (over 2000 miles ending in Cannes.)

 

The 2010 South American Tall Ships Race has almost filled up before we had a chance to promote it, so you need to be quick off the mark if you want to take part in any tall ships race. There are still a few places for all ages on some legs in this square rigger circumnavigation of South America on three masted barque Europa (Cape Horn – Chile- Peru- Ecuador- Panama)

  

Schooner Oosterschelde has just released her programme including opportunities for all ages to take part in an Italian Garibaldi Tall Ships Race in the Mediterranean (April 2010) and the Tall Ships Race from Hartlepool to Sail Amsterdam 2010 in the school holidays but open to all ages.

 

You do not need to travel out of Europe to climb the rigging under brilliant blue skies, or steer under the stars at night without layers of clothing…..and you can experience a tall ship for the first time from £24 to £60 a day. Stavros S Niarchos is run by a sail training charity so she is great value for money with excellent training. For a more informal tall ships voyage try Tall ship Oosterschelde. There is a smaller but very energetic professional crew so it is definitely a hands on experience for guest crew and she has square topsails so plenty of chance to climb aloft.

 

Stavros S Niarchos – Affordable tall ships taster weeks with full training – Island hopping in the Canaries (Christmas to end of Jan 2010)

Stavros S Niarchos—Azores island hopping on a British Tall Ship – bit more adventurous and remote (Mar 2010)

Stavros S Niarchos—Blue water ocean sailing between Madeira, the Canaries and the Azores (Jan-March 2010)

Oosterschelde – cabins and a touch more character below decks – Explore Corsica and Sardinia on a tall ship (late April 2010)

 

The beauty of watching wildlife on a tall ship is that you spend more time outdoors than on an expedition ship: you are closer to the elements and you can glide silently under sail. There is the added attraction of climbing aloft for a crows nest view…or on smaller boats like Eve, tuck into tiny anchorages and know that you create minimal disturbance with no generators or engines.

 

Bark Europa: 21 day Antarctic Sailing Expeditions—A few places left on Jan, Feb and March 2010 voyages – or start saving for 2011. penguins, humpbacks, orcas, leopard seals, albatrosses, icebergs & mountains. Go whilst you still can.

Eve of St Mawes—Island hopping in the Scillies—local wildlife guide – grey seals, dolphins, migrant birds, sub tropical flowers.

Lizzie May: Western Isles 6 day Summer Expedition—Oban to Mallaig – look for otters, sea eagles, whales, basking sharks.

Oosterschelde 3 masted Schooner—11 day Outer Hebrides & St Kilda Expeditions

Oosterschelde – Around the top of Scotland visiting Orkney Islands or the northernmost Outer Hebrides.

Tall Ship Antigua—Spitsbergen Summer & Autumn 2010 Arctic expeditions—polar bears, walrus, glaciers, midnight sun. Dates TBA

 

 

Classic Sailing is unique in offering 2-3 day breaks on pilot cutters in the three best sailing locations in the UK. Each boat sails with only a skipper and you as guest crew, so the experience is both intensive in terms of participation and sociable because you do everything together right from the first day. 
 

Eve of St Mawes—wooden pilot cutter 3 day active breaks in Cornwall—May to October 2010

Lizzie May—traditional pilot cutter—2 and 3 day weekends in Scotland—April– Sept 2010

Annabel J— larger steel pilot cutter with Edwardian elegance below decks - 3 day breaks in the Solent.

 

You don’t have to be a sailor to enjoy our voyages. Plenty of our customers are divers, climbers, hill walkers, birdwatchers, landscape painters, gardeners or just energetic people who love to get close to nature’s grandeur, and explore under sail ethically and silently. Here are a few of our classic summer expeditions with decent passage making and opportunities to explore ashore.

Oosterschelde 3 masted Schooner—11 day Outer Hebrides Expeditions and Orkney – Cape Wrath

Oosterschelde 3 masted Schooner – Explore the rugged coastlines on Corsica and Sardinia in the springtime.

Tall Ship Antigua—Spitsbergen Summer Arctic expeditions. The guides are wildlife experts but carry a rifle for polar bear protection.

 

You only need to look at Classic Sailing Facebook or our Flickr photo gallery to see how easily you can become part of a worldwide community of tall ships and traditional boat fans, just by sailing on these eye catching vessels from a bye gone era. If you book a tall ship holiday you become a tall ship sailor. There is no division between those who pay and get paid. Pull on blocks and tackles and you are a traditional boat sailor.
 

Eve of St Mawes—Douarnenez Maritime Festival July 2010
Eve or AJ - New event:Goodwill Raid & Pilot Cutter Rally in St Malo, France - August 2010

Eve of St Mawes—Douarnenez Maritime Festival July 2010

Lizzie May: Western Isles —Oban to Mallaig –in company with pilot cutters Mascotte & Ezra

 

Cornwall’s Coves, caves and creeks are ideal for messing about in boats and re-discovering your childhood. Sail – Walk - Row voyages on pilot cutter ‘Eve of St Mawes’ for adults who might want to scramble about in rock pools, try a bit of yoga or thai chi on an empty beach without feeling silly or go off for a row in a wooden boat without an instructor breathing down your neck. Our skippers can teach novices or refresh your seamanship skills effortlessly as part of your holiday. Get up in the morning and see which way the wind blows….

 

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Don't just imagine your dreams, Pull them over the horizon on vessels like Oosterschelde (photo below)