3 day | Milebuilding & Night Passages | Channel crossing / West Country

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Come and stretch your legs with some longer passages, experience night sailing, and maybe even cross the Channel... This mile-builder trip intends to sail well beyond the Solent, and is best-suited to people who've already done some sailing. This is a non-commercial trip run on a shared-cost basis.

Plan
Our plan will be to arrive at Port Hamble Marina on Friday by 4pm latest. After a safety briefing and a tour of the two yachts, we’ll most likely want to set sail that evening. Our cruising itinerary will be tailored to the weather, tides, and the group’s wishes, but the idea is to undertake some longer passages across to Cherbourg or Alderney, or down the South West Coast towards Weymouth. There'll be time to swim and relax, but there'll also be times when we're at sea for c.15 hours, including sailing at night and running a watch system. We'll return to Port Hamble Marina around lunchtime on Monday. It may be possible to have less experienced sailors join this trip, as long as we have enough crew across the two boats who have sufficient experience to helm at night and in busy shipping areas.

Yacht
We’ve chartered two modern 37ft Beneteau Oceanis that are licensed to carry 8 people each, but we’ll be a maximum of 6 plus skipper to ensure everyone has enough space and a proper chance to be involved in the sailing. Accommodation will be aboard the yachts in shared double cabins. The boats will have hot and cold water, a loo, heating, and when on shore plenty of electricity for charging phones. Note that during offshore passages some cabins may be uncomfortable for sleeping in, and therefore some 'hot bunking' may be required as part of the watch system.

Skipper
The Skipper is yet to be decided but will be an experienced sailor from the club, most likely assisted by a skipper in training from the club's Take The Helm scheme. More information will follow on them and their experience.

Kit
No special or expensive sailing kit required. Just bring practical footwear and clothing to suit the weather forecast. It gets cold offshore at night, so bring warm layers plus a warm hat and gloves. Lifejackets are provided. Foul weather gear can be hired locally if needed. Towels and bedding aren’t provided, so please bring a towel, pillow and sleeping bag. Don't forget to pack sunglasses, sunscreen, passport, swimming kit and, if you have one, a headtorch with a red bulb. You can read more about suitable kit by clicking here

Cost
This is a non-commercial trip run on a shared-cost basis. The cost is £385 per person, which covers the yacht charter (as it's a bank holiday weekend charter costs are higher than usual but we are able to benefit from a the club's 15% discount), fuel, marina/harbour fees, breakfasts, lunches, snacks and soft drinks, as well as a £5 contribution to the club's Muck Up Fund which allows us to help skippers on club trips manage the risk of accidental damage caused by trip participants. It doesn’t cover evening meals ashore or getting yourself to/from the trip. A deposit of £100 on booking is required to secure your place, with the balance payable three months before the event. Note that, because this trip is being advertised via the London Sailing Club’s platforms, any participant who is not already a full member of the Club (which costs £24 per year) will need to join prior to the start of the trip.

Visas / Immigration
This trip may involve crossing an international border. For UK and EU passport holders any visa process is likely to be straightforward. However if you have an overseas passport, or a particular visa situation, it is your responsibility to ensure you have whatever paperwork you need in place to travel to France and/or the Channel Islands. Every sailor on the trip will almost certainly need a valid passport with plenty of time left before it expires.

London Sailing Club Terms and Conditions apply.