Price
£450
Nights
Three
Age range
16 - 65
Start port
Portsmouth
End port
Portsmouth
Voyage code
EV073
Bursary
Available
Voyage highlights
Step into the world of competitive sailing aboard one of our iconic 72ft Challenger yachts. This three-night racing adventure is designed to take your seamanship to the next level. Whether you’re returning to the water for a refresher or looking to build up your advanced sailing skills, “Racing with Spinnaker” delivers a high-energy, hands-on learning experience.
Departing and returning to Portsmouth, you’ll dive into the intensity of race-style sailing while mastering the techniques needed to fly a spinnaker — the large, powerful sail used to catch the wind on downwind legs.
Throughout the voyage, you’ll refine your sail handling, practise tactical manoeuvres, and improve your understanding of racing dynamics under the guidance of our expert Skipper and crew.
You’ll also be training with a diverse crew aged 16 to 65, working together to operate the yacht. You’ll share responsibility and build lasting bonds through this shared challenge.
Our Challengers are 72ft ocean-going steel yachts, constructed to withstand the Southern Ocean. Launched in 2000, they raced round the world in two editions of the BT Global Challenge, the route taking them against prevailing winds and currents; this means that our Challengers are the perfect vessel for this type of voyage and will make it an exhilarating and memorable experience.
This course is especially valuable for anyone considering offshore racing events like the RORC Fastnet Race or the ARC. It’s an ideal opportunity to build confidence, resilience, and advanced sailing skills out on the water.
- Use of Tell-tales: Read airflow across sails to trim with precision
- Positioning Genoa Cars: Adjust for optimum headsail shape and speed
- Understanding Weather Helm: Recognise causes and balance your rig
- Use of the Traveller: Fine-tune mainsail trim for different wind angles
- Spinnaker Handling: From hoist to drop, with focus on control and safety
- Sail Trim Under Pressure: Learn how to squeeze every knot out of your sails
- Tacking & Gybing in Race Conditions: React fast, communicate clearly
- Racing Team Dynamics: Develop leadership, timing, and trust as a crew
By joining this voyage as an adult, you’re directly supporting Tall Ships Youth Trust’s life-changing work with young people (aged 12 –25) across the UK, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Proceeds from this course will help fund transformational experiences for the young people we support. Thank you for helping us change more young lives at sea.
If you’re 25 and under, we have bursary available to help make this opportunity accessible. Please apply to see if you qualify.
The Skipper will determine the final route depending on weather and other variables.
If you share our values and are keen to do more, you may be able to support our vital work further by joining the TSYT Volunteer Crew.
Your Skipper can recommend you for our Watch Leader training programme if they feel you have the skills and attributes that we’re looking for.
All meals on board are included.
