2027-18 | FALKEN | SAIL TRAINING: Madeira-Las Palmas
Join FALKEN in magical Madeira for an intense week of proper sail training as we make our way over to the Canaries. These passages are a bit different than our normal A-to-B passages in that we have ample opportunity for more formal teaching than normal. We'll spend more time going over boat systems & watch systems, for example, and have a chance to hit every point of sail from upwind to spinnaker sailing downwind. As it's only 250-miles over to Las Palmas, we'll also have the chance to anchor in one or two of the other islands in the Canaries for a break from the sea and a chance to see some more places en route! Due to the orca situation in and around Portugal we've opted to skip the mainland altogether and stop off in Madeira instead, a rugged, magical island that we've only ever actually been to once in the history of 59º North. You'll meet the boat in Madeira, and if you have time, we highly recommend coming a few days early to explore. Once across Biscay it's much smoother sailing in cool fall conditions en route to the Canary Islands. Las Palmas will be our port of call in 2027, a place we've gotten to know quite well over the years, and a beautiful coastal city with easy access to Gran Canaria's rugged & mountainous interior. The marina in Las Palmas is one of the biggest in Europe, with thousands of boats from across the globe preparing for parts unknown.
The Passage
Rough itinerary
All 59º North passages are very much subject to weather. We pick our routes based on the "correct" time of year to be sailing in the different regions we visit, and we always build-in enough time to give us some margin for weather windows. The skipper has final say on departure dates and weather windows, but generally speaking, the intinerary for this passage will look like this:
November 4, 2027
Crew arrive to FALKEN at 1300 in Funchal, Portugal. FALKEN orientation followed by crew dinner. All crew stay onboard FALKEN.
Prep Days
Between the joining and departure dates, all pre-passage preparation, provisioning, and safety briefings will be completed. The specific pre-departure schedule will be outlined and posted onboard FALKEN by the skipper.
November 6, 2027
Scheduled departure, weather dependent.
November 10, 2027
Latest date (12:00 noon) for crew to depart FALKEN from Las Palmas, Canary Islands.
PASSAGE DETAILS
Crew often say that they learn more with 59º North in a week then they've ever learned at a 'formal' sailing school, and that's just on our 'normal' passages! With our dedicated Sail Training weeks, we have more time to dive deep on a whole host of topics. The list below represents a typical week of Sail Training onboard FALKEN:
- Fire, flooding and abandoning ship at sea
- Lifejackets & all safety gear
- Medical emergencies & kit onboard
- MOB and different techniques for recovery on different boats (including short-handed)
- What to look for when buying a boat and what makes it safe
- Rig checks: what to look for
- Pilotage, weather, paper charts, COLREGS...
- Sail trimming and sail inventory for cruising
- Downwind sailing including preventers, gybing, settin up the pole, spinnaker training, wing-on-wing
- Loss of steering cables and rudder, including setting up the drogue and the emergency tiller as an emergency steering system
- Reefing, tacking & blind steering
- Storm tactics theory
- Mission critical spares and how to look after your boat
- Winch maintenance, engine service, battery management & all systems onboard
Sail Training weeks are skippered by our dedicated full-time staff. They not only skipper our trips, but also maintain the boat, so they know the boat inside and out and they have hundreds of thousands of offshore miles between them!
TRAVEL LOGISTICS
Funchal
Las Palmas
Weather conditions
In-depth analysis, by WRI
WHY 59º NORTH?
ambitious sailing schedule
The best boats
WOMEN BUNKS GUARANTEED
Professional, well-paid staff
knowledge & community
Why it costs what it costs...
"Gathering with 10 other like-minded women aboard FALKEN was amazing! I learned more than I ever expected from Nikki and Emma. Being 'allowed' to mess up and actually learn from your mistakes without anyone getting stressed was freeing! I'd recommend this trip to any women with a desire to sail."
"Huge thank you to the 59º North Team, especially Captain Emily and First Mate Mia, for taking me and our crew safely across the Atlantic Ocean. A daunting dream turned into an amazing reality under the expert supervision of a skilled and experienced team, on the beautiful, fast, and well-equipped boat, FALKEN. I feel very grateful to have met and worked with the wonderful, international crew aboard. I learned so much and I'll be back for more!"
"I had an unbelievable sailing experience aboard ISBJØRN with Naxo as skipper and David as apprentice. They took special care to accommodate everyone's wants and needs, and we sailed every point of sail, practiced MOB drills, docking, navigating, trip planning, and weather forecasting. The food was hot, plentiful, and varied, even during our cold offshore passage. I plan on doing this trip again and recommend that you do too. Thanks to 59º North, Naxo, and David."
"Our voyage was interesting because both ISBJØRN (which I was on) and ICEBEAR traveled the same route at roughly the same time. We had Matt Rutherford as our captain and Ben Doerr as first mate, and they were both chill, fun, and always happy to answer questions and provide advice. I feel I got the experience I need with the ocean and Gulf Stream to pilot my own boat from Florida to Bermuda in the future, which was exactly my goal. If you are looking for blue water sailing experience and a fun adventure, I highly recommend that you sign up with 59º North."
"This passage was literally my first time sailing. My goal was to get as far as possible from my daily life and desk-bound comfort zone, and Andy assured me I would be looked after. I could not have asked for a better skipper (thank you, Jon), better crew mates, or a more enjoyable passage. I'll be forever grateful to 59º North for this opportunity, and I hope to sail with them again soon."
"If you are thinking about reefing—reef! The same logic applies to sailing with Andy and Mia: if you are thinking about sailing with them, stop thinking and GO! Andy and Mia are great sailors, leaders, teachers, cooks, and warm, intelligent, accepting people. No matter how many blue water miles you have under your keel, you will be a better sailor after your trip on ISBJØRN."
"Before 59º North I didn't know my bowsprit from my binnacle and suffered from low sailing esteem. After two weeks of 59º North, what a difference! As a longtime podcast listener, I arrived for my Bermuda to Horta transatlantic with high expectations, and they were all not just met but exceeded. I could not imagine a skipper and mate more professional and enthusiastic than Andy and Emma."
THE BOAT
Farr 65
'
FALKEN
'
🇬🇧
FALKEN is ideally set up for long-distance offshore sailing. We fully rebuilt the boat in 2022 to our exacting specifications and with the help of legendary yacht designer Bob Perry. She's comfortable belowdecks and each crew has their own dedicated sea berth & gear locker. On deck she has a huge cockpit which easily seats 10 people for our daily meals offshore, and allows for plenty of room to move about when handling lines and trimming sails. She's also easy to maintain, fast and fun to sail! FALKEN sails with 8 crew plus a Skipper & Mate and the occasional apprentice.
packing lists & notes
Packing Notes
Start here when planning your packing for sailing with 59º North. This list includes the general basics for all of our passages. The passage-specific packing lists offer more details.
Cold | Warm Packing List
This will be a "transitional" passage, either starting in warmer climes and increasing in latitude until it's significantly cooler, or vice versa. Another one of those trips where you'll need to pack one of everything for changing conditions. See the packing list for specifics.