France – TransAtlantic Sailing Adventure, Early 2025

Update: This passage concluded in early March, 2025.

Join us for a sailing adventure of a lifetime, on a remarkable journey from the west coast of France to the vibrant St. Vincent in the southern Caribbean on a new Excess 11 catamaran. Two incredible legs are available, each offering its own unique blend of beauty and excitement:

• Les Sables d’Olonne to the Canaries (Jan 21-31, 2025)
• The Canaries to Blue Lagoon, St. Vincent (Feb 3 – Feb 24-28, 2025)

BOSS is offering ASA 106, 107, 108, 114 and 117, and Sail Canada Advanced, Offshore and Catamaran certifications on all legs. Space is limited, so act now to secure your spot in this extraordinary expedition!

About the Adventure

The La Rochelle region on the west coast of France has been the departure point for sailing adventures for centuries, from the French explorers setting out for the New World from the 1500s on, to the many contemporary ocean races that take Les Sables d’Olonne as their origin.

As we enjoy the increasingly warm waters as we head south, we will arrive at the Canaries, an iconic group of islands off the coast of Morocco.

From there, experience the adventure of a tradewind crossing of the Atlantic, as the power of the wind propels our vessel while we navigate by the stars (and GPS!) to St. Vincent, traversing the Atlantic on a route that has captivated sailors for centuries.

Skipper / Instructor

This sailing adventure will be led by Rob McLean, who is the Lead Instructor for BOSS. Rob is uniquely qualified as he holds the distinction of being the only person certified as an Offshore Instructor by both ASA and Sail Canada. Since the early 1980s, Rob has accumulated more than 35,000 of cruising miles, including 15,000+ miles offshore, on the Great Lakes, Pacific, Atlantic, the Med, and in the Caribbean.

In 2021, he completed a 7,000 mile passage from Canada to St. Vincent on his own 62′ schooner, Interlude. In 2022 he led a 5,400 mile passage from Croatia to SVG in the Caribbean, and in spring 2023 sailed Interlude 2,000 miles from SVG to Halifax in Canada via Bermuda. In Oct-Dec 2023 he led another crossing from Croatia to SVG, via Mallorca, the Canaries, and the Cape Verdes. As an Instructor Evaluator / ASA Master Instructor he leads instructor development clinics for both Sail Canada and ASA.

His full sailing resume is here. His professional background outside of sailing is summarized here.

Certifications

Certifications available on both legs include:

• ASA 106 / Sail Canada Advanced Cruising
• ASA 108 / Sail Canada Offshore Cruising
• ASA 114 / Sail Canada Catamaran Endorsement
• ASA 105, 107, 117 exams, or Sail Canada navigation exams if required as prerequisites

For details on relevant standards, see: ASA standards · Sail Canada standards

Note that given the extensive certification requirements Advanced and Offshore cannot be combined on the same leg. ASA 114 / SC Catamaran Endorsement can be combined with Advanced or Offshore.

Maximum capacity on each leg is 4 participants, plus the skipper/instructor.

Pricing

The Base Participation Fee (USD) for each leg or combination of legs is as follows:

Planned Itinerary

Please note that details below are subject to change based on the impact of weather or other events on the schedule, and availability of marina space in the chosen destinations.