Mile Builder -Volvo 70 Experience
Experience the thrill of sailing on a high-performance Volvo Open 70 while honing your skills and building your miles
These trips are for everyone, whether you are a novice or experienced sailor. You can get involved as much as you like, or you can sit back and enjoy the sail.
Over the trip, you will have the opportunity to helm, trim, practice sail evolutions, passage plan, weather route and have the opportunity to skipper a passage.
Don’t think this will be a luxury ride! Such a high-performance racing yacht does not come with many creature comforts. Cramped quarters, freeze-dried food and basic accommodation are the trade-off for a fast boat, many miles and the most exhilarating ride. We do it just as the elite ocean racers do so you truly get a genuine experience.
What can you do with Mile Builders?
We often get asked how many miles are required for certain qualifications and what are the benefits these can bring to you, so to answer your questions we have included a list below for some of the most common yachting qualifications from the RYA and an outline of how you can use each one.
Day Skipper
This is one of the most popular sailing qualifications among beginner sailors. This is a qualification that will allow you to hire boats from the majority of rental companies for holiday sailing (though please check prior to booking). You will learn how to sail short passages during the day while learning how to be in charge of the boat, perfecting how to control boat speed and safe navigation.
Miles Required: 5 days, 100 miles, 4 night hours
Coastal Skipper
This course expands on the knowledge gained doing the Day Skipper but introduces passage planning, pilotage during both day-time and night-time, safety and emergency procedures. The most common uses for obtaining a coastal skipper qualification is to undertake passages that require longer hours of sailing, particularly during the night.
Miles Required: 15 days, 2 days as skipper, 300 miles, 8 night hours
Yacht Master
The Yachtmaster is broken into three different categories that you can complete, each having a different specialism: The Yachtmaster Coastal, Yachtmaster Offshore and Yachtmaster Ocean. These qualifications can be commercially endorsed and then be used for an array of employment opportunities onboard a yacht.
Miles Required:
(Coastal): 30 days, 2 days as skipper, 800 miles, 12 night hours. (If you hold the Coastal Skipper practical course completion certificate this is reduced to 20 days, 2 days as skipper, 400 miles, 12 night hours.)
(Offshore): 50 days, 2,500 miles including at least 5 passages over 60 miles.
(Ocean): Minimum non-stop distance of 600 miles must have been run by the log
Atlantic crossing
What better way to stick to dry January and escape the “long month” by getting on a boat and heading…
12 Jan — 31 Jan 2020 • Alcaidesa Marina, Gibraltar — Nelsons Dockyard, Antigua
Atlantic Blast
This is challenging ocean sailing.
20 Apr — 05 May 2020 • Antigua — Portsmouth • 3,600nms
Irish Sea Experience
You can experience the thrill and speed of sailing on a high-performance Volvo Open 70 while honing…
16 Jun — 19 Jun 2020 • Portsmouth — Wicklow
27 Jun — 29 Jun 2020 • Wicklow — Portsmouth
Cork to Portsmouth
You can experience the thrill and speed of sailing on a high-performance Volvo Open 70 while honing…
12 Jul — 14 Jul 2020 • Cork — Portsmouth
5 Day Mile Builder
Experience the thrill of sailing on a high-performance Volvo Open 70 while honing your skills and bu…
26 Aug — 30 Aug 2020 • Portsmouth, UK
5-day mile builder Portsmouth – Vigo
Tues 15th – Sat 19th Sept for 650 GBP
5-day mile builder Vigo – Gibraltar
Tues 22nd – 26th Sept for 650 GBP
5-day mile builder Gibraltar – Cagliari
Tues 29th – sat 3rd Oct for 650 GBP
5-day mile builder Cagliari – Malta
Tues 6th – Sat 10th Oct for 650 GBP
5-day mile builder Malta – Cagliari
Tues 27th – Sat 31st Oct for 650 GBP
5-day mile builder Cagliari – Gibraltar
Tues 3rd – Sat 7th Nov for 650 GBP
5-day mile builder Gibraltar – Las Palmas
Tues 10th – sat 14th Nov for 650 GBP
Join Volvo 70 Kraken
Kraken is a stripped-out racing boat with very few luxuries, so please expect high side hot bunking, freeze-dried food – as the galley consists of a sink and 1 camping stove for boiling water and a very exciting gimbled heads!
On Kraken we like to be fully inclusive and give amateur sailors the chance to participate in all aspects of sailing the boat – we can assure you; you will not just be sitting on the rail.
Extra’s Included
- Safety Equipment (Lifejacket & Tether)
- Wet Weather Gear / Foulies
- Food & Drink Whilst On-Board
Training Included
- Pre-Departure Safety Briefing
- Man Overboard Training
+31 85 301 56 36