Gran Canaria to Palma de Mallorca: 1,300 Miles Against the Trade Winds
An Advanced Ocean Sailing Course with Captains and Crew – March 2026
That route everyone takes downwind to the Caribbean? We’re doing it backwards.
Next month, we’ll be departing from Gran Canaria to sail north against the North African trade winds all the way to Palma de Mallorca. 1,300 nautical miles upwind, aboard three modern Lagoon catamarans, with an international professional crew of sailors ready to face one of the most challenging passages in the Mediterranean-Atlantic transition zone.
This is what real ocean sailing training looks like – the kind of experience that transforms recreational sailors into competent offshore crew members.
The Challenge: Real Ocean Sailing
This is not a charter vacation. This is authentic blue-water passage-making.
Beating into the trade winds means days with wind on the nose, long Atlantic swells that slow down even the most efficient multihulls, night watches under moonless skies, and the constant mental calculation of fuel consumption versus weather windows. As Gordon, one of our Scottish professional skippers who’s sailed this route before, describes it: “It was the most uncomfortable sailing of my life… and I’m used to Scottish waters.”
His monohull was severely tested on that passage. Now imagine doing it in a catamaran – with higher windage, more wave-slamming on the bridgedeck, and the critical challenge of fuel management. The modern Lagoon 42 has approximately 80 hours of autonomy at 2,200 RPM, and Morocco’s Atlantic coast offers virtually no safe harbors or reliable fuel sources for hundreds of miles.
But that’s precisely what makes this passage an unparalleled learning experience. You’ll face real conditions, solve actual problems, and make decisions that matter – the kind of deep-water seamanship that simply cannot be taught in coastal waters or simulation.
This is the same level of professional seamanship our crew use daily in yacht delivery operations across the Mediterranean and Atlantic routes. Every challenge you’ll face on this passage – weather routing, fuel management, crew coordination, equipment troubleshooting – mirrors the real-world demands of professional sailing.
The Fleet: Modern Performance Cruising Catamarans
We’ll be sailing three Lagoon catamarans from the current generation:
Two Lagoon 42s (12.80m / 42′ LOA)
The perfect balance of performance and comfort, with excellent upwind capabilities for a cruising catamaran. These boats represent the modern evolution of charter yacht design – the same models our professional charter crew handle daily across Mediterranean fleets.
Key specifications:
- Beam: 7.70m / 25’3″
- Draft: 1.35m / 4’5″
- Fuel capacity: 2 × 200L (106 gallons total)
- Water capacity: 2 × 150L (79 gallons total)
- Engines: 2 × 45HP Yanmar
One Lagoon 46 (13.99m / 46′ LOA)
The flagship of the fleet, offering additional space and power for the most challenging conditions. This model is increasingly popular in professional charter operations and represents the future of catamaran design.
Key specifications:
- Beam: 8.15m / 26’9″
- Draft: 1.35m / 4’5″
- Fuel capacity: 2 × 240L (127 gallons total)
- Water capacity: 2 × 200L (106 gallons total)
- Engines: 2 × 57HP Yanmar
What You’ll Learn: Professional Ocean Sailing Skills
This passage will develop the same competencies we require from our professional sailing crew:
Advanced Weather Routing
Reading GRIB files, understanding pressure systems, and making tactical decisions based on evolving conditions. You’ll learn to think like a professional skipper managing multiple weather scenarios simultaneously.
Fuel and Resource Management
Critical skills for any extended passage. Calculate consumption rates, plan fuel stops, manage water usage, and make the hard decisions about when to motor versus when to sail.
Night Watch Systems
Establishing and maintaining effective watch rotations, managing fatigue, and ensuring 24/7 operational readiness – essential skills for professional crew on charter and delivery operations.
Equipment Troubleshooting
When you’re 200 miles from land, you become the expert on everything aboard. Learn to diagnose and solve problems with engines, electronics, rigging, and systems.
Crew Coordination
Managing an international crew under challenging conditions. Communication, task delegation, and maintaining morale during difficult passages – core competencies for charter skippers and professional crew.
The Route: Strategic Challenges
Our planned route takes us through some of the most demanding sailing conditions in European waters:
Departure: Gran Canaria
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria – our staging point and final preparation. Fuel, water, provisions, and weather briefing before departure.
Leg 1: Canaries to Portuguese Coast (600nm)
The longest single leg, taking us northeast through the trade wind zone. Expect consistent 20-25 knot winds from the northeast, requiring careful sail selection and trim optimization.
Leg 2: Portugal to Spain (400nm)
Rounding Cabo da Roca and entering Portuguese waters. Coastal navigation challenges, traffic separation schemes, and potential weather changes as we approach European continental waters.
Leg 3: Spain to Balearics (300nm)
The final push to Palma de Mallorca. Mediterranean weather patterns begin to influence conditions, with potential for lighter winds and more variable conditions.
Who Should Apply
This course is designed for experienced sailors looking to develop professional ocean sailing competency. Ideal participants include:
- RYA Day Skipper or equivalent qualification holders
- Sailors with minimum 1,000 nautical miles experience
- Those seeking to build offshore experience for professional crew positions
- Experienced coastal sailors ready for blue-water challenges
- Anyone considering charter skipper or delivery crew careers
Previous catamaran experience helpful but not essential. Our professional instructors will provide comprehensive briefings on catamaran-specific techniques and systems.
Course Investment and What’s Included
£2,800 per participant includes:
- Berth aboard modern Lagoon catamaran
- Professional instruction from certified skippers
- All meals and provisions during passage
- Fuel and marina costs
- RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Theory materials
- Ocean passage completion certificate
- Reference for future professional crew opportunities
Not included: Flights to/from Canaries and Mallorca, personal equipment, alcohol, marina meals ashore.
Professional Development Opportunities
Completing this passage with Captains and Crew opens doors to professional sailing opportunities. Many of our course graduates have gone on to:
- Join our network of professional charter crew in the Mediterranean
- Participate in yacht delivery operations across European waters
- Work as charter skippers with leading charter companies
- Develop careers in professional sailing and yacht management
Our extensive network of charter company partnerships means we can often connect qualified graduates with professional crew positions throughout the sailing season.
Application Process
Applications close 15th February 2026. Space is limited to 18 participants across three boats.
To apply:
- Submit sailing CV and qualification certificates
- Complete our offshore sailing assessment questionnaire
- Participate in brief telephone interview with course director
- Secure place with £500 deposit
This is serious ocean sailing education. We’re looking for committed participants ready to push their boundaries and develop genuine professional sailing competency.
Why Captains and Crew
We’re not a sailing school – we’re working professionals who operate in this environment every day. Our professional crew handle challenging deliveries, manage charter operations, and solve real problems in real conditions.
This course represents 15+ years of experience in professional sailing operations, distilled into one intensive passage that will transform your capabilities as an offshore sailor.
When you sail with us, you’re not just learning from instructors – you’re training alongside the same professional crew who handle our commercial operations across the Mediterranean and Atlantic.
Ready to take your sailing to the professional level? Contact Captains and Crew to discuss this unique ocean sailing opportunity and discover how it could launch your career in professional sailing.