WESTERN EUROPE AND THE NORTH ATLANTIC
SAIL THE WILD NORTH SEA,THE MAGICAL BALTIC OR THE MIGHTY ATLANTIC

This has been happening for centuries, even the Vikings, Portuguese explorers, and English pirates could not resist the charm. Yachtsmen, each year, from all over the world come to the high Atlantic seas in search of paradise. They still leave behind some exotic and rich cruising grounds undiscovered. They have not been able to find such diversity anywhere else. From sluicing tides of the Faroes to Brittany’s rock-strewn coasts, the waters in the West have the sternest test in seamanship too. If you are courageous enough to sail here, you can sail anywhere.

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It is almost like forever since the countries in the Western part of the continent have been linked to the ocean. From the time of the Vikings to the era of the brave navigators of the Age of Exploration, sailors have been able to reach the furthest points of the globe, and this maritime tradition is still alive.

The North Atlantic islands have served as the stepping stones for new discoveries. The modern sailors still use the routes of the former explorers to reach where they have till now.

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Circumnavigation of the North Atlantic is a voyage undertaken by lots of European sailors following the route paved by Christopher Columbus. He was the first individual to understand that there is a definite pattern to Atlantic weather and he used this pattern in four of his transatlantic voyages.

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It is relatively easy to accomplish an Atlantic circuit like this in the prevailing weather conditions. The yacht charters which sail from the Northern side sail towards south to Madeira and canaries.

The Portuguese trades of summer go in the west to the Caribbean with the North-East trade winds and back east to the Azores with the westerlies of higher latitudes. Such weather patterns are created because of the permanent feature of the North Atlantic which is an area near the Azores that has high atmospheric pressure. It has its influence on the sailing conditions of a large area which is why the Azores High must be sifted through before you plan to cross the Atlantic in any direction.

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The sailing season in the North Atlantic starts from early spring to late summer. However, most of the European sailors who plan to go on longer voyages like benign sailing conditions of lower latitudes. On the other hand, high-latitude voyages are becoming a choice of many in Iceland and Spitsbergen which is why we see so many yachts there.

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Southern islands as are on the transatlantic circuit, get a more extended season and some peak periods too.

The busiest period in Madeira and the Canaries begins from September to November, and that is when the yachts are ready to cross the Caribbean. Bermuda and the Azores, on the other hand, are the busiest in May and June. During this period, the movement is in the opposite direction.