Imagine your trip, explore new horizons

A Unique Location and Enchanting Landscape

The Faroe Islands, an archipelago of 18 volcanic islands, lie between Iceland and Norway, to the north of the UK. Administered by Denmark, they cover an area of 1,400 km² and have a population of around 54,000. The islands, battered by Atlantic winds, are famous for their breathtaking cliffs, lush green meadows and deep fjords, perfect for anchoring a sailboat. Panoramic views from the sea reveal craggy peaks tumbling into the ocean and spectacular waterfalls.

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An Authentic Cultural and Natural Destination

The local language, Faroese, reflects Nordic traditions, while Danish is also spoken. On land, discover a culture rich in Viking legends and traditional music. Culinary specialties include smoked lamb and dried fish, unique flavors to savor after a day's sailing. For hiking enthusiasts, the mountain trails offer breathtaking views, while photographers will be delighted by the changing light on the landscape.

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The Best Anchorages

A centreboarder is perfect for exploring the shallow fjords of the Faroe Islands. Among our recommended anchorages, the Kaldbaksfjørður fjord offers optimum protection from the winds. The natural harbor of Gjógv, well sheltered, allows immersion in the surrounding nature with its sculpted ravines. Finally, the village of Vestmanna is ideal for exploring the famous nearby cliffs, where kayak trips reveal secret sea caves. The port of Tórshavn, the capital, offers all the necessary amenities.

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Capricious but Generous Weather for Prudent Sailors

The oceanic climate of the Faroes is marked by mild temperatures all year round (3 to 12°C), but also by frequent winds and precipitation. The best time to sail is from May to September, when days are longer and weather conditions more stable. Prevailing westerly and southwesterly winds favor journeys between Scotland, Iceland and the Faroes. Explorers will also have the chance to observe frequent rainbows through the spray.

Fauna, Flora and Strategic Navigation Points

The archipelago is a perfect stopover on the route between Iceland and Norway.

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Seabirds, notably puffins, abound on the cliffs, while the waters teem with fish and, occasionally, whales.

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Birdwatchers will be able to observe impressive colonies of seabirds, especially during walks around the uninhabited islands. Wintering is possible in Tórshavn, thanks to modern infrastructures and a welcoming maritime community.

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Recommended marine charts

To navigate in the Faroe Islands, it's essential to have accurate nautical charts adapted to the region. Here are the main chart references covering the archipelago:

British Admiralty (UKHO) paper charts:

 
• BA 3314: Approaches to the Faroe Islands.
 
• BA 3315: Streymoy, Eysturoy and Southern Islands (Detailed maps of the main islands such as Streymoy, Eysturoy, Sandoy).
 
• BA 3316: Northern Islands (Kalsoy, Kunoy and Viðoy).
  

Electronic boards:

 
• Navionics: Navionics electronic charts cover the Faroes with regular updates. They are available for GPS chartplotters or on the Navionics Boating mobile app.
 
• C-MAP: Another excellent option for precise high-latitude navigation. Details of ports, fjords and anchorages are particularly well represented.
  

Danish nautical charts (KMS - Kort & Matrikelstyrelsen):

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The maps produced by the Danish authorities are also very reliable. These include:

 
• KMS 120-121: Coverage of the main islands and approaches.
  

Additional nautical guides:

 
• Imray Pilot Guide - Faroe, Iceland and Greenland: This guide provides detailed information on local anchorages, harbours and currents, essential for preparing your cruise.
 

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Acentreboarder aluminium sailboat, with its Shallow draft and robustness in difficult conditions, is ideal for exploring the Faroe Islands. The panoramic roof of a Garcia will give you a breathtaking view of these grandiose landscapes, even when the weather turns nasty. Treat yourself to a unique adventure in this wild paradise, far from the usual roads.

An archipelago of rich and diverse landscapes

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Nuku Hiva, Ua Pou, Ha Huka, Tawata, Fatu Hiva, Moho Tani... the names of the Marquesas Islands sound like a gentle melody to the ear. And yet, this Polynesian archipelago of just 12 islands, 6 of which are inhabited, expresses a certain ruggedness. Its wild landscapes, high relief often exceeding 1,000 metres in altitude, steep cliffs and coastline marked by the absence of a lagoon. Everything in the Marquesas indicates that nature is king.

This is even truer when it comes to the archipelago's phenomenal marine biodiversity, which has flourished thanks to the Marquesas' geographical isolation. Manta rays, eagle rays, sharks, jacks, tunas, dolphins, swordfish... the marine fauna here is incredibly rich. The rally crews who were able to experience swimming among the manta rays off Tahuata Island will certainly agree.

This flamboyance of nature goes perfectly hand in hand with the development of a rich, ancestral culture, naturally turned towards the sea, which is very present on what the Marquesans call "Terre des Hommes".

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Settlement and colonization

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The Marquesas Islands have been inhabited for around 2,000 years by settlers arriving gradually from Melanesia and the western Pacific. For a long time, it was thought that these inhabitants came from the coasts of South America: this is what the Kon Tiki expedition, led by Norwegian Thor Heyerdhal, sought to prove in 1948. But since then, science has clearly demonstrated the Asian origin of these populations. They came gradually from the west aboard large pirogues capable of sailing against prevailing winds and currents. And it was easy for these Neolithic explorers, if their attempts at exploration failed, to turn back, driven by the trade winds. Taking with them food and animals to last the duration of a crossing into the unknown, these Southeast Asian tribes are the origin of today's Polynesian populations.

The Marquesas Islands are located far from sea routes, and were only discovered by Westerners in 1585, by the Spanish navigator Alvaoro de Mendaña. Visited by James Cook on his second expedition in 1774, the archipelago remained untouched by sovereignty until 1842, when it was annexed to France by Rear Admiral Abel Dupetit-Thouars. Sailors, merchants, soldiers and missionaries, as well as convicts and other convicts and deportees, disembarked in large numbers. In the 18th century, the Marquesas had a population approaching 100,000, according to Captain Cook's summary account, and almost disappeared altogether within a century, under the effects of epidemics, alcohol and opium brought to the islands by Western and North American settlers. This population loss threatened the entire archipelago, to the extent that by the end of the 19th century it had only 2,000 inhabitants.

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Legendary strength

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The archipelago shares a founding legend, in which the six inhabited islands form the outline of a house on the surface of the ocean: this concept is known as the "House of the Creator". According to this island tradition, the Marquesas form a coherent whole, with a strong identity: the "Land of Men".

This tenacious legendary foundation plays the role of a unifying rite, which does not prevent a history of confrontations between peoples from neighboring valleys. Exuberant landscapes, sculpture, art of living, traditions, tales and legends all combine to make the Marquesas a territory of high cultural and emotional value. For these legends, in which the song of the bird, the light of the dawning day, the palm leaves and the volcanic cliffs defying the ocean, are the foundation of a magnificent culture and contribute to forming the profound identity of the archipelago.

Tiki statues are a central figure throughout the archipelago: the Tiki, or "First Man" of the Polynesian world, is a deified ancestor who is not, however, a god. For the Marquesans, Tiki art is both a cultural manifesto and a memory medium. Hiva Oa stands out from its neighbors for the richness of its various archaeological sites. One of these is "Takaii", the largest Tiki in French Polynesia, standing at 2.60 m tall. This red tufa statue with its smiling face symbolizes balance, strength and beauty. Numerous petroglyph sites and other lithic structures - most often the foundations of ancient community buildings - can also be found on this island.

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Easter in Nuku Hiva

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It was in Nuku Hiva, the administrative center in the north of the archipelago, that most of the rally participants arrived in the Marquesas. Nuku Hiva is the largest of the islands, and also the most densely populated (around a third of the archipelago's total population of just over 9,000).

Easter ceremonies, which are very popular with the locals, gave the crews of the Grand Large Yachting World Odyssey 500 the opportunity to attend a mass celebrated in Marquesan, and to share a traditional meal of goat's milk coconut and fruit. This discovery of culture through religion did not prevent the sailors from enjoying a pleasant hike through Nuku Hiva's sumptuous landscapes, both spectacular and unspoilt.

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Prestigious visitors fall in love with the Marquesas

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Arriving in the Marquesas Islands in June 1842, American writer Herman Melville was barely twenty-three when he landed on the island of Nuku Hiva. He did nothing more than desert the whaling ship on which he had embarked two years earlier. The ship's captain tyrannizes the entire crew - in part inspiring the terrible Ahab of Moby Dick. The Taïpi tribe, whose reputation for cannibalism seemed rather well-founded at the time, gave him a warm welcome. Melville set sail again a few weeks later. His life of adventure and navigation was not yet over, and in 1846 he published an account of his time in the Marquesas under the title "Taïpi".

Scottish writer Robert-Louis Stevenson, who visited the islands in 1888, more than forty years after Melville, describes a threatened paradise whose people are discouraged and whose sacred sites are trampled underfoot. An archipelago in peril, where the cultural divide between inhabitants and missionaries and colonizers is a source of constant conflict. Like all sailors who come into contact with these lands, Stevenson is nonetheless captivated by the beauty and atmosphere of the Marquesas Islands.

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It has to be said that arriving by boat in the Marquesas is a shock: the smells, the mountains, the friendly people and the omnipresent tiki sculptures are, according to many of the Grand Large Yachting World Odyssey 500 crews, a real attraction.

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Hiva Oa, the Tiki island so dear to Paul Gauguin and Jacques Brel

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The painter Paul Gauguin, who came to live on the Marquesas between September 1901 and his death in August 1903, contributed in his own way to the survival of Marquesan traditions, depicting Tiki in several of his paintings. Settling on Hiva Oa with the vahiné Vaeho, he chose the archipelago as a land of inspiration, like Stevenson before him. His subjects, with their shimmering colors and sensual forms, leave a visible mark on the history of art and the identity of the archipelago. The famous red tufa tomb of the French painter, on the island of Hiva Oa, is obviously one of the archipelago's must-see sites.

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Following in the footsteps of Paul Gauguin, the island of Hiva Oa welcomed another distinguished guest in Jacques Brel, who came from Europe to isolate himself from the world and eventually end his life here. Sailing double-handed on his sailboat with his partner from Antwerp, Jacques Brel announced shortly after his arrival in 1975, at the end of an eight-month blue water cruising : " We're finally staying here. The country is beautiful, the people pleasant, and thank God they don't know me!

His perception of the islands is reflected in an emblematic song, "Les Marquises". Is the Marquesans' immense respect for the ocean, expressed in the song, not a manifesto likely to suit the crews of the Grand Large Yachting World Odyssey 500?

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Sailing from island to island, in total peace of mind

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It's worth remembering that the formula of this round-the-world rally allows crews a great deal of latitude in choosing their itinerary. They are free to choose certain ports of call and skip others. In all cases, they benefit from the security provided by the presence of their fellow navigators. All this, under the discreet surveillance of the organization which, thanks to efficient tracking and communication tools, knows where each yacht is at all times.

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These reassuring elements allow each crew a certain serenity in their program. What's true for the long crossings is also true for the stopovers, and each crew member was able to choose which island to disembark on, where to spend some time and how to make the most of visiting and meeting the locals.

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This serenity is the hallmark of all participants in the Grand Large Yachting World Odyssey 500, a community of blue water cruising enthusiasts who have embarked on a three-year round-the-world voyage in which they experience total freedom, while knowing they're surrounded by increasingly loyal friends.

In the meantime, the crews took part in a program of visits and festivities, including a Marquesan brunch by the pool and a traditional dance performance. All had previously visited the Gauguin Museum and paid their respects at the tombs of the French painter and Belgian singer.

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The ocean, a space of infinite freedom

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In any case, after several weeks spent in the Marquesas Islands, in contact with a very present cultural environment, the crews have since set sail again for Tahiti. For some of them, this crossing includes a stopover in the remote atolls of the Palliser Islands, part of the Tuamotu archipelago. There, from Rangiroa to Fakarava, they have plenty of time to rediscover nautical pleasures such as coral diving, swimming with blacktip sharks or lazing on the back deck of their centreboarder !

We'll catch up with the Grand Large Yachting World Odyssey 500 crews once they've dropped anchor in Tahitian waters. In the meantime, don't hesitate to check their position on the rally website.

Having been sailing the waters of the Pacific for just a few weeks, participants in the Grand Large Yachting World Odyssey 500 were able to discover the Galapagos Islands, known in Spanish as the Enchanted Islands, or Las Encantadas.

Among aluminium centreboarders , the Garcia Exploration 52 Blue Way visited this archipelago. Other participants opted for a direct route to the Gambier Islands. The Grand Large Yachting World Odyssey 500 formula allows participating crews to choose their itinerary and certain stopovers, while providing them with the security of the organization.

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Crews opting for a stopover in the Galapagos first set foot on San Cristobal Island, home to Puerto Boquerizo Moreno, capital of this Ecuadorian province. Some then disembarked at Puerto Villamil, south of Isla Isabela, the largest of the archipelago's islands. They then visited Isla Santa Cruz from its port of Puerto Isidro Ayora.

Regulated conditions of access to the Galapagos Islands, some of which are strictly forbidden to landings in order to preserve the ecosystems, limit the possibilities of shore excursions.

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A natural site with unique features

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"An archipelago of extinct volcanoes rather than islands, rather evocative of the image this world might offer after a punishing conflagration". North American writer Herman Melville's description of the Galapagos, taken from his short story "Les Encantadas" published in 1856, is not very appealing. The author of Moby Dick is describing a real-life situation, since as a sailor on a whaler, he made two stopovers in the Galapagos, in 1841 and 1842. And yet, the Galapagos, discovered in 1535 by Europeans, has fed the imagination of sailors ever since Melville.

Situated at the meeting point of three oceanic plates, the "Islas de los Galápagos" archipelago is a hot spot, one of those places on the globe where tectonic and volcanic activity is perpetual. The nineteen islands that make up the archipelago are, geologically speaking, among the youngest land masses on the planet. As a result, their rugged relief makes most of them uninhabitable, or only on narrow strips of coastline. The coasts of these islands are subject to a cold current, the Humboldt Current, which originates along the Antarctic and flows up to the Galapagos after skirting the coasts of Chile and Peru. The climate of the archipelago is desert-like, both arid and hot, comparable according to Köppen's classification to that of the deserts of Australia. Average temperatures are high, around 30°C during the hot season (January to May) and around 20°C during the cold season (June to September). This generates a high level of evaporation, greater than the cumulative rainfall, despite the fact that no rivers flow on these islands due to the volcanic relief. Finally, wind regimes are marked by their inconstancy, if Melville is to be believed:

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‍"Nowhere is the wind so light, so uncertain, so deceptive in a hundred ways, so fertile in disconcerting flat calms as in Encantadas."

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And yet, these harsh conditions have made the archipelago a site of major interest for anyone interested in the natural sciences.

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A global biodiversity sanctuary

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Its climate, relief and isolation, which are not conducive to the establishment of a large population, but also its cold waters, which are rich in fish, have given rise to an exceptionally rich biodiversity. This was not lost on the English naturalist Charles Darwin, who spent over a month in the Galapagos in 1835 during his five-year round-the-world expedition aboard the HMS Beagle. He made a sumptuous collection of land and sea birds, shellfish, fish and reptiles, not to mention almost 200 plant species. But it was partly by identifying a type of finch captured on one of the Galapagos that Darwin founded a major scientific theory. This same finch is also found on other islands in the same archipelago, only a few dozen miles apart. But there, it displays clear physiological differences from the first. Darwin hypothesized that these birds, although from the same stock, had developed variations over time due to differences in environment, lifestyle and diet. The theory of evolution by natural selection, or evolutionary radiation, was born. An evolutionary theory that is still relevant today, and to which the naturalist lends his name: Darwinism.

Beyond this anecdote, the characteristics and history of the Galapagos Islands are closely linked to the development of a major scientific theory, making them a founding place for the natural sciences. To such an extent that the archipelago remains an emblematic land for everything to do with biodiversity and species preservation.

In 1978, the Galapagos became UNESCO's first World Heritage Site, as a "living museum and showcase of evolution of outstanding universal value". And since 1998, the archipelago has been home to one of the world's largest marine reserves.

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The Grand Large Yachting World Odyssey 500 offers a highly protected environment, where crews can enjoy the choice of sailing in an organized flotilla. All authorizations, permits and other access licenses to the National Park have been managed upstream by the rally organizers, leaving crews free to enjoy the visit.

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Las Islas de los Galápagos, or Sea Turtle Islands

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The giant Galapagos tortoises are a living emblem of this archipelago. It's only logical that observing them was a highlight for the crews of the Grand Large Yachting World Odyssey 500. Of course, the crews were also able to have some sometimes surprising experiences with other representatives of the animal class present on the islands, and which are often endemic species. For example, Galapagos sea lions trying to climb aboard the yachts via the quarterdeck, or trying to get into a dinghy. Then there are the great thage pelicans, anchovy-fishermen living in colonies on rocky coasts, provided they are bathed by the Humboldt current. Or the rare blue-footed gannets, whose Galapagos population accounts for more than half of the total.

Again, we heard nothing from the crews about any encounters with the famous Galapagos iguanas, either marine or terrestrial, or with the many species of shark that cruise the surrounding waters.

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The main island of Isabela alone is home to five subspecies, whereas the smaller islands have allowed the development of just one. The giant Galapagos tortoises, carefully described by Charles Darwin, were sought after by sailors and pirates as early as the 16th century, for the delicacy of their flesh and the food reserves they represented on board. Fortunately protected today, they are still a notorious attraction, and some of the participants in the Grand Large Yachting World Odyssey 500 couldn't resist testing the solid shelter provided by their shells.

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A convivial reunion

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There, on Friday March 25, they took stock of everyone's needs in terms of fuel, fresh food supplies, and reviewed the administrative formalities required to leave the Galapagos and thus the territory of Ecuador. The organization even ensured the delivery of spare parts directly from France in the luggage of a shipyard representative.

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An Ecuadorian excursion

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The excursion to Santa Cruz on the following Sunday further consolidated the cohesion and good understanding between the crews. An excursion to the National Park, to discover the flora and the equatorial forest, as well as a visit to lava tunnels and a farm where turtles are bred and preserved, generated a great deal of enthusiasm among the participants. The same was true of the discovery - in taste, that is - of various local fruits and breads and cheeses, not unlike mozzarella, which provided an excellent lunch for the day's explorers.

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Everyone was aware of how lucky they were to have been able to visit the Galapagos under such privileged conditions. It's true that this archipelago is today the focus of increasing tourist activity, to the point where it represents a threat to its unique natural environment. On the other hand, all these activities take place in an excellent state of mind, with crews getting to know each other better and socializing with each other and with members of the organization.

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The call of the sea is never far away

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On Monday, it was back to serious business, as the boats were prepared for the crossing to the Marquesas Islands, 4,000 miles away! After intense preparations, including cleaning the boats, it was time to celebrate the holiday with a party, scheduled for Tuesday March 29, the eve of the big departure.

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The event was meticulously prepared by the organizers, with a traditional dance show, dinner for the sailors and a long-awaited ceremony to reward the crew who took the most original photo of the Equator crossing.

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The next morning, following this festive moment of conviviality, the crews set sail for the Marquesas Islands.

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This archipelago in French Polynesia is an official stopover on the Grand Large Yachting World Odyssey 500, for all the crews. Each of the sailors wished their peers a safe crossing, knowing that they could count on each other if need be.

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The next morning, following this festive moment of conviviality, the crews set sail for the Marquesas Islands. This archipelago in French Polynesia is an official stopover on the Grand Large Yachting World Odyssey 500, for all the crews. Each of the sailors wished his peers a safe crossing, knowing that they could count on each other if need be.

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Located 1,000 miles from Angola and almost 1,800 miles from the Brazilian coast, the volcanic island of Saint Helena is one of the 4 islands of the British Overseas Territories, along with Ascension, Tristan da Cunha and Gough.

Discovered in 1502 by the Galician navigator Joao de Nova, in the service of Portugal, the island was later Dutch, before being annexed by the British East India Company, then ceded to the Crown in 1834. The island has always been a choice stopover for merchant ships, allowing them to replenish their supplies of fresh water and fresh food, earning it the name "Auberge de l'Océan" (Ocean Inn).

In 1815, the island had already been loaned to the British government, which, wary of Napoleon Bonaparte after the Hundred Days, and wishing to avoid his return to France, was looking for a place of exile far from Europe. The secluded island of St. Helena in the Southern Hemisphere was the perfect choice!

The island, 11.5 km north-south and 13.5 km east-west, covers an area of 91 ^km2. Its highest point is Green Mountain, 859 m above sea level. Although located in the middle of the intertropical humid zone, it is very dry and has a mild desert climate. Until 2018, the RMS St Helena linked the island (and its distant neighbors in the British Overseas Territories) to Cape Town, South Africa. Today, the island can be reached by air from Jobourg.

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A welcome stopover for circumnavigators between South Africa and Brazil, the island has no sheltered harbour. However, Jamestown Bay, protected from south-westerly winds, does offer a few buoys.

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As the residual swell can be quite pronounced, disembarking by dinghy is strongly discouraged. That's why we offer a friendly roadstead service! From the boat, the view of the high, arid volcanic coastline is both impressive and magnificent.

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What to do once you've disembarked? A visit to Longwood, the house where Napoleon was "detained", is a must! You can also visit Ann's Place, a yacht club with a tropical rather than British atmosphere. The Consulate Hotel also features a collection of Napoleonic relics and maritime objects.

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Last but not least, a tour of the island by car is a must, to discover the three types of landscape: arid volcanic, lush tropical and Scottish country.

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Dolphins, whale sharks, mobula rays... in the crystal-clear waters of St. Helena, marine life enjoys a playground rarely visited by man. Whether snorkeling or scuba diving, this is a paradise for divers, with no fewer than 8 wrecks within easy reach.