Telefonica Black competed in the 2008/2009 Volvo Round the World race and this is a fantastic opportunity to get to sail her. Her speed and power are exhilarating and this trip allows you an opportunity to fully experience the boat, without the demands of a long-distance race.

We have a professional Skipper, Mate and crew to keep you safe and help you with all aspects of life on board, from helming to navigation. On an experience weekend we don’t do any night sailing and aim to be tied up in a marina in time for dinner and a beer!

We meet on the Friday night for a safety and deck brief and a chance to meet all the other crew. We will look at the latest weather gribs and decide our route for the morning. Usually, we try to aim for France if the weather allows. Saturday morning we slip lines, raise the mainsail and headsails, then do some skills and drills in the Solent before heading over to France to enjoy some hospitality.

Over the weekend you will have the opportunity to helm, trim and grind your way over the channel! You have the chance to get involved as much as you like, or you can sit back, relax, and enjoy the sail and take in the stunning scenery that the south coast has to offer.

Don’t think this will be a luxury ride though! 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! We do it just as the elite ocean racers do so you truly get a genuine experience.

Mile builders are a 5 day duration ranging between 500 – 1000 miles, and are either UK based or International legs, with at least 2 nights at sea.

Our UK trips start and finish in Portsmouth and include at least 2 overnight sails. Typically we spend the 1st, 3rd, and 5th nights in a marina and the 2nd and 4th nights at sea.

We meet the evening before the departure and have a safety brief, deck brief and you get to know the rest of the team. In the morning we get out the charts, download the weather forecast and decide the route. We try to choose the fastest points of sail, so you get the most miles while still being able to visit some amazing places. Previous trips have visited Zeebruger, Dan Helder, Cherbourg, Falmouth, Dartmouth and Poole. You get to experience work in a watch system, sample the delights of freeze dried food and really get an idea of what it is like to race Telefonica Black. It is a great opportunity if you would like to get a taste of offshore sailing/racing but with the convenience of stopping in a marina now and again!

For our international legs, this is point to point sailing. We have a start port and a finish port and we need to get there. If the wind is favourable we may stop and explore other ports along the way or you may be at sea for the full 5 days without stopping. All the destination ports have great airport access so it is easy to meet us. Whether you decide to cross Biscay, surf waves along the Portuguese coast, cross the Med, sail round Sicily or join us from Gibraltar to Las Palmas you get a truly amazing experience. The wildlife, coast lines, sunsets, fantastic sailing and the friends you make along the way make these trips extremely special.

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! We do it just as the elite ocean racers do so you truly get a genuine experience.

What can you do with the 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.

The crew of Telefonica Black will take you out on the stunning waters of the Solent. You get to feel the power of this amazing racing yacht and have the chance to get involved as much or as little as you like. You will have the opportunity to helm, help with the navigation and grind up the sails like a pro crew. Alternatively, you can sit back, enjoy the sail and take in the stunning scenery that the south coast has to offer.

You don’t need any experience to come along and give sailing this magnificent boat a shot.

In the morning you get fitted with your lifejacket and your wet weather gear and you will have a full safety brief onboard.

We then slip lines and head out into the Solent. Your 1^st task is to grind up the 28 meter main sail on the coffee grinders. 4 people can work together, the grinders have 6 gears and you can tap out when you need to!

Once the headsail is up we will practice some tacking and gybing, before putting a big sail up and going for a blast. Lunch is a freeze-dried pouch and when we are underway we give a boat tour below so you can get the true experience.

We then head back to the marina and have a good debrief in the pub, where we will tell you about all our other trips as we know you will have caught the sailing bug.

There is something completely magical about being out on the open ocean, no artificial light, no traffic jams, no pollution, no phone signal, propelling your way for 1000s of miles just with the power of the wind. Just you, the boat and the sea.

Prior to leaving we have an extensive safety brief, MOB drill, sea survival and a deck brief. We then go out for a sail training day and put the theory into practice. Fresh food gets stocked, passage plans finalised, weather downloaded, satellite phone topped up, tracker on. One final land shower and we set sail for distant shores.

On the way we can guarantee that you will see mother nature at her awe-inspiring best, be pushed and tested in only a way that offshore ocean sailing can do to you and you will come away with a huge sense of achievement, friends for life and some finely honed sailing skills.

Now the question is, what type of ocean crosser are you?

Race the tradewinds for some epic downwind sailing in the company of hundreds of other boats?  Or going it alone, learning about the ocean weather and routing with stops along the way?

When you book onto one of our races you are fully committing yourself, you are not a passenger on this boat. We really feel strongly that this is your boat to race and we facilitate that in every way we can. We keep the boat running, look after you, keep you fed and watered and provide support on all the watches. We provide a professional skipper, 2 watch leaders and a Navigator.

You are split into 2 watches. On short races they are 3 hour watches and on longer races they are 4 hours. The skipper floats between both watches and is always on hand if you need him. The watch leaders help(s) you in all aspects of the deck, from sail changes to evolutions. They have experience on the yacht and will keep you safe. The navigator is there for your safety. As a crew you will call the race tactics and course, however the navigator is onboard to help guide you, explain the boats polars, let you know the wind rating on the sails and most importantly, make sure you don’t bump into anything! They also do all the cooking and cleaning so you get to focus on racing.

We cover a broad spectrum of different types of racing and there is something for everyone.

Telefonica Black competed in the Volvo Round the World Race and you can have the opportunity to charter her for either a day, weekend or for a race series. The boat comes with a professional skipper, mate and up to 3 crew members depending on your needs. She can take up to 12 guests and we can accommodate you on the boat or can organise hotel and dining packages.

During the summer months she is located in Portsmouth, but we can relocate the boat anywhere in the UK to suit your requirements as long as there is deep enough water. During the winter months she is located in the Caribbean.

We specialise in creating a tailor made package to suit you and your guests exact needs on and off the water. On the water we work with some fantastic leadership experts to create bespoke training and teambuilding days. You can also book the boat for sail training or just to have a fantastic day/weekend with friends. Alternatively you can book the whole boat for a race series or program.

We can organise everything from travel, accommodation, entertainment and dining experiences. Just get in touch with your requirements and we can facilitate them for you.

After a year of being cooped up by covid, what better way to bring your team back together than by getting out on the water. Come join us on Telefonica Black, its team building without any of the ice breakers, trust exercises or eye rolls! Our aim is for you to have a mini adventure aboard a world class racing yacht, and to do that you need to work as a team, trust each other and communicate effectively – all the perks, none of the yawns.