Nordic Odyssey 24 just a few days away from departure
by Grand Large Yachting 21 Dec 2024 03:26 AEDT
Eleven sailboats from the Grand Large Yachting group set off to discover the major cities of Northern Europe during a nine-month sailing trip © Grand Large Yachting
Eleven sailboats from the Grand Large Yachting group set off to discover the major cities of Northern Europe during a nine-month sailing trip.
As 2024 comes to its end, the shipyards of Groupe Grand Large Yachting and the technicians at Grand Large Services are busily preparing the 11 boats that will embark on a 10-month cruise from the Canaries to the Baltic Sea, via the Azores in spring, Ireland, Scotland and Norway to Stockholm in July 2025. The adventure will then continue in early August to London via the Dutch and Belgian coasts, before heading back to France with stopovers in Cherbourg and Lorient. The fleet will then starts the final leg to Lisbon, where arrival is scheduled for the end of September.
Adventure is at your door
With this new route, Grand Large Yachting continues to offer its owners solutions to realize their dream of long-distance cruising.
Grand Large Yachting has launched its range of rallies in 2021 with a round-the-world voyage in 3 years, the World Odyssey. This new rally is an opportunity to try out a shorter format and a variety of sailing styles, all while allowing greater flexibility for participants, who will never be very far from their home port after all.
This winter, participants will be able to stroll in the Canary Islands, experience lock passage on the mythical Caledonian Canal, approach the more hostile regions of northern Norway, or sample the Baltic Sea this summer.
"Our mission is to enable everyone, experienced sailor or not, to realize their dream of a short or long sailing voyage, while respecting the oceans, by providing security, peace of mind and support at every stage of the project," explains Xavier Desmarest, co-founder of the Grand Large Yachting Group.
The boats taking part in the rally represent a fine range of the Group's yachts: one RM, two Allures and eight Outremer. The fleet will sail together to the official ports of call, and everyone will be free to sail at their own pace during the free cruising periods. The right balance between support and freedom of movement is indeed the hallmark of these events.
Another special feature of this rally is the technical stopovers organized by Grand Large Services, where owners can work with technicians to maintain their boats along the way.
Grand Large Services handles all the logistics for this rally, with an event manager present throughout the sailing program to reserve berths at official and technical stops, coordinate arrivals and departures from the various countries, organize social and tourist activities, and lead a skippers' briefing before each leg departure. This support reassures participants, enabling them to develop their independence at their own pace and according to their own wishes.
Figures of the NO24
The fleet
- 11 boats including 8 catamarans and 3 monhulls, sailing the whole routes or specific legs
- 3 yards from Grand Large Yachting represented (Allures, Outremer, RM)
- 6 nationalities represented
The route
- 6 500+ nautic miles to sail
- 6 official stops
- 3 technical stops
- 1 océan, 4 seas and 2 canals to sail through
One partner organization: Biosean, a scientific cetacean-watching program based in Tenerife.
Betty & Franck
S/V Maringaux, Outremer 51
"I had a tight hope of convincing Betty to discover northern sailing. To my great surprise, she was on board within 15 minutes. The proposed route is enchanting and so unusual... The idea of crossing Scotland and the Highlands made us dream: we discovered the existence of the Caledonian Canal. Alternating between locks and Lochs through this historic landmark, boating past the foot of Ben Nevis and ending up in Loch Ness... all this will undoubtedly be very emotional".
Philippe
S/V Yolo, Outremer 55
"As soon as Outremer told me about the project, I signed up. Having the organization, logistics and assistance of Grand Large Services is reassuring and comfortable. The varied and sometimes sporty navigation of these seas and oceans, the discovery of canals, the diversity of coasts, ports and anchorages, the opportunity to sail in the North Atlantic, the North Sea, the Baltic Sea and the English Channel immediately appealed to me. I'm already dreaming of spending part of the summer in Scandinavia".