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Train with World Champions and Vendee Globe Racers. Bay of Biscay Expedition 2023

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4.9
Based on 164 reviews
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Adventure sailing holidays

Adventure Sailing: Bucket List Adventures

– Take part in sailing adventures others can only dream of –

Arctic | Caribbean | Europe | Coastal | Offshore

60’ sailing yachts
and exploring ashore

Full training
included

Solo crew or
groups welcome

4.9
Based on 164 reviews
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An adventure sailing holiday is something that any one can take part in. Solo crew or groups are welcome and most adventures require no previous experience. Join the crew and sail to and explore spectacular high latitude regions such as Svalbard, Iceland, Norway and the Faroes. Alternatively, tick off a high adrenalin bucket list item and set sail across the Atlantic Ocean, Norwegian or Caribbean Sea. Whether it’s sailing hundreds of miles offshore, anchoring amidst icebergs and taking the RIB ashore to explore or just exploring Britain’s beautiful coast, Rubicon 3 runs Europe’s leading adventure sailing holidays, with over 30 magical adventures for you to take part in.

Our speciality is helping those with little or no previous sailing experience take a full part in the expeditions. Our expert skippers give you full training onboard so that you can learn and be fully involved in the adventure from day one, whatever your background. All ages above 18 are welcome, 90% join solo, and it’s usually a 50:50 mix of men and women. Most importantly, we know you are on holiday so you will benefit from the world famous Rubicon 3 ethos, which means supremely professional training and a gentle, supportive environment onboard where everyone can learn at their own pace and truly enjoy the experience.


See what our customers have to say

RUBICON 3
4.9
Based on 164 reviews
Belinda Norman-Walker
Belinda Norman-Walker
09:22 08 Dec 23
Just finished the Canaries to Madeira trip on Starling with the amazing Thorben (Skipper) and Phoebe (Mate). The boat was immaculate and wonderful to sail. The itinerary was exactly as described on the website with a nice mix of long and short passages in varying weather conditions. Guest experience ranged from “never been on a yacht before” to “own my boat” and the Rubicon3 team ensure that everyone got what they wanted from the trip. Would 100% recommend this to anyone looking for real sailing.
John Cronin
John Cronin
09:20 08 Dec 23
Fantastic trip, brilliant skipper and mate. Proper sailing!!
Rosie F
Rosie F
07:08 08 Dec 23
Dai Roberts-Harry
Dai Roberts-Harry
11:54 27 Oct 23
Bay of Biscay trip was quite a challenge with F7-9 winds and 6m swell. Got what I wanted which was heavy weather experience! Boat managed conditions really well. Skipper Patrick and 1st mate Michelle were superb. Friendly, funny and excellent sailers.
jo bower
jo bower
11:16 27 Oct 23
A fantastic experience. Lots of opportunity to learn even for the experienced sailor.The boats are high octane and it’s certainly wasn’t ‘cruising’!
Jonathan Newby
Jonathan Newby
20:38 22 Oct 23
Really lovely & enthusiastic staff, from back office to onboard the boat. Felt really looked after, and in safe hands when at sea. I would happily sail again with Rubicon 3
Hugo Russell
Hugo Russell
10:40 13 Oct 23
A quality experience from beginning to end and one that helped to improve my yacht handling & knowledge by learning from highly capable Skippers & First Mates.A bonus being the sharing of photos & videos between the crew, so you get menories of your trip that are better than just selfies.Having done several trips with Rubicon3, Faroe Islands (2017), Channel Islands (2022), Portsmouth to Falmouth (2023), you know you are in for a memorable and safe adventure with them.The company delivers on their strap line of: Sail | Train | Explore.
Simon Miller
Simon Miller
10:14 13 Oct 23
tjwist
tjwist
06:42 26 Sep 23
Great few days sailing with Rubicon 3. This was a real adventure and, due to the weather, a real challenge. If you're looking for proper sailing in a safe environment then I would recommend going for it.
Tal “TC” Cohen
Tal “TC” Cohen
18:25 25 Sep 23
Sailing from Scotland to Portsmouth was an incredible experience, but it's not a relaxing boat trip. I'm used to sailing chartered boats with all the amenities and technology, but this boat didn't even have an autopilot or a Bimini top. Going back a century. if you want to try a 60-foot clipper it is here for you.My feeling, this is a complete sailing class, not a voyage. You will learn from the skipper and mates,. students come here to get their license log. or to experience sailing on a clipper boat (that was me).So my take is complicated. I will do it a different way, I would probably take a few of my friends and charter a boat. If you do not have the friends or means to this. This is a great alternative. if you decide to go sailing with rubican3 and your idea is to relax I would suggest calling them and ask them what they recommend. They are very helpful and caring
Lucia Tsai
Lucia Tsai
11:37 20 Sep 23
I learned so much on my Faroe Islands - Norway trip that I want to sail more with Rubicon 3. Amazingly knowledgeable and patient skipper and mate.
thomas halaszynski
thomas halaszynski
17:27 11 Sep 23
William Crawley
William Crawley
16:12 11 Sep 23
Rubicon 3 provided a touchstone life experience. The boat and crew were top notch, with a friendly onboard environment that encouraged crew to challenge themselves to learn and try new skills.
Themos Tsikas
Themos Tsikas
15:06 11 Sep 23
Iceland-Faroes-Scotland: fabulous experience, big shout-out to Holly and Michelle who got us through it and read the conditions perfectly. The Colvic 60 birds are going strong! Can't wait for my next trip!
Rita Stallings
Rita Stallings
14:41 11 Sep 23
Sarah Owen-Vandersluis
Sarah Owen-Vandersluis
13:05 11 Sep 23
Excellent experience - sailed from Svalbard to Iceland - a real adventure! I learned a lot and was challenged too but in a safe learning environment, which was just what I had hoped for. Holly was an excellent skipper and Bob a great first mate. All around excellent
Sarah Lloyd
Sarah Lloyd
16:28 24 Aug 23
Another wonderful trip with Rubicon in Svalbard. Walrus, bears, whales, glaciers, mountains - all up close and very personal. Couldn't have asked for a better expedition experience.Had a wonderful trip sailing with Rubicon 3 from the Faroe Islands to the Arctic Circle and the Lofotens in Norway. Wonderful Captain and Mate, great crew, comfortable bunks, "heating"!!!, good food, lots of fun and lots of learning whatever level you were at. Can't recommend too highly, and I'm going again next summer, too.
John Amos
John Amos
12:19 22 Aug 23
Great adventure sail training holiday in the Norwegian Lofoten Islands.
Tony Greenwood
Tony Greenwood
06:00 17 Aug 23
Sailed with Rubicon 4 times, looking for my 5th trip says it all.
Ricky Rølle
Ricky Rølle
16:51 06 Aug 23
Fantastisk tur. Rundturen på Færøerne kunne have været lidt længere, men vejret tvang os til at starte passagen mod Norge. Passagen i sig selv skal man lige vende sig til, men rutinen kommer, og så fungerer det fint. Rundturen omkring Bodø er fantastisk, vi fandt både en fantastisk havn i Kjerringøy og en op-ankring ved øen Bliksvær. Gode og dygtige besætningsmedlemmer, og fantastiske medpassagerer. Absolut anbefalelsesværdigt selskab og tur.
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More about Rubicon 3 and our adventure sailing routes

You can join a Coastal Adventure such as our Faroe Islands Explorer, or wonderful Loch Fyne and the Isles of Arran or you could head up to the high latitudes and explore somewhere such as Norway’s Lofoten Islands. If your heart is set on a big offshore passage and heading hundreds of miles offshore, then why not sail the Atlantic Ocean with us, or make a high adrenalin passage such as Norway and Iceland or Jamaica to New York City.

For those with previous experience, looking for intensive real world skills building, we also run a series of Skills Builders and specialist Skipper Development routes. Whatever your goal, it’s all but certain we have the perfect sailing adventure just waiting for you.

More about Coastal adventures

From 5 to 12 days, these are perfect for any level of sailor, from absolute beginners wanting to learn to sail to those with more experience. Our Coastal sailing holidays are run in wild and wonderful places, but always close to shore and with plenty of time to explore ashore.

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Some days you’ll berth in a town centre, small port or marina. Others you’ll be at.anchor in beautiful hidden bays. You could sail and explore the crystal clear waters and sun soaked beaches of the Caribbean’s Grenadine or Windward Islands. These are magical island chains, fringed with white sand and palm trees and perfect places for those who love snorkelling.

If spectacular wildlife grabs your heart, head to the puffin paradise of the Faroe Islands or the polar region of Svalbard, a magical world of glaciers, icebergs, walrus and polar bears. For those who love stunning landscapes, culture and history, the west coast of Scotland is rightly famous around the world, as are the coast of Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. Whichever route you choose, it’s a new destination every day with plenty of time to explore ashore.

More aboutOffshore passages

Our offshore voyages head hundreds of miles out to sea, sailing from one country to another. This is where you’ll experience the ultimate freedom of life out on the mighty ocean. It is a world of white specked waves and endless horizons, gorgeous sun sets, heart warming sunrises and white blanket of stars at night.

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Sometimes you’ll be drifting in hot sun, searching for ripples of wind, other times battening down the hatches to cope with stronger winds and bigger seas. The feeling you get when making landfall in a new country is an experience you’ll share with sailors throughout the generations and the satisfaction from completing an offshore voyage or crossing an ocean something you’ll never forget.

More aboutSkipper Masterclasses

Building skills and experience is hard once you’ve got your Day Skipper, Coastal or Yachtmaster. Despite having the ‘ticket’, in our experience many courses don’t prepare you for skippering a passage of any length and inevitably the skills you do have fade without regular practice.

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A typical candidate on our skills builders or skipper development courses might have got their sailing qualifications in Greece but are not confident in the tidal waters of the UK. For other, it’s been a few years since they sailed and everything has just got really rusty. More experienced sailors might be wanting to learn how to take on a longer passage so they can head to a foreign port themselves.

Whatever your current situation, if rapid improvement in skills and confidence is your goal, these skills builders and skipper development courses are exactly what you need.

Full financial protection Book with confidence

We know how confusing it can be to understand the consumer protection you get for your holiday, with a mix of schemes such as ATOL scheme, whether the company has an ATOL certificate, protection from ABTA and such like. With Rubicon 3, it’s simple because we give you the best protection of all.

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To ensure you are totally financially protected and can book with real confidence we deposit all money you pay for your booking with the Protected Trust Service. It means if for any reason your booking cannot be fulfilled, you get a guaranteed, immediate refund. To find out more about our Refund Guarantees, Financial protection and Covid Guidance, click here

Further Information for your Sailing holiday

We know how hard it can be to choose the right sailing holiday. In fact, with so many holiday options, it’s very common to need some advice to make sure you get the right trip to the perfect destination and for help with connecting travel.

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You can speak with us as much as you want before making a booking. We are proud of our great service and no question is too simple or too obvious. Our HQ team, based here in England, will give you the advice you need, from which type of trip to join, what to expect on board the yacht, which destinations you might find most fun – right down to which start and end port you need to get to and when. Our adventures are not flight-inclusive holidays so our team will also be happy to help you pick the right flights to connect to and from the yacht. If ever you need more information, all you have to do is get in touch.

More about Our ethos & skippers

Rather than luxury yachts, Rubicon 3 sailing holidays are run on spectacular 60’ expedition yachts, custom built to take on oceans and expeditions off the beaten track. These boats are perfect whether you want to learn to sail for the first time or cross the Atlantic Ocean.

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Being one of the most skilful and experienced skippers in the industry is given for a Rubicon 3 skipper. However, it’s not enough and to run our adventure holidays and expeditions, they also have to be exceptionally kind, patient and good company. Too many crew join us having previously had a bad sailing experience which damaged their confidence or even been shouted at. It is the antithesis of the sailing spirit and you will find our skippers and mates to be warm, inspirational and hugely caring..

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Who we are

Blueco Holdings Ltd, t/a Rubicon 3 Adventure
20 – 22 Wenlock Road, London, N1 7GU

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