Land of the Giants: Norway adventure
Enjoy an epic sail across the North Sea to Norway, the Land of the Giants, for just £2950 per person
NEW for 2024, this 13-day trip combines offshore sailing to one of Norway’s best-loved towns with adventuring in the fjords from the 8th to the 20th June. Highlights include Pulpit Rock (Preikestolen), Stavanger harbour and charming old town, the North Sea crossing, 1000nm of offshore sailing, cruising around the fjords, and skerries of southern Norway.
Beginners and experienced sailors are all welcome; no experience is required on this fantastic experience of a lifetime! At CatZero, we support each other to expand our horizons, and our skilled instructors will be there to teach and support you at every step of the journey. There is also the opportunity to complete the RYA Competent Crew certificate.
Itinerary
The journey will take you 450 miles across the North Sea from Hull Marina arriving in Stavanger on Day 3. Once in open water you’ll settle into a watch system, taking turns to sail through the night.
Days 4 and 5 will give you an opportunity to experience Norwegian life in Stavanger, with its colourful harbour and winding backstreets. Don’t miss coffee (kaffe) and waffles (vafler), though the faint-hearted may want to think twice before trying the brunost!
On day 6, you’ll set sail for Lysefjord where the iconic Pulpit Rock awaits you. A moderate hike will take you to the top of the cliff, which drops 600m down into the fjord below and provides great views of the ‘Land of the Giants’. The next few days will then provide an opportunity to make the most of the immense landscape of the granite-sided fjords and hundreds of islands to explore. If weather allows, there might also be a chance for a spot of fishing, a BBQ, and some swimming for the bold amongst you! You might have a chance to return to Stavanger prior to leaving Norway, or perhaps spend the final night on the peaceful island of Klosteroy, home to a 13th century monastery.
When the right weather conditions become available you’ll set sail for Hull, aiming to arrive on the 19th June for a final night on board. On the 20th June, you’ll help to secure the boat, swap photos, and say your goodbyes.
Places are going fast for this new adventure so don’t hesitate to get in touch. For more information about the voyage, please contact the Skipper and Director of Sailing, Danny, on 07920 553976, or for a booking form please email [email protected] or call the office on 01482 333303.
Rolex Fastnet Race 2025 –
The experience of a lifetime for only £3,995!
The Rolex Fastnet Race is one of the most iconic races in the world attracting many entrants from around the globe. This 695nm race is the highlight of the sailing calendar and is one of the most demanding offshore races. Crossing the Celtic Sea to round the Fastnet Rock off the coast of Ireland, the race finishes in Cherbourg, France.
Twice Round the World Skipper Danny Watson and his experienced team will guide the crew throughout the training and the race. This will be the 9th consecutive race that CatZero have participated in. Participants will join the CatZero yacht on Thursday 24th July 2025 at Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth for inductions, kitting up and boat familiarisation. A training sail will take place on Friday 25th July across to the Cowes Yacht Haven, Isle of Wight, ready for 6 days of action-packed racing, which commences on Saturday 26th July 2025.
The race starts just outside Cowes at the Royal Yacht Squadron start line. The fleet head west to Lands End, before heading over to the Fastnet Rock near the south-west corner of Ireland, before sailing back around the Isles of Scilly eventually finishing in Cherbourg, France (see map of course below). After celebrating the race finish, you will head back to Portsmouth for Sunday 3rd August.
The CatZero Fastnet 2025 package includes:-
Training Session One: Dates to be confirmed
Weekend on board CatZero (Hull Marina), for boat familiarisation and training on River Humber/North Sea.
Training Session Two/North Sea Race 2025: 29 May-2 June 2025 (Join 29 May)
Join the CatZero Yacht at Ipswich in readiness for the North Sea Race to start from Harwich on Friday 30th May. The race then finishes in Scheveningen on Saturday 31st and the evening can be spent taking in the atmosphere and relaxing before you make a steady sail back to the Humber on Monday 2nd June.
Fastnet Race 2025: 24 July-3 August 2025 (Join 24 July)
Join the CatZero Yacht in Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth before sailing across to Cowes Yacht Haven ready for racing which commences on Saturday 26th July. The race will finish in Cherbourg and hopefully there will be time for celebrations on shore before you then head back to Portsmouth for Sunday 3rd August.
- All meals and refreshments on board
- All wet weather gear and safety equipment
- CatZero Polo Shirt
We recommend that everyone take part in the ISAF/World Sailing Offshore Safety (1 day online) course and the RYA Sea Survival course (1 day), though these are not prerequisites for taking part in the race.
Please click on the link below to the RORC website with more information about the Fastnet Race 2025.
https://www.rolexfastnetrace.com/en/.
Places are limited! For a place or further details please email [email protected] for an application form. For any further information please do not hesitate to contact Danny on 07920 553976 or email [email protected].
Corporate Team Building (Sea & Land)
Great teamwork is key to all success and CatZero offers a unique opportunity to challenge, motivate and bond teams – and you take part knowing that you are supporting the work of this vital and unique charity. Tailored to individual needs, we offer management team days, teamwork and leadership challenges, reward and incentive packages and corporate hospitality.
“We are a communications company and as a team we have never communicated better than we did today,” an employee at the end of a day sail activity.
For more details and to discuss your individual needs, contact us.
Sailing and our programmes
Those who sail will appreciate all the skills that a person requires to successfully take part in such an adventure. On board, they need to be a team, working together and helping each other. They are also challenged and must overcome fear and trepidation – in short, the experience builds self-esteem and confidence, in an environment that takes them away from the peer pressure and confines of everyday life back at home.
Our programmes combine this experience – offering both short and long sails – alongside the true challenges our delegates are facing to overcome the obstacles that have so far prevented them from turning their lives around. They are certainly outside their comfort zone as they take part in everything – from being the galley chef, to the engineer and the navigator! Indeed, participants recall overcoming dreadful sea sickness, to cook full meals for their fellow crew members!
We use sailing to underpin the values that people learn on our programmes – we help them find ways to help themselves, and this new-found confidence is put into practice on our sails.
What Will I Need?
You don’t need to be on a programme to sail with us, and for many of our opportunities you don’t need sailing experience. We pulled together a list of frequently asked questions, but please feel free to email [email protected] if you have a question not covered here.
What experience do I need?
For most of our sails, you don’t need any experience of sailing. The only exceptions are the Rolex Fastnet Race and the Round the Island Race, which do benefit from a small level of experience- and it helps to know what you’re getting into!
On each of our sails there are 5 or 6 members of crew who are there to guide you. This is includes either a Skipper and a First Mate, or two Co-Skippers, who are very knowledgeable about sailing and about how to get the best out of the whole team. The rest are then volunteers who often have a wide base of experience themselves.
Many different people sail with us, ranging from people who are looking to get into sailing to veteran sailors. For some, it’s an opportunity to learn a completely new skill, but even for the experienced sailors it can be a chance to sail on a larger vessel and pick up new skills.
If you are worried about what experience is required, please enquire about our taster and day sails, which can give you a feel for the longer voyages.
What is provided?
All food and drink while you are on board is provided, as well as CatZero sailing kit. The kit consists of a life jacket, and then depending on the weather and voyage destination and length can include sailing boots, a warm inner layer (blacks), and a rain-proof outer layer (reds).
What should I wear?
For day or taster sails, make sure that you wear warm and comfortable clothing. It can be especially cold out on the water, and in summer the suns rays are reflected back at you by the water so it is beneficial to wear long sleeves etc to protect yourself from sunburn.
For longer sails, we recommend that most of your clothing is warm and comfortable and that you bring plenty of layers. You then might want to pack some different clothes for when you go ashore.
What are the sleeping arrangements like?
The boat has 18 berths in total, and these images show the main sets of bunks along the port and starboard sides.
Do you cater for different dietary requirements?
We do our best to cater to all dietary requirements, but can’t promise that food will be free of allergens as it is all cooked in a relatively small environment. That being said, we will always strive to prepare accordingly when provided with enough notice. For example, if someone is coming on board who has a severe nut allergy, we will ensure that there are no nuts on board, and that there is a deep clean of the galley before the sail.
On a mixed voyage we can’t guarantee that we’ll be able to supply any halal food, but we will always be able to ensure that vegetarian food is available.
How involved will I get?
Sailing on board CatZero is an interactive and rewarding experience. Anticipate getting involved with all aspects of sailing- even cleaning! On the longer voyages we distribute roles according to a rota so that everyone gets a chance to perform different tasks, but even on the shortest voyages we try to encourage everyone to have a go on the helm.