Choosing today, sailing tomorrow

The essential qualities of a sailboat designed for polar expeditions or high-latitude exploration

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High latitudes refer to areas beyond 60° north and south latitude. In the Northern Hemisphere, in the Arctic, we think of Iceland and Greenland, with their breathtaking landscapes. And the mythical Northwest Passage, which links the Pacific and Atlantic oceans via the north of the American continent. In the southern hemisphere, although a little above the ^60th parallel, Patagonia, the Falklands, South Georgia, the Kerguelens, Crozet... are also dream destinations, where some dare to venture. And last but not least, Antarctica, thanks to the possibility of receiving reliable weather forecasts for several days ahead, is also becoming a playground for sailors who love wide open spaces.

But sailing in these conditions, with their sometimes freezing temperatures, often very strong winds and the presence of drifting ice and icebergs, requires a sailboat designed to cope with these conditions. Let's take a look at the essential features of a sailboat designed for high latitudes.

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Ice-strength

Even if you venture into these waters during the summer, you're bound to encounter icebergs that you can avoid, but also growlers that will rub against your hull. A sailboat destined for polar sailing must have a reinforced hull capable of withstanding impacts with ice.aluminium, the material used by Garcia Yachtsis ideal for this: it's light, strong and can deform without breaking on impact.

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Thermal insulation for extreme temperatures

At high latitudes, temperatures can drop well below zero. It's vital to have pleasant warmth inside the boat, without consuming too much energy. Sailing boats Garcia Yachts are designed with double-glazing and full thermal insulation, which reduces condensation and helps maintain a pleasant temperature on board, with appropriate heating, even in the middle of an Arctic winter.

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Autonomy: essential far from any port

When you venture into high latitudes, you know you're going to find very few ports on your itinerary. It's therefore impossible to refill diesel tanks, stock up on victuals or find spare parts. A sailboat designed for high latitudes must therefore be able to sail autonomously for several weeks at a time, with ample carrying and storage capacity, large fuel tanks, and high-performance energy production and communication systems.

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centreboarder : an asset in the shape of the sea

Venturing into high latitudes means accepting the possibility of encountering very rough seas with breakers. A centreboarder, with the daggerboard raised when sailing downwind, will behave more smoothly and safely in the event of breakers, over which it will glide, without the tripping effect of a keelboat. This is an essential characteristic of Garcia Yachts (find out more about the centreboarder).

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High latitudes, polar challenges, the Northwest Passage: why choose a Garcia sailboat?

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Did you know? At the origin of the creation of the Garcia Exploration 45, released in 2013, was Jimmy Cornell's project to complete the Northwest Passage. He approached the Garcia YachtsGarcia Yachts, in whom he had the utmost confidence, to design and build a boat made to tackle these high latitudes.

The main elements of the specifications for tackling these magnificent, but not always welcoming, lands were: aluminium hull , for safety in the event of ice encounters; centreboarder, for seaworthy behavior in heavy seas at downwind speeds; deck saloon, for keeping watch from inside; interior thermal insulation, double glazing and watertight door, to maintain a mild temperature inside. An ideal sailboat for high latitudes!

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They did it

After Jimmy Cornell, other sailors have visited these polar regions aboard Garcia. Discover the story of Life Explorer, a Garcia Exploration 52 that visited Svalbard (read the story). Or that of three Garcia Exploration 45 who successfully completed the Northwest Passage in 2024(read more). Or that of BalthazaR, another Garcia Exploration 45 , which made it to Antarctica in 2024(read the story).

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Explore high latitudes with Garcia

The Garcia Exploration 45, 52 and 60 models have been specifically designed to navigate in these high latitudes. Safety, comfort, autonomy: everything has been thought out for adventuring in these polar regions.

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Which sailboat should you choose for a solo, double or family round-the-world trip?

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The choice of a sailboat for a round-the-world trip often depends first and foremost on the number of people who will be on board. Whether it's maneuverability for a small crew, volume, space, comfort or privacy for a family or several couples, it's crucial to choose the length and configuration of your round-the-world sailboat according to the number of people who will be on board. Each crew configuration has its own requirements in terms of size, space and comfort.

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A sailboat for a solo round-the-world trip

Sailing alone means first and foremost choosing a sailboat that's easy to handle, both at sea and in port. A 40 to 45-foot boat is recommended. The Garcia Exploration 45 features reasonable sail areas, and the cutter sail plan with furling system makes maneuvering even easier. With the centreboarder up, the boat is smoother on downwind points of sail, and thanks to its twin rudders, puts less strain on the autopilot, essential for a solo sailor. We also appreciate the ease of movement and the number of handrails for safety.

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A sailboat for a round-the-world trip for two

For two people, you might consider a slightly larger yacht, between 40 and 50 feet, offering greater comfort without compromising ease of manoeuvring. The size will depend on the number of people you plan to invite to your stopovers. A Garcia Exploration 52, for example, offers different port aft cabin configurations, with single, removable double or permanent double berths. You'll also gain space in the saloon and cockpit to better accommodate family and friends.

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Sailboat for a round-the-world family trip

If you're planning a family round-the-world trip, you'll want at least 3 cabins, so that everyone has their own comfort and a little privacy. In that case, you'll opt for a 50 to 60-foot yacht, or even a catamaran. You need more sleeping space, but also more stowage space, for your personal belongings, but also for supplies for several weeks at a time. Choose a Garcia Exploration 52, available in 2 or 3 cabins, or theExploration 60 in 3 or 4 cabins. If you're setting sail with young children, you'll particularly appreciate the deck saloon, which offers short descents with few steps. Another advantage of this configuration is that, when sailing, the saloon can be transformed into a double berth, making it an ideal living space for children, well secured and at the heart of the living area, but without disrupting the flow of traffic. The Garcia's well-protected cockpits, with their closed sterns, will also reassure parents.

A sailboat for a round-the-world trip with a crew

Some of you, for greater peace of mind, will decide to set off with the help of a skipper or a dedicated crew member. In this case, we'll be looking at boats offering interior configurations with a dedicated cabin, often a little removed from the central life of the boat, and with its own privacy. The Garcia Exploration 60 , for example, offers a cabin under the saloon, ideally positioned in the center of the boat. And a Garcia Explocat 52, in a 4-cabin configuration, can also accommodate a crew.

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Round-the-world sailing: what characteristics should you take into account when choosing your boat?

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monohull or multihull?

Is it a rational choice? There are enthusiasts on both sides. Objectively speaking, a monohull is simpler to handle, easier to slip in and out of... A catamaran undeniably offers more volume, and above all surface area: living area, cockpit surface area. But the sensations at sea are different. The choice really depends on your approach and sensations.

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Keelboat or centreboarder ?

When we sail around the world, we often dream of the beaches of the Grenadines, the lagoons of the Bahamas or the Pacific. The centreboarder offers an indisputable advantage: the ability to get as close to the shore as possible, when keelboats have to stay further away, in the midst of the crowds of other sailboats. The centreboarder also offers unrivalled comfort at sea, especially when the daggerboard is raised on downwind courses, which are the most common on a round-the-world trip through the tropics.

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Composite or aluminium ?

Here, too, there are the convincing arguments for each material. While there are many composite sailboats sailing around the globe,aluminium's unrivalled strength makes it an obvious choice for a round-the-world program. In the event of impact, it bends but does not break. And above and beyond the safety it provides, it is above all a real psychological comfort, bringing serenity to the crew.

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A sailboat for extreme latitudes?

If you're planning to visit Svalbard, Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica or make the Northwest Passage, you need a sailboat designed for the job.aluminium is a must when it comes to tackling ice. Thermal insulation, combined with double glazing and radiator heating, as on a Garcia Exploration, will bring you another dimension of comfort. The deck saloon allows you to watch from inside when conditions are too cold or too rough.

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Meeting the technical challenge of a round-the-world trip: the obvious advantages of an aluminium centreboarder

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To sail around the world, you need a sailboat in which you have total confidence. A sailboat that can withstand all wind and sea conditions. Comfort on board is also essential, for long periods of life aboard. Visit Garcia Yachts are ideal for round-the-world sailing. Sturdy, with their aluminium hull , they are extremely safe. centreboarders, they are very comfortable at sea and can reach shallow anchorages. Their insulated, double-glazed interior is ideal for extreme temperatures. And their deck saloon configuration, with 270° views, makes it possible to keep watch from inside, whatever the weather conditions.  

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Equipment & services: from must-haves to nice-to-haves

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The essentials for sailing around the world

For a round-the-world trip, even with a crew, autopilot is highly recommended. As Garcia Exploration boats are double rudders, the boat is better controlled and the pilot is less stressed. Even if the Garcia Exploration boats have large water tanks, a Watermaker means that water use is less constrained, and you can be sure of the quality of your water, which is not always guaranteed in certain regions. In terms of electrical autonomy, Solar panels are the ideal solution for recharging batteries.

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The "nice to haves" you won't want to do without

If you're planning to visit cold countries, heating is obviously essential. At Garcia Yachts you can also choose water radiator heating, which provides gentle, even heat. Depending on the type of equipment you want on board, in addition to the Solar panels, you can choose to install an electric generator for even greater autonomy. Then there's the question of Internet connection... Are you planning to cut yourself off from the world, or do you want to be able to check the weather at all times? The choice is yours...

Make your round-the-world sailing project a reality

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They did it

Many sailors have made their dreams come true with a Garcia sailboat. Read their testimonials on our blog:

• Eight years around the world
• A unique world tour

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Your world tour with Garcia

The Garcia Exploration 45, 52 and 60 models are designed to meet the demands of blue water cruising. Discover our sailboats and make your project a reality today!

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In this article, we'll detail what makes the centreboarder such a special choice, its sailing advantages, its relative disadvantages and why it's ideal for sailors looking for freedom and safety.

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What is a centreboarder ?

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A centreboarder is a sailboat whose fixed keel is replaced by a mobile, retractable centerboard, which can be fully retracted into the hull by pivoting on an axis. In this way, the boat's draft is reduced to the submerged volume of the hull, which means that in the raised position, the yacht can navigate in very shallow areas and even run aground without risk on a beach or sandbank. When lowered, the centerboard acts as an anti-drift plane, as with a keelboat, enabling the yacht to sail upwind, close-hauled, without skidding. centreboarders Garcia Yachts meet the same stability requirements as keelboats.

Compared with keelboats, centreboarder offer far greater freedom of navigation. In particular, it allows access to wild anchorages in shallow waters, to get as close as possible to a beach where others can't go, and in bad weather, a centreboarder can also take shelter in small anchorages, sheltered from the coast. aluminium models, like those designed and produced by Garcia Yachtscombine sturdiness and safety, essential for offshore sailing.

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Advantages and disadvantages of aluminium centreboarder

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Versatile navigation

The first advantage of a centreboarder with a shallow draft is access to shallow water. Unlike keelboats, beaches, lagoons and rivers are all accessible to a centreboarder. And with a safe aluminium hull , even the most adventurous can venture into poorly mapped areas. For long-distance travelers, the centreboarder solution is ideal.

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Smooth sailing

With the centreboarder raised on downwind points of sail, a centreboarder offers much smoother movement, thanks to the virtual absence of roll. In heavy seas, the boat can skid sideways, with no side-hook effect, and - the ultimate safety feature - remain maneuverable, even in breaking waves. Life on board is all the smoother and more comfortable, which is essential for long crossings lasting several days or even weeks.

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Security

From a safety point of view, a centreboarder, thanks to his Shallow draft , can, in the event of very bad conditions, find refuge as close to the coast as possible, in a shallow cove, to take shelter. A keelboat will be unable to do the same.

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Upwind performance

In the minds of many, centreboarders offer poor upwind performance. But today's hulls have come a long way in terms of performance. Of course, a centreboarder will never head as far upwind as a keelboat, but the great French naval architect Olivier Racoupeau has designed modern, stable and well-balanced hulls for the GarciaExploration that sail upwind honestly, thanks in particular to their optimized weight distribution, inertia and comfortable passage through the wave.

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Care and maintenance

A centreboarder allows you to land on a beach. When blue water cruising, you can inspect your living works without having to take the boat out of the water. It also provides easy access to sacrificial anodes for checking and replacement. If the boat needs to be taken out of the water for wintering, it will always be easier to handle and find a place for a centreboarder.

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Analuminium centreboarder to go where?

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Offshore sailing and blue water cruising

A centreboarder is ideal for adventurers traversing the oceans, from the Northwest Passage to the Tropics. Its comfort at sea, especially downwind, is particularly well suited to this program.

Blog link to "Grand voyage" article

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Coastal navigation and shallow waters‍

For those who don't plan to cross the oceans, the centreboarder is just as suitable, thanks to its Shallow draft , which allows access to the most isolated anchorages, close to shore or in rivers.

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Difficult weather conditions‍

For sailors who are going to encounter strong wind and sea conditions, particularly in the Arctic and Antarctic, the centreboarder is also especially recommended, both for its seaworthy qualities in heavy seas, and for its ability to take shelter in inaccessible areas.

Blog link to "Hautes Latitudes" article

Around the world

‍Whensailing around the world, mostly on downwind points of sail, when weather hazards may be encountered, when the boat will need to be checked and sometimes wintered ashore, the aluminium centreboarder is undeniably the ideal solution.
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Blog link to "Around the world" article

‍The centreboarder by Garcia Yachts

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Garcia Yachts designsaluminium Twin rudders centreboarders for adventure. For all the qualities listed above, the shipyard is convinced that this is the best type of sailboat for exploring the world under sail, off the beaten track. Garcia Exploration cabin cruisers, available in 45-, 52- and 60-foot versions, also offer exceptional on-board comfort, thanks in particular to their deck saloon, thermal insulation and incomparable finish quality.

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Thealuminium centreboarder represents the quintessence of the cruising sailboat: freedom, safety and versatility. At Garcia Yachtswe are passionate about developing them for sailors in search of distant horizons. Whether it's an expedition in cold seas or an exploration of turquoise waters, our sailboats are designed to take their owners wherever their dreams take them.

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