- Bátar spirit -
training schedule
sailing school
In November 2025, Orkan joins her Mediterranean home port to begin sea trials and assemble her crew. From November to January, we will welcome the men and women who have applied for the crossing. Over several days, you will get to discover the boat, take part in the association’s life on the quayside and sail aboard Orkan on a multi-day passage. It will be your chance to discover longship sailing, begin your training and confirm your wish to join the crew for the crossing. For our part, our mission will be to pass on the Bátar philosophy, ashore and at sea, and to make sure that every person selected is able to grow, technically and personally, towards the ultimate goal: the crossing and its records.
In February 2026, Orkan will be moored in her final departure port in Brittany. The final crew comes together for two and a half months of intensive training, during which they will define and test the allocation of roles, organise the watches, perfect manoeuvres, plan the route, organise provisioning, prepare the necessary equipment and carry out the last maintenance work. At Bátar, taking part in an expedition also means preparing the boat and all the logistics that come with an adventure of this scale. As a member of the association, one of your missions will also be to take part in events organised by the association to welcome our public, sponsors and generous partners on board, at events ashore or at sea.
- goal -
preparing for 2027
the challenge of the EXPEDITION
Orkan is leaving the Mediterranean for Brittany, from where she will set off on the transatlantic crossing in 2027. This expedition is divided into six weeks, from Sète to Lorient.
For the boat, it is a chance to test her limits and push her performance to the maximum.
For the crew, it is the perfect opportunity to learn to listen to her, feel her and develop sailing routines.
heading for the atlantic
Passing the legendary Strait of Gibraltar to link the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, sailing up the Portuguese and then Spanish coasts before taking on the unforgiving Bay of Biscay. An ambitious route that will bring out the very best in the crew.
As on our previous expeditions, the route is divided into one-week legs so that as many members as possible can come aboard Orkan. Each week, the boat reaches a new port and part of the crew changes over.
- experimentation -
teaching and learning
sailing
Hoisting the sail in all weathers, reefing, lowering it, tacking to sail upwind.
Covering as many miles as possible under sail and repeating manoeuvres to prepare for performance.
life on board
Sleeping on board, cooking, living and sharing: each week, thirty sailors will try to find the routines that make Orkan perform.
Longships are crewed sailing vessels – only communication, rigour and kindness will get us safely to port.
safety
We will test Orkan’s technical capabilities and the strength of her materials in extreme sailing conditions.
- our values -
inclusion and accessibility
On board, commitment and determination are the watchwords.
Since 2020, our sea expeditions aboard the longships we built have enabled dozens of people to come aboard to discover sailing or improve their skills.
A Bátar expedition means nights sailing under the stars, the feeling of the boat driven by her 180 m² of sail, intense moments on deck and a close-knit crew working together to drive the boat forward.
If you dream of human adventure and life at sea, there’s a place for you with us!
Orkan is proudly aiming for gender parity on board for the transatlantic crossing. In 2026, women’s involvement at the shipyard and at sea reached a record high in the association.
Following in the footsteps of our women shipyard leaders and skippers, this expedition is the perfect opportunity to train many more women sailors.
- Bátar spirit -
Crossing schedule and commitment
5 months of availability
We meet in early February on the Brittany coast, in the port we will set sail from. Intensive training with the selected crew begins in February. From that date until we reach the American continent, we need your full-time commitment for 5 months. The selected crew will be fed and housed near our departure base so they can devote themselves fully to training. For 2 months, the crew will prepare physically, technically and as a team for the departure. The goal: to build true crew cohesion and synergy – the kind that makes the greatest adventures at sea possible.
In mid-April, Orkan leaves her home port and puts to sea, escorted by the finest boats. She sets course for Scotland. In early May, the great crossing begins. The expedition will take 30 to 45 days, depending on weather windows. At the end of June, Orkan will cut through American waters to reach New York. Once the celebrations are over, a week of laying-up will be needed to carry out maintenance work before leaving her until the next adventure.
- to the rhythm of the watches -
sailing day and night
Orkan’s crew is made up of around thirty members who will later be divided, according to their interests and affinities, into 3 groups called watches.
On board, this choreography is directed by the captain and the first mate, who work hand in hand with the watch leaders, as we have always done on our previous expeditions.
– one watch sails the boat (sail trim, helming, navigation…),
– one watch keeps the boat and crew in working order (repairs, cooking, fitting out…)
– one watch is off duty and uses its free hours to rest.
- planning -
a week on board
before and after sailing
A week aboard Orkan packs in a wealth of experiences that help you progress and get to know the sea through total immersion.
– stopovers in port or at anchor depending on weather, technical or human constraints
– helming and steering under sail
– passages lasting from a few hours to several days
– manoeuvre and safety drills
– sharing in the daily chores
FAQ
- Everyone (18+)
- Men/women
- Adventurers at heart
- 3 watch teams
- 3 watch leaders
- 1 captain
- 1 cook
Amateurs, pros, mixed
- Registration opens
- Trials begin
- Shortlisting
- Intensive training – 3 months
- Departure
host us in your town?
a berth in the harbour
A berth for a boat 28 m long and 6 m wide + water + electricity (to charge the boat’s batteries)
accommodation
Hosting a crew of 30 people.
events
Private hire, media coverage, tours, exhibitions...