Arrive at Marina do Funchal, Madeira Island at 3 PM to meet your fellow students and instructor. Once you have settled in, your instructor will conduct a safety briefing and take you through the course plan. Shortly afterwards you will be on your way! Become familiar with the legendary Sailing Virgins’ morning routine, including Wim Hof breathing, meditation, and a 7-minute workout. Have a swim, have breakfast, then settle into the day structure of some theory in the morning, sailing, then stopping in a beautiful bay for lunch and a swim/relax. After lunch, we rinse & repeat, with some theory followed by practical skills, and wind up in another beautiful bay for sundowners and dinner. Every day brings a different bay, experience, or hike. Formal courses activities finish at around 5 pm. For dinner, you will either cook aboard (usually two nights in the week) or go ashore to enjoy a local restaurant.

Wake up to the sounds and colours of the Atlantic sea, and if you feel like it, have a pre-breakfast swim straight off the boat. You will find your sea legs as your instructor continues to teach you going through the course syllabus. Today is an exploration of the gorgeous south coast of Madeira island. We will likely dine ashore in one of the coastal villages such as Canical.

Experience real ocean sailing in the four-hour sail between Madeira island and the golden beach of the neighbouring Porto Santo island. Porto Santo provides protected waters allowing us to continue training and, at the end of our sailing, some beach time.

Today is an exciting downwind run full of adrenaline and top speeds is usually a highlight of the week. We arrive in the natural park of Desertas island, a sanctuary of the almost extinct Mediterranean monk seals for an overnight anchorage.

A full-on sail back from Desertas takes us to Calheta and nearby villages of Paúl do Mar and Jardim do Mar. For anyone craving a bit of local culture, the clifftop Casa das Mudas Arts Center offers a contemporary art collection.

Final lessons and exam toping up with one of the worldwide famous levadas (mountain walks for a breath of pure fresh mountain air to suck in your memorable week on the sea.

Our final day. The course finishes Saturday morning. You will receive a debrief and be anointed an ex-Virgin! Ex-Virgins receive a huge amount of benefits such as discounts on Sailing Virgins branded Zhik sailing gear and on charter rates worldwide.

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