A five-year, 1,826-day circumnavigation is about to begin, and it has room for 12 guests at a time. The Atlantic, the largest classic racing schooner ever recreated at 212 feet, is launching a Grand Voyage that will carry charterers across the Panama Canal and into the South Pacific, Australasia, Southeast Asia, and the Indian Ocean before the journey wraps up around 2030.
The route skips the usual superyacht circuit in favour of the harder-to-reach stuff: remote atolls like Fakarava in French Polynesia, secluded Philippine islands, and Madagascar's historic spice coast. Because the captain steers by season and sea conditions rather than a fixed itinerary, each stretch of the trip promises a different flavour — and each leg is sold as a minimum seven-day "chapter."
Onboard, it's less adventure expedition, more floating classic yacht hotel. Six cabins sleep up to 12 guests, each with an ensuite, rich woodwork, and traditional nautical detailing that carries through the dining room and salon. A 12-person crew runs the show. Mornings can start with a gym rigged up on deck; afternoons offer waterskiing, diving, snorkelling, and wakeboarding, plus a sailing dinghy and bicycles for exploring ashore. Meals are built from local ingredients picked up along the way and served wherever you fancy — on deck, as a beach picnic, or under the stars.
There's a good story behind the hull, too. The original Atlantic was a 227-foot racing schooner that won the 1905 Kaiser's Cup, sprinting from Sandy Hook, New Jersey, to Cornwall in England in just three days — a transatlantic record that stood for nearly a century. The modern rebuild, by Van der Graaf, mirrors the original's long hull, elegant lines, 147-foot masts, and its roughly 18,800-square-foot sail plan, while quietly adding every contemporary comfort a charter guest expects.
The catch is the price. A seven-day private charter starts at around $170,000 for up to 12 guests, covering crew, all food and drink, onboard activities, and equipment, with bespoke shore experiences arranged at each stop. Split between 12 friends, that's roughly $14,000 per person per week — steep, but not far off what a comparable luxury crewed charter costs, and this one comes with a once-in-a-lifetime itinerary attached.
Who's it for? Small groups celebrating something big — a milestone birthday, a family takeover, a multi-generational trip — who want a proper sailing ship with sails that actually get used, and who'd rather anchor off a far-flung atoll than a marina full of gin palaces. Bookings are open now via Atlantic's own website, and given the ship is committing to one itinerary for five full years, popular legs will likely fill first.
