ADVENTURE SAILING SOUTH TO ANTARCTICA

Frances and Michael Howorth highlight the routes and knowledge sailors should have before they sail south to the bottom of the world

- Frances and Michael Howorth

Sailing a yacht down to Antarctica can be an incredible adventure. Get it right and it will earn its 'voyage of a lifetime' reputation. Taking a small yacht into the area offers the opportunity to plan a private and exclusive voyage that avoids routes used by exploration cruise ships. Offering freedom and the flexibility to explore the remote areas, it is an intimate experience in one of the most pristine environments on Earth.

The best time to sail is during the Antarctic summertime when the ice retreats, and weather conditions are more stable. The Antarctic cruising season runs from November to March, during the Southern Hemisphere summer. The early months offer the best chance to witness pristine ice landscapes, courtship behaviours in wildlife, and longer daylight hours.

Just after Christmas until the end of February is perhaps the warmest it gets down there. With the peak in temperature comes increased wildlife activity, and the best chance to see young penguin chicks and seal pups.

March witnesses the final stages of the Antarctic summer but there are still wonderful opportunities for whale watching as these gracious creatures begin to head north. Ushuaia, the southernmost city in Argentina, is a popular starting point due to its proximity to the Antarctic Peninsula, which lies about 540 nautical miles away.

Other yachts, especially those that will have sailed down the Chilean coast and around Cape Horn, prefer to start from either Punta Arenas or Porto Williams, which lies across the Beagle Channel from Ushuaia but on the Chilean side.