The port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife will be the starting point for one of the Atlantic’s longest-running sailing traditions on Tuesday, 1 September, when around 30 boats and 150 sailors set off for Madeira in the 24th International Canarias-Madeira Regatta.
The race is organised jointly by Clube Naval do Funchal and the Real Club Náutico de Tenerife, continuing a sporting link between the Canary Islands and Madeira that stretches back decades.
The boats will leave Santa Cruz at 12:00pm, beginning a 262-nautical-mile journey, roughly 485 kilometres, across the Atlantic to Funchal.
A 35-hour crossing for the fastest boats
The fleet is made up mainly of offshore cruising boats, with competitors from both the Canary Islands and Portugal.
The participating yachts range between 11 and 16 metres in length, with crews preparing for what should be a fairly lively crossing.
Current forecasts are suggesting northeasterly winds of between 15 and 20 knots, with waves of around 1.5 metres.
If those conditions hold, the quickest boats could reach Madeira in approximately 35 hours, while the slower boats may take closer to 48 hours.
The first arrivals are expected between 3 and 4 September, with the prize-giving ceremony scheduled for 5 September at the Clube Naval do Funchal in Quinta Calaça.
A race with plenty of history
The first Canarias-Madeira Regatta took place in 1978, initially organised by the Clube Naval do Funchal before becoming a joint event involving sailing clubs from the Canary Islands.
Since 1991, the starting port has rotated between Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Arrecife and Santa Cruz de Tenerife, while the finish has always been in Funchal.
Over the years, hundreds of boats and thousands of sailors have taken part, making it the oldest sporting exchange competition between the two archipelagos.
It’s more than just a yacht race, then. It’s a long-standing connection between two island groups separated by a sizeable chunk of Atlantic Ocean.
Who is behind the event?
The 2026 edition is organised by the Clube Naval do Funchal and Real Club Náutico de Tenerife, with support from the Port Authority of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the Portuguese Sailing Federation, the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation, the Madeira Regional Sailing Association and the Canary Islands Association of Nautical Clubs.
The Portuguese Navy, Madeira Naval Base, Funchal Marina and the Administration of the Ports of Madeira are also involved.
For anyone around Santa Cruz on Tuesday lunchtime, the departure should provide quite a spectacle, with the fleet heading out from the port before beginning the long crossing towards Madeira.