Lanzarote - Training Base

The Canary Islands lie eighty miles off the coast of Morocco. Here, the trade winds begin to gather their momentum to cross the Atlantic. Through the centuries these winds have blown with an evenness and intensity that made them the engine of trade for commercial sailing vessels of old. And there’s another benefit: they carry a fabulous climate with them.

To get more insights into the specifics of why the Ericsson Racing Team chose the Canaries as a base, we contacted Anthony “Spillers” Spillebeen, assistant shore manager with numerous logistic responsibilities – including many aspects of scheduling and planning.

Of course making the best of each training day is essential with so much to learn and prepare. “This is a very good spot in the middle of the trades,” Spillers notes. “We’re only five minutes from our sailing waters, so we never lose time looking for wind. We’re also able to find waves or light air when we want them.” Another big advantage is the ability to find a consistent 15 to 25 knots of breeze, which Spillers calls “the optimum wind band for the performance of these boats.”