Challenging competitions to enter while travelling the world by superyacht

A relaxed beach-side vacation isn't always enough to satisfy the thrill seekers of the world. If you want to push yourself to the limit by including an adrenaline pumping experience in your next superyacht holiday, check out this list of extraordinary challenges for inspiration:

1. N60 Norwegian Challenge

The competition: Set at the heart of Norway’s snow covered wilderness the N60° Norwegian Challenge takes place in a land that is synonymous with adventure and exploration. Departing from Hemsedal in the centre of Norway, the 100-mile course winds south to Geilo through the beautiful but untamed region where Scott prepared for his ill-fated trip to the Antarctic.

There are three days of training before the competition that includes learning how to ride a bike across the snow, honing cross-country skiing skills and learning how to ski tour.

The course is made up of four gruelling stages. On the first morning competitors will set out to complete 15 miles of ski touring. But don’t be fooled, this is not a leisurely day on the slopes, a lot of the course is actually on a incline and competitors are provided with a special binding to make “skiing” uphill possible. After day one, the first night is spent camping in tradition Nordic lavvu tents. Day two of the challenge is 26 miles of fat-biking across snowy, unstable terrain. Back in the skis on day three for 26 miles of cross-country skiing and then for the final day it’s another 26 miles of running and trekking.

The prize: If you have a competitive streak you will be competing for the title of overall champion, but there is a Sprinter’s Jersey for the winner of each day.

All competitors can celebrate their achievements at a Gala Diner that takes place on the final evening

The cost: £4,750 (Including flights)

How to get there: Perfect for anyone discovering the Norwegian fjords on board a superyacht, The event takes place in the centre of Norway, about five hours drive from Stavanger and Lyseford, three hours from Rosendal and two from Lofthus.

The competition: Its organisers describe The Patagonian Expedition race as “a true expedition taking teams of four through lands previously unknown to the human eye.” This ten-day race is possibly the most remote competition on the planet and takes place in one of the wildest landscapes.

Each team of four will receive minimal assistance as they traverse through the barren lands of southern Chilean Patagonia. Competitors will be required to use their navigational skills to interpret the race map, which is given to the teams just 24 hours before the race starts.

The race itself is multi-disciplinary, trekking, climbing, kayaking and mountain biking through a variety of uncompromising terrain such as mountains, glaciers, forests, swamplands, rives and lakes. The route is kept a secret and is changed each year but in past races competitors have found themselves in in the Southern Continental Ice Field, the Strait of Magellan and Torres del Paine.

The prize: The satisfaction of having competed in the longest and most impressive expedition race in the world.

The cost: $6,701.24

How to get there: The race, which starts from Puntas Arenaes, is perfect for thrillseekers cruising the coastlines of Chile on a superyacht.

The competition: The Jungle Marathon is the world’s wildest eco race and gives competitors the opportunity to combine extreme sport with eco tourism whilst exploring this spectacular, remote part of the world.

The event, which takes place in Manu National Park deep in the Amazon Rainforest, offers three distances, the shortest being a marathon. Competitors can also enter a four-stage 127km and a six-stage 245km race. The courses include running over a range of challenging terrains including swamps, thick jungle undergrowth, river crossings and steep climbs. The brave runners who enter this extreme race should expect to run through scorching temperatures and up to 99 per cent humidity.

The prize: Competitors will celebrate the end of the challenge with a prize giving dinner and race wrap party.

The cost: £2,500

How to get there: Participants will have to make their way to the village of Alter do Chão, just a 40 minute drive away from Santarém International Airport. Alternatively, follow in the footsteps of Cindy Crawford and embark on a private Amazonian cruise on board a luxury riverboat, or incorporate the event into your itinerary when discovering Brazil on a superyacht.

The competition: La Ruta de los Conquistadores, (The Route of the Conquerors) is a demanding mountain bike course across Costa Rica from the Pacific to the Caribbean Sea. The route follows the trail of three Spanish conquistadors led by Juan Caballon in the 1540’s.

The route spans over 4 stages and 161 miles, which may not seem like an unmanageable distance but it is the terrain rather than the distance that makes La Ruta such a challenge. The course snakes through the Costa Rican jungle where bikers must battle through dense foliage and knee-deep mud, cyclists will then begin the high altitude climb to the Irazu Volcano. The final stage, which ends at Bonita Beach on the east coast, is the longest but in comparison to what has gone before it is said to be the easiest.

While La Ruta may be named one of the toughest in the world, any keen amateur with dedicated training and commitment can enter the race.

The prize: The male and female riders who finish first after Day 2 each win $1000. First place finishers after the final day’s standings will be given $2,000 each, with second place receiving $700, and $500 going to third place.

The cost: $1350

How to get there: Yachts up to 76 metres can moor at the Golfito Marina Village and either take a private car or helicopter over to Jaco Beach, where the race begins.

The competition: Perhaps not as challenging as trekking across the Norwegian Forges or running through the Amazon Rainforest, but the beauty of the Coral Reef Swim makes it just as rewarding.

The five-mile race begins on Buck Island, which is surrounding by a stunning colourful coral reef, and continues across the channel and along the coast of St Croix. The swim concludes at Mermaid beach, where a palm-fringed finishing line greets swimmers.

The prize: Live music and tropical cocktails await the finishing swimmers, and after the last swimmer emerges the party is taken to the Terrace restaurant for a past-race banquet of fresh local cuisine.

The cost: $130

How to get there: Perfect for anyone discover the US Virgin Islands on a superyacht, simply anchor off Buck Island and tender to shore.

The competition: Spartan races are separated into three levels of difficulty making it an ideal event ideal if you are a beginner or a seasoned obstacle racer. The Sprint is the shortest race at 6km but it is still made up of over 20 obstacles. For the Super race, competitors have to overcome 25 different obstacles across 13km. The Beast, as the name would suggest, is the longest and hardest, the race is a 20km circuit with more that 30 obstacles.

Each of the cross-country races of winds through woods, ditches, rivers and are interspersed with natural and man-made obstacles. The Sprint race at the Paul Ricard Trifecta has been given another challenging twist as it takes place at night, in complete darkness with only a head torch to help navigate the extreme course.

The prize: At the end of every Spartan race competitors receive an impressive medal and those who complete all three levels become part of the “Trifecta Tribe.”

The cost: Prices vary depending when you enter and which distance you compete in, entry fees for the Spartan Circuit Paul Ricard Trifecta start at €49

How to get there: Moor up in La Ciotat, where 82 metre Sarafsa and 65.5 metre Infinite Shades have been spotted recently, and make the 40 minute journey in a private car over to the race’s start point at Le Castellet.