Britain and Ireland
The classic sailing scene continues to prosper around the established centres of the Solent, East Coast, West Country and further. This summer sees the return of the Richard Mille Cup, the 8-M Worlds, a revamped British Classic Week and a new Channel sailing series, as well as the usual line-up.
SOUTH COAST
12-14 MAY
Cowes Spring Classics
Cowes, Isle of Wight (IOW), cowesspringclassics.com Broad-church regatta, sail and power
2-15 JUNE
Richard Mille Cup
Falmouth – Dartmouth – Cowes
– Le Havre. richadmillecup.com Passage sailing, races, social events
13-16 JUNE
Yarmouth Gaffers Festival
oga.org.uk. Flagship OGA bash IOW
15 JUNE
Round the Island Race
IOW, roundtheisland.org.uk
One of the world’s most popular yacht races
8-12 JULY
Cowes Classics Week
IOW, cowesclassicsweek.org 100+ boats in many classes
12-14 JULY
Taittinger RSYC Regatta
Yarmouth, IOW, royalsolent.org Popular for mixed classics
12-28 JULY
Five Lights Series
New series in the Channel and French Atlantic coast, taking in Cowes Classics Week (above) and the following events. See classic-channel-regatta.eu
14-15 JULY: Classic CowesDartmouth Race. New race from Cowes Classics Week to Dartmouth for the classic Channel Regatta
17-25 JULY: Classic Channel Regatta. Biennial offshore race, Dartmouth – St Peter Port – Paimpol (Brest)
26-28 JULY: Coupe de l’Amorique. New passage race, Paimpol to Brest
15–20 JULY
British Classic Week
Cowes, IOW, britishclassicweek.org Five days’ racing including round-the-island and glassfibre classics
27 JULY – 2 AUGUST Cowes Week
IOW, cowesweek.co.uk
Huge mixed sailing event with many classic classes
31 AUGUST–1 SEPTEMBER Hamble Classics Regatta
RAF Yacht Club, Hamble hambleclassics.co.uk
EARLY SEPTEMBER (TBC) Bosham Classic Boat Revival
Chichester Harbour, boshamsailingclub.com
Concours dinghies and day boats,
EAST COAST
MAY-SEPTEMBER Barge matches
thamesbarge.org.uk
1 JUNE: Medway (Kent)
8 JUNE: Southend (Essex) 15 JUNE: Thames (Essex/Kent) 29 JUNE: Pin Mill (Suffolk) 13 JULY: Blackwater (Essex) 10 AUGUST: Swale (Kent)
SEPT (DATE TBC): Colne (Essex)
14-16 JUNE
Suffolk Yacht Harbour Classic Regatta
Levington, Orwell, Suffolk syhclassicregatta.co.uk
Popular regatta for sail and power with a seperate Stella class
17 JULY
Heybridge Basin Regatta
Nr Maldon, Essex, jenny@pa-angels.co.uk
Friendly, low-key sailing regatta
24 AUGUST
West Mersea Town Regatta
Mersea Island, Essex mersearegatta.org.uk
Has been running since 1838
27 AUGUST – 1 SEPTEMBER OGA Summer Cruise
North Essex and South Suffolk oga.org.
East coast cruise in company
MID-SEPTEMBER (DATE TBC) Maldon Town Regatta
River Blackwater, Essex maldonregatta.co.uk
BROADS
1-2 JUNE
Three Rivers Race
Ant, Bure and Thurne rivers 3rr.uk. Wild 24-hour Broads race
THAMES
19–21 JULY
Thames Traditional Boat Festival
tradboatfestival.com
Henley, Upper Thames
Big traditional river craft event. 45th year, including Dunkirk little ships this year
21 SEPTEMBER Great River Race
greatriverrace.co.uk
Millwall to Richmond, London London Marathon afloat
WEST COUNTRY
24-26 MAY
Brixham Heritage Regatta
brixhamheritageregatta.uk Sailing trawlers and more, including two tall ships this year
14-16 JUNE Falmouth Classics
Cornwall, falmouthclassics.org.uk Huge, traditional regatta, 170+ boats. Now established as a stand-alone event
14-16 JUNE
Looe Lugger Regatta
welcometolooe.com/events
Last year was the first after a four-year absence. Now it’s back again
14-16 JUNE
Made in Looe Regatta
Adjunct to Looe Luggers (above) for any classic Looe-built vessels, from Mirrors upwards. Paul Pengelly, office4luggers@ btinternet.com
5-7 JULY
Sea, Salts and Sail
Mousehole, Cornwall seasalts.co.uk
Biennial for yachts and workboats
18-19 JULY Dartmouth Classics Regatta
Devon, dartmouthclassics.org.uk
21 JULY
Clovelly Maritime Festival
Devon, clovelly.co.uk
30 JULY – 2 AUGUST Fowey Classics
Cornwall, foweyclassics.com
SCOTLAND
MAY/JUNE
Sail Caledonia
Raid from Atlantic coast to North Sea coast, sailcaledonia.org
22-23 JUNE
Ace Winches Scottish Trad Boat Festival
Portsoy, stbfportsoy.org,
7-8 SEPTEMBER Clydebuilt Festival
Glasgow, clydebuiltfestival.com River maritime festival
18-24 AUGUST
8-M World Championship
Rhu, Clyde, worldcup.8mr.org
WALES
6-8 JULY
Conwy River Festival
conwyriverfestival.org Includes Nobby and Gaffers races
1-13 AUGUST
Menai Strait Regattas
Nr Beaumaris, Anglesey menaistraitregattas.org.uk
IRELAND
3-4 AUGUST (TBC) Galway Trad Boat Festival
galwaytourism.ie, Ireland’s famous working boats race
22 JUNE
SSE Renewables Round Ireland Yacht Race
sserenewables.com
Mixed fleet – a challenge for classics?