classic yacht regatta cowes

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The British Classic Regatta (organised by the  British Classic Yacht Club ) is an annual regatta held  at Cowes Yacht Haven.

Around sixty stunning classic yachts attend the regatta.  An absolute favourite with both keen sailors and those just viewing the spectacle, Cowes Yacht Haven is thrilled to be able to offer a safe anchorage to these timeless beauties.

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Classic Races & Regattas 2024: Classic World Events Guide

The sailing season is off to a flying start, but there’s so much more to come and the classic scene is full steam ahead. Thats why we’ve put together a list of our favourite, not to be missed, classic races & regattas 2024.

From the Cowes Classics Week, on the Isle of Wight , to the 12-M World Championship in Newport, Rhode Island, we’ve got you covered for classic races & regattas 2024.

BRITAIN AND IRELAND

The classic sailing scene in the British Isles continues to grow, around the established centres of the Solent, East Coast, West Country, and further. Here’s your guide to the British and Irish classic races & regattas 2024. 

SOUTH COAST

Cowes Spring Classics

Cowes Spring Classics (12-14 May)

Broad-church regatta, sail and power

Richard Mille Cup

Falmouth – Dartmouth – Cowes – Le Havre

Richard Mille Cup (2-15 June)

Passage sailing, races and social events for some of the world’s most famous yachts, under CIM

Yarmouth Gaffers Festival

Flagship OGA bash

Yarmouth Gaffers Festival (13-16 June)

Round the Island Race

Round the Island Race (15 June)

World’s most popular yacht race?

Cowes Classics Week

Cowes Classics Week (8-12 July)

100+ boats in many classes

Taittinger RSYC Regatta

Yarmouth, IoW

Taittinger RSYC Regatta (12-14 July)

Popular for mixed classics

Five Lights Series

New series in the Channel and French Atlantic coast, taking in Cowes Classics Week (above) and the following events.

Classic Channel Regatta

14-15 JULY: Classic Cowes-Dartmouth Race. New feeder race for classics heading from Cowes Classics Week to Dartmouth for the classic Channel Regatta

17-25 JULY: Classic Channel Regatta. Popular biennial offshore race, from Dartmouth to St Peter Port (Guernsey) to Paimpol (Brest)

26-28 JULY: La Coupe de l’Amorique. New passage race from Paimpol to Brest.    

British Classic Week

British Classic Week (15–20 July)

Big event with five days of racing, including round-the-island, and the introduction of GRP classics

27 JULY – 2 August

Cowes Week (27 July – 2 August)

Legendary event; classic classes

Hamble Classics Regatta

RAF Yacht Club, Hamble

Hamble Classics Regatta (31 August – 1 September)

Bosham Classic Boat Revival

Chichester Harbour

Bosham Classic Boat Revival (Early September – TBC)

Concours dinghies and day boats

EAST COAST SAILING RACES AND REGATTAS

Barge matches

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)

SEP (DATE TBC): Colne (Essex)

Held since 1863, these are among the oldest sporting events in the world. Day charter is very reasonable. See top-sail.co.uk

Suffolk Yacht Harbour Classic Regatta

Levington, River Orwell, Suffolk

Suffolk Yacht Harbour Classic Regatta (14-16 June)

Sail and power, seperate Stella class

Heybridge Basin Regatta

Nr Maldon, Essex

Heybridge Basin Regatta (17 July)

[email protected]

(Low-key sailing regatta)

West Mersea Town Regatta

Mersea Island, Essex

West Mersea Town Regatta (24 August)

Running since 1838!

OGA Summer Cruise

North Essex and south Suffolk

OGA Summer Cruise (27 August – 1 September)

Cruise in company on the east coast rivers

Maldon Town Regatta

River Blackwater, Essex

Maldon Town Regatta (Mid-September – TBC)

Popular season closer

Three Rivers Race

Ant, Bure and Thurne rivers

Three Rivers Race  (1-2 june)

Wild 24-hour Broads race

THAMES RACES

Thames Traditional Boat Festival

Henley, Upper Thames

Thames Traditional Boat Festival (19–21 July)

Big trad river craft event. 45th year, including Dunkirk little ships

Great River Race

Millwall to Rchmond, London London Marathon afloat

Great River Race (21 September)

WEST COUNTRY

Brixham Heritage Regatta

Sailing trawlers and more

Brixham Heritage Regatta (24-26 May)

Falmouth Classics

Falmouth Classics (14-16 June)

Huge, traditional regatta, 170+ boats.

Looe Lugger Regatta

Looe Lugger Regatta (14-16 June)

Made in Looe Regatta

Made in Looe Regatta (14-16 June)

Adjunct to Looe Luggers (above) for any classic Looe-built vessels, from Mirrors upwards. Contact Paul Pengelly, [email protected]

Sea, Salts and Sail

Mousehole, Cornwall

Sea, Salts and Sail (5-7 July)

Workboats and yachts… biennial

Dartmouth Classics Regatta

Dartmouth Classics Regatta (18-19 July)

Clovelly Maritime Festival

Clovelly Maritime Festival (21 July)

Shoreside with some racing

Fowey Classics

Fowey Classics (30 July – 2 August)

Friendly event in a scenic setting

SCOTLAND CLASSICS 

Sail Caledonia

Dinghy raid across Scotland from the Atlantic coast to the North Sea coast.

Sail Caledonia (May/June)

Ace Winches Scottish Trad Boat Festival

Ace Winches Scottish Trad Boat Festival (22-23 June)

Rowing, sailing, 100+ boats

Clydebuilt Festival

Clydebuilt Festival (7-8 September)

River maritime festival

8-M World Championship

Rhu, Upper Clyde

8-M World Championship (18-24 August)

Conwy River Festival

Conwy River Festival (6-8 July)

Includes Nobby and Gaffers races and more general classes

Menai Strait Regattas

Nr Beaumaris, Anglesey

Menai Strait Regattas (5–17 August)

Galway Trad Boat Festival

Galway Trad Boat Festival (August – TBC)

Ireland’s famous working boats race

THE MEDITERRANEAN

Races and regattas in the sun.

The Med season, centre of the classic sailing world, kicks off at Antibes and ends at Saint-Tropez, at the biggest classic regatta in the world. These days, the Vintage Classic Yacht Club runs a four-race series, Mediterranean Champions Cup, at Voiles d’Antibes, Argentario Sailing Week, Vela Clasica Menorca and Régates Royales (Cannes). Other highlights this year are the biennial Monaco Classic and the 8-M Worlds. vintageclassicyachtclub.com

Here are the Mediterranean’s classic races and regattas 2024:

Les Dames de Saint-Tropez

St-Tropez, France

Les Dames de Saint-Tropez (29–30 April)

Calanques Classique

Marseille, France

Calanques Classique (27–29 May)

Les Voiles d’Antibes

Les Voiles d’Antibes (31 May – 4 June)

Giorgio Armani Superyachts

Porto Cervo, Sardinia, Italy

Giorgio Armani Superyachts (6-10 June)

Vela Classica Costa Brava

L’Estartit, Spain

Vela Classica Costa Brava (10-12 June)

Argentario Sailing Week

Porto Santo Stefano, Italy

Argentario Sailing Week (14-18 June)

Les Voiles du Vieux-Port

Les Voiles du Vieux-Port (16-18 June)

Vele d’Epoca a Napoli

Naples, Italy

Vele d’Epoca a Napoli (30 June – 2 July)

Spetses Classic Yacht Regatta

Spetses, Greece

Spetses Classic Yacht Regatta (22-25 June)

Superyacht Cup

Palma, Mallorca, Spain

Superyacht Cup (23-25 June)

Trophée Bailli de Suffren

St-Tropez – Bonifacio – Trapani – Malta.

Trophée Bailli de Suffren (24 June – 5 July)

Grandi Vele a Gaeta

Gaeta, Italy

Grandi Vele a Gaeta (1-3 July)

Puig Vela Clàssica

Barcelona, Spain

Puig Vela Clàssica (12-15 July)

Regatta Illes Balears Classic

Regatta Illes Balears Classic (17–20 August)

8-M World Championships

Genoa, Italy

8-M World Championships (28 August – 2 September)

Corsica Classic

Corsica Classic (22 –30 August)

Vele d’Epoca di Imperia

Vele d’Epoca di Imperia (7-10 September)

Monaco Classic Week

Monaco Classic Week (13-16 September)

Régates Royales

Cannes, France

Régates Royales (24-30 September)

Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez

Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez (29 September – 8 October)

Barcolana Classic

Barcolana Classic (7 October)

Vele Storiche Viareggio

Vele Storiche Viareggio (12-15 October, date TBC)

CLASSIC RACES AND REGATTAS 2024: NORTHERN EUROPE

Something for everyone

The north of Europe is a mixed bag, more so than the Med, with everything from huge maritime festivals to the sleeker side of yachting, embodied annually by various events in Germany and Scandinavia. This year marks the return of a giant – the Semaine du Golfe du Morbihan – a moving regatta for all kinds of classic workboats, yachts and dinghies

SWEDEN & FINLAND

ÅF Offshore Classic Race (Around Gotland)

Stockholm-Visby-Sandhamn, Sweden

ÅF Offshore Classic Race (2 July)

220nm passage race

Airisto Classic Regatta

Abo Batvarf, Turku, Finland

Airisto Classic Regatta (27-29 July, date TBC)

Sandhamn Regatta

Sandhamn, Sweden

Sandhamn Regatta (3-5 August)

Offshore race for classic yachts

Viaporin Tuoppi

Helsinki, Finland

Viaporin Tuoppi (12 August)

Big wooden boat regatta

Risør Traditional Boat Festival

Risør Traditional Boat Festival (3-5 August)

FRENCH ATLANTIC COAST

Semaine du Golfe du Morbihan

Semaine du Golfe du Morbihan (15-21 May)

La Belle Plaisance

Benodet, Brittany

La Belle Plaisance (23-25 June)

Voiles Classiques de la Trinité

Voiles Classiques de la Trinité (14-16 July)

Voiles Classiques des Sables

Les Sables d’Olonne, Loire

Voiles Classiques des Sables (22-23 July)

Voiles de Legende

Voiles de Legende (2-6 August)

6-M European Championship

Sanxenxo, Galicia

6-M European Championship (10-19 June)

Robbe & Berking Sterling Cup

Robbe & Berking Sterling Cup (7-11 June)

Kiel Rendezvous

Kiel Rendezvous (15-18 June)

Hamburg Summer Classics

Hamburg Summer Classics (August – Date TBC)

German Classics

German Classics (18-21 August)

Svendborg Classic

Svendborg Classic (11-12 August)

NETHERLANDS

Dutch Wooden Boat Festival

Dutch Wooden Boat Festival (2-3 July)

Dorestad Raid

Echtenerbrugge

Dorestad Raid (September – Date TBC)

Oostende Voor Anker

Oostende Voor Anker (1-4 June)

CLASSIC EVENTS: TALL SHIPS

Tall Ships Races 2022

Den Helder (NED), Hartlepool (UK), Fredrikstad (NOR), Lerwick (UK), Arendal (NO)

Tall Ships Races 2022 (29 June – 6 August?

Falmouth to Cadiz

Falmouth (UK) – A Coruna (Spain) – Lisbon (Portugal) – Cadiz (Spain)

Falmouth to Cadiz (15 August – 10 September)

CLASSIC RACES AND REGATTAS 2024: REST OF THE WORLD

Endless summer

With classic yacht racing around the world, it’s always summer somewhere from the schooners of the USA to a vibrant scene in Australia and New Zealand. Like the Mediterranean, the USA has a classic racing series across 11 regattas organised by the CYOA – see classicyachts.org

CLASSIC EVENTS: CARIBBEAN

Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta

West Indies

Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta (19-24 April)

UNITED STATES RACES AND REGATTAS

Classic races, regattas and events across the pond in 2024.

Race to Alaska

Port Townsend, WA to Ketchican, Alaska

Race to Alaska (5 June)

700 miles in small craft

Great Schooner Race

Penobscot Bay, Maine

Great Schooner Race (7 July)

20+ vessels in this evocative rig

Vineyard Cup

Vineyard Cup (7-9 July)

Mixed fleet of classic and modern

Belvedere Classic Regatta

San Francisco Bay, California

Belvedere Classic Regatta (15 July)

Includes Great San Francisco Schooner Race

Port Townsend, Washington

Salish 100 (20-27 July)

Popular small-boat cruise

WoodenBoat Show

Mystic Seaport, CT

WoodenBoat Show (23-25 June)

Big exhibition of wooden boats and related craft

12-M World Championship

Newport, Rhode Island

12-M World Championship (31 July)

Camden Classics Cup

Camden, Maine

Camden Classics Cup (27–29 July)

Fourth year in this lovely location

Eggemoggin Reach Regatta

Rockport, Maine

Eggemoggin Reach Regatta (5 August)

125+ boats – one of the big events in the American calendar

Corinthian Classic Regatta

Marblehead, Mass

Corinthian Classic Regatta (12-13 August)

Nantucket Race Week

Nantucket Race Week (16-20 August)

Classics and moderns

Opera House Cup

Opera House Cup (20 August)

The jewel of the east coast classic regatta scene

Herreshoff Classic Yacht Regatta and Rendezvous

Bristol, RI

Herreshoff Classic Yacht Regatta and Rendezvous (25-27 August)

Herreshoffs and other classics organised by the Herreshoff Museum

IYRS Newport Classic Yacht Regatta

IYRS Newport Classic Yacht Regatta (3-4 September – Date TBC)

Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival

Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival (8-10 September)

300+ boats, main west coast event

Newfoundland Rendezvous

New Hampshire

Newfoundland Rendezvous (9-10 September)

Celebration of cedar-strip craft

Australia Day Regatta

Australia Day Regatta (26-27 January 2024)

Claimed to be the world’s oldest continuously conducted sailing regatta (moderns and classics).

Wooden Boat Festival of Geelong

Wooden Boat Festival of Geelong (9-11 March 2024)

Big event with racing in many classes

NEW ZEALAND CLASSIC EVENTS

Ports of Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta

Auckland (New Zealand)

Ports of Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta (31 January 2024 – Date TBC)

Sailing and watersports clubs get together for this epic event

CYNZ Classic Yacht Regatta

CYNZ Classic Yacht Regatta (February 2024)

Famous celebration of New Zealand’s classic yachts

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Mins Minutes

Secs Seconds

entry for the 2024 regatta is now open

Yachts invited to join the regatta.

Cowes Spring Classics, which started in 2018, is a regatta for classic yachts designed before 1970, including: Cruisers & Cruiser Racers, Affordable Classic Cruisers around 25ft, Gaff Rigged Yachts & Pilot Cutters, Day Boats & Raters, Classic Metre Yachts plus Modern Spirit of Tradition Yachts. Non-racing Yachts and Motorboats are most welcome.

Rules of the Regatta

• The Regatta will be conducted in the Corinthian Spirit and in a Gentlemanly Manner in keeping with the age of the competing yachts:
• No Cheating
• No Collisions
• No Complaining
• (Usual RYA small print applies)

Our Mission

Although we expect people to take the racing seriously, it will very much be a relaxed regatta conducted in a gentlemanly manner in keeping with the age of the yachts. We aim to make the social side and the appreciation of the history of the competing yachts as important as the racing.   

Racing and the Social Scene

Racing timetable.

The racing will be organised by the Cowes Corinthian Yacht Club with two races on Saturday 18 May 2024 and two races on Sunday 19 May.  

The Shoreside Scene

All yachts will be berthed at Shepards Marina and this year we will be based at Cowes Corinthian Yacht Club for registration and the BBQ  on the Friday evening.  We are delighted to announce that the Saturday Dinner will be at Commodore's House, the historic waterfront  venue overlooking Cowes Harbour.  The Prize Giving will take place after racing on Sunday at Cowes Corinthian Yacht Club.

Regatta Ratings

Competitors may chose the handicap system they race under. The intention is for Cruisers & Cruiser Racers, Metre Yachts, Affordable Classic Cruisers and Day Boats and Modern Spirit of Tradition Yachts to race to IRC Handicaps.  Gaff Rigged Yachts and Pilot Cutters according to OGA Handicaps.

Supporting Sponsors

Race organisation.

Copyright © 2024 Cowes Spring Classics - All Rights Reserved.

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Welcome to Cowes Classics Week

Yachts with interesting provenance enter cowes classics week.

Classic yachts always have a story to tell and those recently entered for Cowes Classics Week 2022 are no exception.

The event attracts a wide variety of classic yachts ranging from fleets of one-design dayboats, to unique classics from a bygone era. Among the latter this year you will find Sally of Kames, owned by Alan and Jackie Stannah, and Charm of Rhu, owned by RLYC Commodore Martin Thomas. A previous owner of both yachts was a man with a passion for speed and a lively sense of humour. Ninian Sanderson, a racing driver from the 1950s, won Le Mans in 1956 in a Jaguar D-Type and many yacht regattas in the 1960s. Sadly, Sanderson did not win anything in Charm of Rhu but Thomas will do his best to turn things around in Cowes in 2022!

Other entries this year include Alberta and Zest. Alberta is an Essex oyster smack, built in 1885, worked hard for many years and restored to her former glory earlier this century. Zest, the first of a number of Tumlare yachts brought to the UK in the 1930s, was once described by Uffa Fox as “the most advanced type of cruiser in the world”.

There is still plenty of time to enter through the  website .

REGATTA SOCIALS

If you are one of the many boats to have already entered but have not yet booked your choice of social events, please do so via the website as soon as you can as some events really do become fully booked before the regatta starts. Additionally, the 10% ‘early bird’ discount for the socials finishes on Friday 17 June, so the earlier you book online the better the price!

Photo credit: 'Alberta at full song' courtesy of Sandy Miller.

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British Classic Week 2024: A Spectacular Regatta for Classic Yachts in Cowes

Entry is open for the 'new look' British Classic Week 2024, which will take place in Cowes from 15th - 20th July. The event, organized by the British Classic Yacht Club, features new event management and format changes to enhance both on-water and on-shore experiences.

The regatta's new approach offers varied, 'classic-friendly' racing, opportunities for socializing, and a sustainable model for the future.

• Coastal race sponsored by Spirit Yachts
• Race around the Isle of Wight sponsored by Global Forecaster
• New eligibility criteria include modern classic yachts and Spirit of Tradition GRP yachts
• The regatta includes a female-helm race, sponsored events, and parties.

Classic yacht owners, crew, guests, and spectators are invited to get involved, with increasing interest from the UK and Europe.

The 'new look' British Classic Week 2024 promises an enhanced experience for participants and spectators, with a focus on sustainable growth and inclusivity.

The summary of the linked article was generated with the assistance of artificial intelligence technology from OpenAI

www.sail-world.com • Helen Porter

Entry open for 'new look' British Classic Week

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