Welcome to the Classic Channel Regatta – a unique week long international event with its own distinctive and varied blend of racing round the cans at Dartmouth, passage racing across the Channel, and racing round the Île de Bréhat in Brittany – all with a lively and informal programme ashore which brings together a wonderful gathering of boats and crews.
The regatta is biennial and because the 2021 regatta had to be cancelled due to Covid, the next one will be in 2022 and will run from July 10th to July 16th – again starting in Dartmouth with two days of racing in Start Bay before racing to Paimpol in Brittany where the welcome and hospitality for the regatta are now legendary. There will be a day in port after arrival when the regatta will be at the heart of the town’s juilllet 14 Fête Nationale (Bastille Day) celebrations, followed by the Round Île de Bréhat Race and Danse des Classiques on the 15th and the prizegiving and end of regatta supper-party on the 16th.
The 2022 regatta will again start in Dartmouth and finish in Paimpol, two of the finest ports in the western English Channel, each providing a beautiful backdrop with its own West Country or Breton ambiance. The atmosphere in port is strictly informal, bringing together a splendid collection of classic yachts and their crews from Britain, France, Belgium, Holland and further afield. Racing is under the JCH Classic Handicap – which is free and easily obtained online. Yachts of classic designed before the end of 1974 built in any material, and some more recent yachts designed and built in classic style, are eligible. Find out more on our Classes and Eligibility page.
The Classic Channel Regatta is a revival of the spirit of the last century’s golden age of sailing and racing. If you own or sail on a classic yacht, or just want to come and admire the spectacle, we hope you’ll be able to join us at the 2022 Regatta to experience everything that makes the Classic Channel Regatta such a unique and enjoyable week.
La Grande Régate Classique Manche Atlantique – July 10 – 24 2022
We are joining forces with the Yacht Club Classique in France to run this once-only, not-to-be- missed, two week regatta racing from Dartmouth via Paimpol and Camaret to La Rochelle. The programme will be:
- The Classic Channel Regatta – Dartmouth to Paimpol – July 10–16
- La Coupe Armorique – Paimpol to Camaret – July 17–19
- La Coupe des Deux Phares – Camaret to la Rochelle – July 20–24
You can pre-register for all parts of the regatta through this website. Entries for the Classic Channel Regatta will be handled by the Classic Channel Regatta Team, while pre-registrations for the Coupes Armorique and des Deux Phares will be forwarded to the Yacht Club Classique, who will be running these races, for them to process.
This grand combined regatta has come about owing to the cancellation of both the Classic Channel Regatta in 2021 and the Dartmouth – la Rochelle Race in 2020 due to Covid. We hope it will be a celebration of life getting back on track after the restrictions of the pandemic.
This grand combined regatta has come about owing to the cancellation of both the Classic Channel Regatta in 2021 and the Dartmouth – la Rochelle Race in 2020 due to Covid. We hope it will be a great celebration of sailing life getting back on track after the restrictions of the pandemic.
It offers a unique mix of inshore racing round the cans, an around island race, and both coastal and offshore racing – with the Classic Channel Race and the Coupe des Deux Phares to La Rochelle providing a rare opportunity for offshore racing specially for classics – just what many of our cruiser/racer classics were designed for!
You can pre-register now via the pre-registration button in the sidebar on the left of this page.
More information on La Coupe Armorique and La Coupe des Deux Phares can be found on the YCC website at: www.yachtclubclassique.com.
VIDEO FROM THE 2019 CLASSIC CHANNEL REGATTA
French Navy yacht La Grande Hermine entering the lock at Paimpol |
Chariman Bruce Thorogood’s yacht Mabel surfing en route to Paimpol |
Blindfold dinghy racing – (thanks to Brizzledad) |
Classic Young Sailors Foundation
In 2018 we set up the Classic Young Sailors Foundation as a UK registered charity with the aim of encouraging and supporting young people who would not otherwise have the opportunity to sail in our classic and traditional boats.
We believe these boats deliver an especially beneficial seagoing experience, and we want to inspire in the next generation a love of sailing them, along with an understanding of the heritage that they represent.
Classic Channel Regatta