About the 2022 Regatta

The Classic Channel Regatta is a unique event with its own distinctive blend of racing, passage making and informal parties. Calling at two of the finest ports in the English Channel in 2022, it brings together a fine collection of classic yachts and their crews from Britain, France and other countries to celebrate the joy and spirit of the golden age of sailing and racing.

The regatta is biennial and the 2022 regatta will run from July 10 th – 16th with a registration day on the 9th. It will follow the successful and well proven formula of previous Classic Channel Regattas sailing from Dartmouth to Paimpol in Brittany. However, unlike previous regattas, the 2022 regatta will not be calling at The Channel islands.

The regatta will again start with Dartmouth Classics and two days of racing in Start Bay. Then the Classic Channel Race from Dartmouth to Paimpol will start on the afternoon of Tuesday 12 th and finish off Paimpol on Wednesday 13 th when the fleet will parade into Paimpol port on the evening tide.

Thursday 14 th is France’s national holiday – Bastille Day to us Brits – and the regatta will be in port at the heart of the town’s celebrations, culminating with an impressive firework display.

Friday 15 th will see the boats leave port again for the Tour de Île de Bréhat race. This will be followed by a picnic afloat (supplied to each boat in the morning) and then the popular Danse des Classiques off Paimpol before returning to port for the evening.

Saturday 16 th will be the finale day of the regatta. There will be a variety of activities during the day, including the very popular and hilarious blindfold dinghy racing in the harbour, and time to enjoy the charms of Paimpol with its delightful port surrounded by cafés and restaurants, before the final prizegiving and the now legendary end of regatta supper-party.

In 2022 the Classic Channel Regatta forms the first week of the two week << Grande Régate Classique Manche-Atlantique >> The programme for the second week, run by the Yacht Club Classique, will be:

Sunday 17 th will see the start of La Coupe Armorique race from Paimpol to Camaret. Boats are due into Camaret on the 18 th and there will be a day in Camaret on the 19 th (programme ashore yet to be confirmed).

Wednesday 20 th will be the start day for La Coupe des Deux Phares race from Camaret to La Rochelle. This is a longer offshore race that may involve two nights at sea, giving a good opportunity for the boats to get into their stride and the crews to settle into a longer watchkeeping routine at sea. Thursday and possibly Friday will be at sea with boats arriving at La Rochelle either sometime on Friday or early Saturday.

The regatta will finish on Sunday 24 th with a parade-of-sail in the old port at La Rochelle followed by the prizegiving and the end of regatta supper at the Maritime Museum. Boats will be berthed outside the Maritime Museum on the classic pontoons and it will be possible to leave boats there for a period of time after the regatta at very reasonable rates if required (and Easyjet fly daily
from La Rochelle to Gatwick and twice weekly to Bristol.)

Throughout the regatta, as well as the racing, there will be the usual full programme of suppers, parties and receptions in each port, with the accent is very much on informality – you can definitely leave the No1 yachting kit at home as the regatta prides itself on its relaxed Westcountry and Breton ambiance. While the racing is certainly the backbone of the regatta, the social side is very much its beating heart.

We describe the racing as ‘gentleman’s racing’ and you can be as competitive or relaxed as you like. The rating system used is the JCH Classic Handicap which is free.  Most yachts designed before the end of 1968, approved designs from 1969 to the end of 1974, and later designs in classic style are eligible to take part. Full information is on the eligibility page.

Most yachts do the whole Classic Channel Regatta, but there are options to do just sectors if time is limited. We also hope many boats will want to stay for the second week and race down to La Rochelle (or at least to Camaret).

The regatta is a truly international event with past regattas attracting entries from Britain, France, Ireland, Belgium, Holland, Germany and Switzerland (yes!), and we look forward to more countries joining the list in future.

The Classic Channel Regatta is run by Classic Channel Regatta Ltd for the CRAB (Classic Regattas Anglo-Breton) Association whose members are the regatta entrants and crews – so it is a truly democratic set up with the participants effectively owning the regatta and deciding how they would like it run. Read more on the CRAB association.

The second week of La Grande Régate Classique Manche-Atlantique (CCMA) is being run by our friends The Yacht Club Classique based in La Rochelle where they have a wonderful little clubhouse – like a chapel dedicated to classic sailing – in the old customs house on the quayside. They also have very close links with the Maritime Museum and La Rochelle is described in The Rough Guide as ‘the finest seaside town in France’ making it a wonderful place to end this extended two week regatta.