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
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
IoW
Round the Island Race (15 June)
World’s most popular yacht race?
Cowes Classics Week
IoWight
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.
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
Cowes
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
IoW
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)
jenny@pa-angels.co.uk
(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
BROADS
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
Cornwall
Falmouth Classics (14-16 June)
Huge, traditional regatta, 170+ boats.
Looe Lugger Regatta
Cornwall
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, office4luggers@btinternet.com
Sea, Salts and Sail
Mousehole, Cornwall
Sea, Salts and Sail (5-7 July)
Workboats and yachts… biennial
Dartmouth Classics Regatta
Devon
Dartmouth Classics Regatta (18-19 July)
Clovelly Maritime Festival
Devon
Clovelly Maritime Festival (21 July)
Shoreside with some racing
Fowey Classics
Cornwall
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
Portsoy
Ace Winches Scottish Trad Boat Festival (22-23 June)
Rowing, sailing, 100+ boats
Clydebuilt Festival
Glasgow
Clydebuilt Festival (7-8 September)
River maritime festival
8-M World Championship
Rhu, Upper Clyde
8-M World Championship (18-24 August)
WALES
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)
IRELAND
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
France
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
Marseille, France
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
Mallorca
Regatta Illes Balears Classic (17–20 August)
8-M World Championships
Genoa, Italy
8-M World Championships (28 August – 2 September)
Corsica Classic
France
Corsica Classic (22 –30 August)
Vele d’Epoca di Imperia
Italy
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
France
Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez (29 September – 8 October)
Barcolana Classic
Italy
Barcolana Classic (7 October)
Vele Storiche Viareggio
Italy
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
NORWAY
Risør Traditional Boat Festival
Risør
Risør Traditional Boat Festival (3-5 August)
FRENCH ATLANTIC COAST
Semaine du Golfe du Morbihan
Brittany
Semaine du Golfe du Morbihan (15-21 May)
La Belle Plaisance
Benodet, Brittany
La Belle Plaisance (23-25 June)
Voiles Classiques de la Trinité
Brittany
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)
SPAIN
6-M European Championship
Sanxenxo, Galicia
6-M European Championship (10-19 June)
GERMANY
Robbe & Berking Sterling Cup
Flensburg
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
Laboe
German Classics (18-21 August)
DENMARK
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)
BELGIUM
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
Mass
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
Salish 100
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
Nantucket
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
Newport, Rhode Island
IYRS Newport Classic Yacht Regatta (3-4 September – Date TBC)
Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival
Port Townsend, Washington
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
Australia Day Regatta
Sydney
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
Auckland
CYNZ Classic Yacht Regatta (February 2024)
Famous celebration of New Zealand’s classic yachts
