France

Sitting on the northern coast of France, Brittany is the perfect destination for explorers and sailors alike. With its wild coastlines and medieval ports, this stretch of coast is full of ancient history, Celtic tradition and beautiful boats. The French love classic boats just as much as we do, with traditional fishing still a much relied on part of the infrastructure; sailing and sea-faring lies within the heart of these beautiful coastal villages.

A selection of our classic boats make the Channel crossing every year to take guests to experience this magical coastline also famous for its sailing and maritime festivals such as the Paimpol Festival, The Douarnenez Maritime Festival, and the Brest Festival of the Sea which takes place every four years attracts over 2000 sailing vessels! The next Festival is July 2020 with Bessie Ellen taking centre stage and you can sail over the channel with her here.

Celtic Coast

Along with the main harbour towns that our fleet will voyage too, the rest of the Breton coast is teeming with sheltered coves for anchoring, peaceful meandering rivers to discover, medieval towns and remote islands. Paired with the famous local cuisine and seafood, you’ll never be short of somewhere new to sail, set foot ashore and discover the magic of this Celtic Coast.

Brest

Onto the historic port of Brest, rich in maritime history and medieval architecture. Overlooking the harbour is the medieval Château de Brest, home to the National Navy Museum, a fascinating piece of architecture standing opposite the medieval tower of Tour Tanguy across the River. Stroll along the docks to experience traditional shipyards building wooden boats and the iconic schooner La Recouvrance.

Douarnenez

An attractive town with steep, narrow cobbled streets where little has changed over the past century. Soak up the unique atmosphere of its bustling quaysides and streets lined with traditional craft workshops and quaint fishermen’s cottages. Douarnenez has a fantastic foodie reputation for seafood, with independent eateries usually offering the catch of the day straight from the quayside.

Enjoy coastal walks to one of its many sheltered coves and sandy beaches, perfect for swimming, kayaking and sailing dinghies.

Paimpol

The Festival du Chant de Marin is an annual event in Paimpol (commonly referred to as Paimpol Festival) and takes place on the north-western coast of Brittany. Set around a former fishing harbour, Paimpol is rich in history and maritime legends. Once the home port of the Icelandic fishery, its cobbled streets and morning markets make for a bustling harbour town with the fishermen lost at sea recalled in many local folk tales.

Aside from Bessie Ellen’s annual sailings, Escape, Our Daddy, Pilgrim and Polly Agatha are also familiar with this coast and sail there every year.

Next year sees Our Daddy, Pilgrim of Brixham and Polly Agatha sailing to take part in Brest International Maritime Festival and Douarnenez’s Festival Temps Fête!