July Sailing – Festivals, Tall Ship Races & extended cruising

July Sailing – Summer Festivals, Tall Ships Races

July is the month the whole world seems to be out on the water. Quite frankly we cant think of anywhere better to be than helming a tall ship or schooner in warm winds on a sparkly sea. You can be a party animal at these great sailors gatherings, or you can seek out the voyages where your ships crew are the only humans for hundreds of miles.

For example in July 2024 we have Brest International Festival of the Sea, Douarnenez Temp Fetes Maritime Festival, and tall ships races in the Baltic. At the other end of the scale are tiny ports like Mousehole hosting their biennial Sea, Salt and Sails Festival.

Meanwhile in July 2024 Oosterschelde is crossing the Pacific Ocean, Linden is heading for Iceland, Provident and Trinovante are seeking out remote islands in Scotland and Tecla is sailing around the tip of Greenland where there are only 2 human settlements for thousands of miles.

Each July is different, but for Arctic explorers this will be the earliest that the sea ice will allow sailing ships to head for their Greenland sailing grounds. As we move into late July and August the lands of the Narwal will open up too, and it becomes the season for North West Passage hopefuls. Ashore in Iceland and then Greenland the tundra will be blossoming into life with flowers, lichens, and cotton grass.

Maritime Festivals and Tall Ships Races

Mousehole Sea Salts and Sail July 2024, 2026

Luggers, gaffers, small sail boats, row boats all try and squeeze in this iconic Cornish fishing village. Tallulah is running a voyage for artists with illustrator Claudia Myatt at the festival in 2024.

Brest International Festival of the Sea July 2024, 2028

The biggest gathering of traditional sailing vessels from around the world. Celebrating our shared maritime culture and creating a crazy melee on boats that is unforgettable. Each day vessels are encouraged to go out sailing and posing in the Rade de Brest – a large inland sea. Night time at Brest is for fireworks music and floodlit boat processions. At the end of the festival 3000 boats sail out of Brest and 30 miles down the coast to the next festival at Douarnenez. Epic.

Douarnenez Temp Fete July 2024, 2026

A more intimate gathering than Brest in this medieval fishing port, but still one of the biggest wooden boat festivals in the world.

International Tall Ships Races

Tall Ships Races are fundamentally aimed at young people mixing with different nationalities to promote friendship and peace. However the races are highly competitive between ships and nations. There are usually adult berths and berths for those with disabilities to participate. Ideal for men and women of all ages who like to sail tall ships to their full potential.

The Tall Ships Race legs in 2024 are Klaipeda, Lithuania – Helsinki, Finland – Tallinn, Estonia – Turku, Finland – Mariehamn, Aland Isles – Szczecin, Poland

Iceland & Greenland

In 2024 we have three major sailing expeditions to Greenland you can join in July. If you are a teacher or work in Education, then all three have dates that fit in school vacations / summer holidays. Linden and Tecla are both sailing around the southern tip of Greenland and up into the glaciers and fjords of West Greenland. After these real sailor rites of passage, they both start their Arctic expeditions based around Nuuk, Illulisatt and the Canadian and Inuit territories in the approach to the North West Passage. If you want to sail above Baffin Island and into Resolute Bay you might have to look at August dates.

Celtic Fringes – Shetland, Skye, Orkney

Who can resist Muckle Flugga? One of the biggest gannet colonies in Europe and the most Northerly lighthouse in the British Isles. Not many tourists up here in July.

Trinovante is a three masted schooner run by Su and John . They pride themselves on teaching the guest crew to sail this small tall ship as much as they can by themselves.

Provident is carving a new name for herself in Scotland with Morag and Steve. They add huge value to their Hebridean journeys by bringing in walking guides, open water swim teachers and all sorts of extra themes. Their food and hospitality is already legendary amongst our guests.