Brest Maritime Festival 2027 Invites Irish Boats and Crews

23rd October 2026

Afloat.ie Team

Across the Water – Traditional vessels gather at the 2024 Brest Maritime Festival. The French port, twinned with Dún Laoghaire, hosts its next festival in July 2027 Credit: Arnaud Pilpré

Irish traditional boat owners and crews are being invited to take part in the Brest Maritime Festival in Brittany, which returns from 9 to 14 July 2027.

The organisers have issued an early call for traditional vessels, skippers and maritime associations to make contact before the online registration system opens.

Brest is officially twinned with Dún Laoghaire, Ireland's largest recreational boating centre, providing a direct maritime connection between the French port and Dublin Bay. The relationship was highlighted by Afloat in 2008, when plans to strengthen sailing links with Brittany were reported.

Irish traditional craft have previously made the voyage to Brest. In 2024, the 25ft community-built Shannon cutter Sally O'Keeffe sailed from Kilrush, Co Clare, via Baltimore and the Isles of Scilly to join the maritime festivities in western Brittany.

As Afloat reported at the time, three gleoiteogs from the Galway Hooker Sailing Club were also present, with around 30 club members attending. The Irish contingent was estimated at six boats.

The Brest gathering is part of a wider tradition of Irish classic-boat participation in Brittany's maritime festivals. At the separate Semaine du Golfe du Morbihan in 2017, 14 Water Wags and six Howth 17s joined the fleet, demonstrating the continuing links between Irish traditional sailing classes and their French counterparts.

The 2027 Brest festival will run for six days, bringing together traditional vessels and crews from around the world. Its organisers say the event is being held a little earlier in the season than usual.

Owners and associations interested in attending are encouraged to share details of their vessels now, allowing the organisers to plan for the visiting fleet ahead of formal registration.

Enquiries can be sent to [email protected]. Further information is available from the official Brest Maritime Festival website.

Published in Maritime Festivals, Historic Boats, Galway Hookers

Published in Maritime Festivals

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