Paimpol Sea Shanty Festival
Sail to the Paimpol Sea Shanty Festival and immerse yourself into a sea of happiness where you will be greeted by an array of traditional boats and music.
Introduction
Escape to Glastonbury at Sea - In Brittany! The Festival du Chant de Marin (Sea Shanty Festival) is held in the port of Paimpol every 2 years. The festival is a pure celebration of travel, dreaming, and meeting new people. There will be music from all four corners of the world but in 2023 there will be a particular focus on 'Italian Stopovers'.
Immerse yourself in the pageant of two hundred or so traditional boats and many more musicians coming together to celebrate the Sea Shanty Festival - a real celebration of our maritime heritage.
There is a particularly satisfaction derived from arriving somewhere by boat and none more so than when a huge party awaits.
Join us and sail from Southampton the 150 miles to Paimpol. There should be time for a leisurely stop at one of the Channel Islands enroute.
The festival itself will run on 4/5/6 August. 3 days of music and fun.
After the festival we will sail back, again with the possibility of a stop over at one of the Channel Islands.
Sailing Golden Vanity
Built in 1908 Golden Vanity is the perfect boat for arriving at a Sea Shanty Festival. She is traditional on deck but down below deck has all the normal modcons.
Golden Vanity is 53ft overall and 39ft on deck. Her beam is
12ft and her draft 7ft. Her pine decks are wide and spacious with high
bulwarks. There are plenty of places to sit, relax and watch the world
go by. For more information on Golden Vanity's past have a look
here.
She is wooden and has a gaff rig - so her main sail has four sides to it and a wooden spar on the top edge. She has no winches and is sailed using traditional rope handling techniques.
The accommodation is arranged into snug bunks with not a lot of opportunity for segregating sexes. She has a spacious loo.
Paimpol and the Festival
The Town
Steeped in maritime history Paimpol is a beautiful destination, in Brittany, Northwest France. The
bay of Paimpol forms part of the bay of St Brieuc which has a tidal
range of over 12 metres - one of the largest in Europe and 5th in the
world! The town of Paimpol bears witness to its maritime past as
immortalised in Pierre Loti’s novel 'An Iceland Fisherman'. The charming
town is packed with architecture from across the centuries, with
beautiful streets and discoveries around every turn. Local bars,
galleries, restaurants and beaches provide an atmospheric backdrop to
the festival.
The Festival
Festival du Chant de Marin is a memorable coming together of the sailing community, an escape from the every day to meet new people, hear new music and taste new things. A friendly celebration of the sea shanty and of world music, check here for a full musical itinerary. With local produce and traditional street performance, there’s always plenty to entertain. The Festival du Chant de Marin - the fourth largest festival in Brittany, takes place on 4, 5 and 6 August 2023 in the port of Paimpol.
What to expect / pre-requisites
No level of experience is needed to join this trip and the crew. All that is required is a willingness to get hands-on!
You need Teamwork to sail Golden Vanity and unlike modern yachts, there are no winches and so raising and lowering the sails is all about using traditional seamanship techniques. Our experienced skipper and mate will show you the ropes.
For more experienced sailors Golden Vanity offers you the chance to add to your knowledge by sailing a gaff rigger and with the helpful instruction and guidance of our instructor you will learn new techniques.
These trips are also extremely valuable for RYA mile-building.
The details
The Price
The price is £2,287 and includes all food on board, oilskins, berthing fees, fuel/gas.
Dates / Times
Trip : 31 July – 9 August
Join Golden Vanity in Southampton at 8pm on the 30 July.
You can expect to depart from the boat in Southampton at around 5pm on 9 August.
Actual Music festival is 4-6 August.
Additional info
The boat will depart from and arrive back at Shamrock Quay in Southampton. Parking is available, there are good train/bus links and Southampton airport is close by.
BOOK NOW!
To pay only a £750 deposit now type in PAIMPOL2023 into the code box during check out.
