1 The langoustine fi sherman Skellig squeezes through the Tas de Pois 2 L’Hermione alongside in Brest
before she joined the parade 3 To counter sticky 38-degree heat, organisers deployed heavy-duty
sprinklers 4 Tiger Juden of the International Boatbuilding Training College on its Brest stand 5 There
was plenty of traditional dress on show, courtesy of the Troupe de la Marie Claudine 6 The guests of
honour were the boats, which fi lled every mooring in Douarnenez’s Port de Rosmeur 7 Bantry Bay
yawl Spered ar Mor 8 Careening on the slip 9 Live entertainment on stage included Denez Prigent,
who sang haunting folk songs in Breton 10 Learning to climb square rig1 2678394105Next came a long, largely windless beat
across the bay to the notorious Cap de la
Chèvre, the southern point of the Crozon
peninsula, marking the turn east towards
Douarnenez. This was a time for lunch and
to admire the cloud of sail dotting the
horizon. When the wind fi lled in off the Cap,
we found ourselves coursing along on a
delicious beat, up to seven knots as the tide
rushed round from the Raz de Sein.
The fl eet straggled out on the approach
to Douarnenez, ensuring a staggered
arrival. The classic boats sailed close in by
the quay, each cheered by a grandstand of
well-wishers. Replica bisquine (a lug-rig
schooner) La Cancalaise pulled off a
breathtaking manoeuvre among the
harbour moorings. Coming in at what must
have been 8 knots, she turned up into the
wind, backed her jib to heave the bow
round, reset her lug rig and charged back
out into the roadstead. A display of skills in
front of a volubly partisan audience.