Classic yachts. Character, in exchange for a little space.
Restored motor yachts from the great pre-war yards and classic sailing yachts still racing a century after they were launched. A very different week from a modern charter, and the right one for some people.
At a glance
What a classic usually carries
- GuestsOften 6 to 10Twelve is the maximum any yacht may take on charter, whatever her length, and few classics are laid out to use all twelve well.
- CabinsTypically 4 or 5Often of noticeably different sizes, and not always all en suite. The original layout is part of what you are chartering.
- CrewUsually smallerA captain, a chef, one or two stewardesses and deck crew. On a big sailing yacht that number swells when she races.
- EraMostly 1900s to 1960sSailing yachts from the great British and American yards, and motor yachts from the northern European builders, nearly all restored at least once.
Classic yachts vary far more than modern ones, so these are patterns rather than rules. Every proposal names the yacht, her build and refit years, her exact layout and her crew.
The honest version
What you gain, and what you give up
A classic yacht is not a modern yacht that happens to be old. She was drawn for a different way of using the sea: narrower in the beam, deeper in the water, with the accommodation arranged around a long saloon rather than around a full-beam master cabin. The panelling is real, the deck is laid teak and the brightwork takes a crew member most mornings. People who charter classics do it for exactly that, and they tend to do it more than once.
What you give up is space and toys. There is rarely a beach club, usually no tender garage, and the toy locker is modest next to a modern 30 to 50 metre yacht. Cabins are smaller, corridors are narrower and the master suite on a 40 metre classic may be no bigger than the VIP cabin on a modern 35 metre one. Good restorations add air conditioning, modern engines and generators, proper refrigeration and satellite internet, and some motor yachts have had stabilisers fitted. Others have not, and a narrow hull without stabilisers rolls at anchor in a way a modern yacht does not.
Odyssey arranges classic charters, so we have nothing to talk you into. If your party is eight adults who want a beach club, a jacuzzi and seabobs, we will say plainly that a classic is the wrong boat and show you modern ones instead.
What the week is like
How a classic charter actually runs
- Under sail, a classic yacht heels, and on some passages the saloon is at an angle. Guests who want to help are welcome on the winches and guests who do not are left alone
- Passages matter more than anchorages. A big classic sailing yacht is happiest making a proper passage, so the week tends to be built around sailing rather than around lunch stops
- Crews are smaller and more visible. You will know the chef and the mate by the second day, which most guests find is the best part of the week
- Maintenance never stops. Varnish, rig checks and bilges are part of life aboard, done early and out of your way, but not invisible
- Harbours treat them differently. Classic yachts are given the historic quays in Saint-Tropez, Cannes and Monaco during the regatta weeks, which is the best berth in town and not available to a modern boat
- Provisioning and the preference sheet work exactly as on any crewed charter, and a good classic chef is as good as any at sea
Honest comparison
A classic against a modern yacht of the same length
| Classic, restored | Modern, same length | |
|---|---|---|
| Guests | Often 6 to 10 | Usually 10 to 12 |
| Cabins | Fewer, and of unequal size | Matched, usually all en suite |
| Outdoor space | Side decks and an aft cockpit | Several decks, a sun deck and a beach club |
| Toys | A tender, paddleboards, sometimes little else | Seabobs, jet skis, inflatables, water skis |
| At anchor | Can roll, unless stabilisers were fitted in refit | Zero speed stabilisers as standard |
| Under way | Sailing, or a slow and beautiful passage | Ten to fourteen knots, comfortable and quiet |
| Best for | People who love boats, and regatta weeks | Families, groups, and weeks built around the water |
Neither column is better. Tell us who is coming and what they picture themselves doing and we will tell you which side of this table your week belongs on.
The season
The Mediterranean classic calendar
| Event | Next edition | Where | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez | 26 September to 4 October 2026 | Saint-Tropez | Classics and moderns racing in the gulf, with the old port given over to the fleet |
| Monaco Classic Week | 8 to 11 September 2027 | Port Hercule, Monaco | Held every two years: classic sailing yachts, vintage motor yachts, antique motorboats and an elegance contest |
| Les Voiles d'Antibes | 2 to 6 June 2027 | Antibes | The traditional opening of the Mediterranean classic season, on the Bastion Saint-Jaume |
| Régates Royales | Late September 2027 | Cannes | The season's closing regatta, with classic yachts alongside the Dragon and metre classes. The 48th edition ran 20 to 26 September 2026 |
Dates as published by the organisers at the time of writing. We arrange transport to these weeks and have no connection with the organisers. If you want to be on the water during one, ask early: the yachts that race are spoken for months ahead and the berths even earlier.
Chartering around a regatta
Watching, or actually racing
There are two quite different requests here and they cost and work differently. The first is to be in the bay while a regatta happens: a yacht on a berth or at anchor, guests watching the racing from the deck, dinners ashore in the evening. That is a normal charter with the timing and the berth arranged well ahead, and it can be done on a classic or on any other yacht.
The second is to charter a classic that is entered in the regatta and to sail her during the racing. That is a different week. Professional crew come aboard, the yacht is sailed hard, the accommodation is used for sleeping rather than lounging, and guests are either working the boat or keeping out of the way. It is one of the great experiences in yachting and it is not a holiday. Tell us which of the two you have in mind, because the shortlist is completely different.
Either way the week is built backwards from the start line. We plan the flights, the cars and the arrival day around the race schedule, the road closures and the harbour access, which during Les Voiles or the Régates Royales are not what they are in an ordinary week.
Where they are
Harbours and coasts
Classic harbours
Cruising grounds
Weeks people build around
Getting to her
The yacht is the easy part to arrange
Classic charters start in small historic harbours with awkward access, and during a regatta week the roads around them close. We arrange the flights, the cars and the tender timings on one itinerary, tell the captain when the aircraft moves, and set the pick-up point where the car can actually reach.
Request a proposal
Tell us who is coming and what they picture
Dates, numbers, ages, and whether the week is about sailing or about being on the water. Say if a regatta is the reason for the trip. We reply with a shortlist of yachts that genuinely fit, the full cost of each, an honest word about the crew on every one, and a plain warning if we think a classic is the wrong choice for your party.
Prefer to talk? +44 2030 048300 or WhatsApp, at any hour.
Questions people ask
About classic charters
How does Odyssey arrange a classic charter?
We arrange the charter with the yacht's management and name the yacht, her build and refit years, her exact layout and her crew before you commit to anything. We have no yacht of our own to fill, so the shortlist is chosen for your party rather than for us.
Are they comfortable?
A well restored classic is very comfortable and quite unlike a modern yacht. Air conditioning, modern plumbing and good internet are normal on a serious restoration. Cabins are smaller, berths are sometimes narrower, and a motor yacht without stabilisers will roll at anchor in a swell. We tell you which of those apply to each yacht on your list.
Can children come?
Yes, and many families love them, but a classic has fewer of the things that occupy children all day and more varnish to be careful of. For a first charter with young children we would usually point you at a modern yacht and say why.
Can we charter one for the regatta and race her?
Sometimes. The yachts that race are entered months ahead and the good ones go early, so this is a conversation to start in the winter rather than in August. It is also a working week rather than a holiday, which is worth being clear about with everyone coming.
Do they go further than the Mediterranean?
Some do. A number of classics cross to the Caribbean for the winter season and race there in the spring, and a few work in northern Europe in summer. Tell us the part of the world and we will tell you what is actually there in that season.
What does a classic charter cost?
It depends on the yacht, the season and the week, and classics vary more than modern yachts do. See what a yacht charter costs for how the money is structured, then send us the trip and we will come back with real figures.