owners of classic boats to "get together'' in Douarnenez in the summer.

More than 450 ships, yachts and rowing boats -- most built before 1960 and many as old as 100 years -- turned up for the rendezvous on the Western tip of Europe.

The magazine decided to invite the boats back in 1988 because of the event's overwhelming success. The number of wooden boats flocking to Douarnenez that year more than doubled.

Numerous shore activities and open houses aboard the hundreds of visiting boats entertained the more than 250,000 people who came for what has become a major maritime festival in Europe.

This summer more than 2,000 classic boats are expected to take part in the festival, which has been moved to the commercial port of Brest, the site of a French navy base. The Brest '92 Festival is expected to lure more than one million visitors.

Six of the boats heading across the Atlantic to take part in the Brest '92 Festival stopped over in Bermuda this week to take part in the first-ever International Transatlantic Race for Classics.

The organiser of the race is veteran skipper Mr. Paul Adamthwaite, who sailed his 53-foot, 59-year-old yawl Stormy Weather -- a former Newport-Bermuda Race Class winner -- into St. George's Harbour on Monday.

Stormy Weather , the Scotsman points out, "changed the face of naval architecture''.

"When she was built in the 1930s she was more efficient, faster and sea kindly than other yachts of the time,'' he said. "Her design was copied all over the world.'' The race is expected to be a triennial event to coincide with the festival, Mr. Adamthwaite said.

The yachts, tied up at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club which is hosting their crews while here, range in size from the 28-foot Wildfire of Wight and 38-foot Maid of Wyven , to the 90-foot charter ketch Meroe of Kent .

Meroe of Kent boasts an antique mahogany and teak panelled interior, oak frames with bronze fastenings and guest cabins each with tiny hand basins.

Under her original name Berenice she spent an active life cruising the waters of Europe until she was requisitioned in 1941 by the Royal Navy and refitted for coastal patrol work.

Also taking part in the race is the 72-foot, 81-year-old, two-masted lugger Guide Me . Because the wooden sailboat has no engine, owners Mr. and Mrs. John Brickhill had to row her through Town Cut.

The oldest boat taking part is the 65-foot, 99-year-old Bristol pilot cutter Marguerite T .

The yachts will all be in full sail to take part in a "sail past'' in Hamilton Harbour this morning before departing for St. George's where the race starts tomorrow.

Mr. Adamthwaite, a regular visitor to Bermuda who keeps Stormy Weather well-stocked with the ingredients for dark `n' stormys, is a writer for the magazine which started the classic boats get together, Le Chasse-Maree.

Explaining the festival's incredible success, he said: "We run a good festival of general interest to many. It is a truly traditional event. It is not a race or a tie your boat up at the dock and gloat event.'' He said it was decided to skip a year and hold the festival in 1992 instead of last year because of the focus on Europe with the Olympics and Christopher Columbus celebrations taking place this summer. The festival runs from July 10-18.

Mr. Adamthwaite said he could not guess at how many classic yachts and boats exist today but he said five years ago it would have been "unthinkable'' that there were as many 2,000.

"The number of classic boats is growing,'' he said. "People are more conscious that wrecks are worth saving. They are rescuing them from rotting, fixing them up and rebuilding them so they are seaworthy again.'' Highlights at this year's festival include J-boats -- the largest race yachts ever built (there are only three in existence), and the Russian ship Sedov -- the largest sail training vessel in the world.

READY FOR BREST -- Crewmen on the classic yawl Stormy Weather prepare for the start of the race to Brest, France, tomorrow. Shown (left to right) are Messrs. Peter Lancaster Jr., Peter Lancaster Sr. and Dave Dostall. The race for classic yachts begins in St. Geroge's Harbour tomorrow.