FOWEY CLASSICS 2012 Jul 31st - Aug 3rd
The 21st Anniversary RallyMarch 2011 Newsletter
Last February “Classic Boat” magazine noted that
“Fowey Classics has developed an atmosphere all its own, with food and music taken perhaps even more seriously than the sailing”. The article continued:
“Fowey Classics is still an enigma. Even its name suggests a question: classic what? Is it a regatta, a raid or even a festival?”
It is of course a Rally. Annually it now attracts the second largest fleet of sailing boats to Fowey harbour, with craft ranging from 12 ft to 12 tons... or more.
The Classics was founded in 1991 by the late Rusty Eplett and his earliest programmes consisted of an evening reception at the Gallants, hosted by the Mayor of Restormel, offering two free glasses of wine and tiny nibbles. A relaxed morning was followed by a sail past in the harbour, a gentle race around the bay and the presentation of a bottle of bubbly to the class winners, with a passage race to Falmouth the following day.
Unfortunately during the intervening years, expectations have risen somewhat. As in business today, customers are more demanding and competition is greater than ever before.
So the 20th anniversary programme this summer encompasses twenty four activities and events and in addition each entry pack will contain a 20 page information book and (with sponsored prizes) a jumbo nautical crossword, a caption competition and a tantalising nautical anagram.
Mentioning caption competitions reminds me to tell you that the winning entry for the Fowey Classics Old Pulteney Calendar caption comp. was from John Suter of
“Serif” who’s original and witty “B Flat if you must but C Shanty would be better” caught the attention of the Judges. Well done John – a bottle of OP malt whisky awaits you.
There are two constraints affecting this summers’ Classics. For administrative reasons we will CLOSE THE ENTRY LIST on July 15 at the latest or when we reach 65 boats if that is sooner.
A quick word of explanation about this years’ programme: Quite apart from the huge choice of activities you will immediately notice the RNLI logo attached to various items. After the brilliant showing at the Classics RNLI Quiz last year, which raised £1253, it seemed appropriately challenging to endeavour to make the 2011 contribution a numerically neat £2011. Obviously this sort of sum is impossible to raise with the Quiz alone, so this year, to mark the 20th Anniversary, we are asking for donations here and there and allocating certain ticket sales, after costs, to help reach this ambitious total. This is your “England expects etc...” moment.
After a very successful introduction last year, Cultural Classics 2011 will again feature the “Open Boat” event. Sailors are – mostly – proud of their own boat and simultaneously often curious about other classic boats. Well – here’s another chance to have a look at them.
“Open Boat” is intended to offer a relaxed couple of hours on the Classics moorings having a yarn and showing off your boat to fellow Classics sailors who would like to have a look.
The appropriate signal to show that you are aboard – and participating – is to fly the Fowey Classics flag within your foretriangle (to distinguish it from your dressing overall flags), when you are ready to receive visitors. When you disembark to go and visit another boat then haul the Classics flag down...unless you trust your crew to give a competent guided tour.
”Open Boat” provides a rare chance to look at another beautiful or interesting boat. The Judges may visit but will not be doing so in an official capacity, awarding points, so you don’t have to spend time polishing brightwork or neatly coiling ropes...the Judges are just curious like the rest of us.
The famous pilot cutter
“Cornubia” (some of you may recall her as
“Herta”) will be back at her birthplace in Fowey, to celebrate her 100th birthday and will be part of the Open Boat morning. She was launched at Slades Yard (now Allen Tom’s yard) in Polruan in the summer of 1911. “Open Boat” embraces all entrants including dinghies and dayboats which are invited to berth alongside one of the larger boats for a couple of hours.
If you still can’t distinguish between Grenache and Gamay then here’s your chance to find out: The hugely popular “Call my Bluff” wine tasting challenge is returning this year to bamboozle you all... but be warned, you will have to focus on the “Knots on my Watch” the knots and hitches Masterclass Learning Curve which follows the wine tasting! Shurely thatsh not a bhowline....?
Another well focused Learning Curve is reinstated to offer sailors the opportunity to chat with maestro boatbuilder Peter Williams of Bodinnick Boatyard about wooden boats. What is it you would like to know? Peter is offering an open house facility for anyone to drop in on Tuesday morning.
Fowey Gallants SC will be the venue for an update on our very own Gorran Haven Crabber Project, followed immediately by a specially written and illustrated talk from Dr Helen Doe, a maritime historian of international repute, who lectures across the UK and indeed all over the world. Come and hear how Cornwall was at the cutting edge of marine technology in the late 18th century. Smugglers, boatbuilders and avoiding The Revenue. Unmissable.
For a morning of fun (and possibly utter chaos) but all in aid of the RNLI, we are planning to fill the upper reaches of Pont Pill with bright yellow rubber ducks in the first ever Great Bombay Duck Race.
You are invited to invest in these ducks – in fact to invest in lots of them because I have at least 2000 to offer – and then come and cheer them on as they move majestically downstream on the ebb tide. For the keener racing helmsmen there is the Great Bombay Duck Team Race and details of this will be announced at the Welcome Cocktail Party. There will also be a very special GBD Match Race.
The gastronomes in the fleet are exceptionally well catered for this year with six diverse dining events as well as the usual pint & pasty Club lunches. Places are limited at all the ticketed events so the message is book early.
Sam’s on the Beach have asked me if we could reduce the number of places from last year’s 48 to 46, since it really was a bit of a squash, especially for those seated along the wall. But you’ll have to be quick because the Organiser has already exercised his
“Droit du Seigneur” privilege and reserved 4 of these! So guys... 42 places left – first come – first served! To simplify things at Sams this year, the menu offers only a three course meal...but a mouthwatering choice.
I can foresee that there may be a temptation for some of you to phone or email me the moment you read this Newsletter, to say “Put me down for eg 4 at Sams or 6 at the Quiz”. I’ll
note your
request but nobody gets on the list – in ink as it were – until I receive, by post, a fully completed entry form accompanied by your cheque ! Don’t for one moment think I’m going to fall for an emailed entry with a note saying “Cheque in the post, dreckly”. We’em very traditional down ‘ere and we’em likes to ‘ave a proper job, in writing, Family heirlooms are often pieces of furniture, portraits or silverware. Gerry and Tessa Williams are the inheritors of the Graham Gullick archive, featuring yachting film, mostly based on Fowey, dating back a hundred years or so. An exceptional opportunity to enjoy this amazing heirloom of rare and unique sailing footage.
One of the most memorable Cultural Classics events of recent years was the first ever “Music by the Yard” recital and reading given in 2009 by James Boyd and Jennie Pyle. James, an outstanding classical guitarist, is returning, this time in harmony with Lester Simpson, the acclaimed folk musician (who has engineered an
exeat from the Sidmouth Folk Festival specially to be with Fowey Classics) to give us a reprise of this moving and magical recital. You won’t get another chance to hear this spellbinding music.
In fact – don’t miss any of these events!
Last year a virulent outbreak of
“Amnesia certificatus insurans collectivitis” affected a large number of sailors. Fortunately, with expert advice from some very senior medical practitioners amongst the Classics fleet, the problem was swiftly brought under control. However this is a seasonal epidemic and as Fowey Classics is concerned for your welfare this summer, we take the opportunity to remind you that
When you arrive in Fowey please remember that you MUST present your boat insurance papers when registering at the Welcome Desk.
Minimum requirements: valid £2 million Third Party cover plus Racing Risks cover.
Whilst in formal mode this is also a good time to ask you to make sure you produce your tickets for each ticketed event you are attending: For the drinks served at both Cocktail parties at the RFYC and for the catered events at RFYC and FGSC. At both Clubs the “chef du galley” is only paid for the meals served... and you won’t be served a meal unless he is given a ticket. Simple really but it is amazing how many sailors find they “have left their tickets on the boat”. They must so love looking at their boats that they are happy rowing back out to get the tickets... while everybody else is enjoying the meal or a drink.
Fowey Classics has become something of a club, which meets once a year to share the companionship of friends and fellow sailors in what is what is arguably the most attractive of all the south west ports. Provided they enter again this year there are two skippers whose attendance record will each total 18 out of the 20 events. Many others have participated for10 or more years. Usually we welcome between 60 and 65 boats, which is a manageable fleet and represents the maximum capacity available for shore side social activities.
We decline entries from charter boats with paying passengers and any boat with a professional paid or retained crew. This has resulted in a hugely convivial and loyal attendance of genuinely Corinthian sailors and Fowey Classics has developed a very special and indeed, enviable ethos. Pot hunters are so dismayed by the strict application of the Founder’s First Rule that they never return. That Rule is, of course, “Any boat which protests shall be disqualified”.
Classics sailors have proved themselves very generous, contributing – quite literally – to the success of the Gorran Haven Crabber Project – the brainchild of Mike Prettejohn. With equally generous support from the Fortescues of Boconnoc and Gillian Emerson and her late husband Clive and others, this innovative project resulted in the construction of a replica late 19th century traditional Gorran Haven crabber. A truly local craft and you will be able to see
“Elizabeth Ann” at the Classics.
We have also welcomed an entrant which is believed to be the oldest boat afloat, anywhere in the world, still sailing. The television cameras came back to film Lord St Levan’s Ceremonial Barge. It was built by Peters of St Mawes... in1740. The Barge was sailed and rowed in the 2008 Classics by a volunteer crew which included the Under Sheriff of Cornwall. Incidentally the Barge, which has a very slippery hull form, is spectacularly fast down wind but was traditionally always rowed upwind. I do sometimes wonder if this was the origin of the old saying “No gentleman ever sails to windward”?
Our small team very much hope we will have the pleasure of welcoming you back to Fowey this summer, to help us celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the founding of the Classics. We look forward to splicing the mainbrace in the time honoured fashion in the company of a great crew of classic boat sailors.
Good sailing
Roy
Roy Downes
Organiser Fowey Classics 2011
Email:
roy@foweyclassics.org
Tel: 01726 870 627