FOWEY CLASSICS 2012 Jul 31st - Aug 3rd
The 21st Anniversary RallyFowey Classics 2009 Spring News
Thank you for your patience in awaiting these details of Fowey Classics 2009.
The programme and entry form are now available online, for downloading from the Classics website, at
www.foweyclassics.org. together with all other relevant details.
You will see that the usual sailing activities are included and all we need is some rather better weather than last year. If the conditions are right we may add an “interesting” new dimension to the Triangulation Race.
I am delighted to report that our main sponsors, Stephens Scown, the West Country law firm, are onboard again for 2009 and have even increased their involvement by underwriting the Prize Giving Farewell Cocktail Party as well as the ever popular “Sun over the Yardarm” Welcome bags and the Welcome Cocktail Party. Three cheers for Andy Steele, Chief Executive and his Marketing team, for their confidence in Fowey Classics. That’s you – because it is the skippers and crews and the lovely boats which make this event what it is.
Old Pulteney have happily agreed again to sponsor the Puzzler – much simpler this year and smaller than ever before –
(notice that I refrain from using the phrase “dumbed down” (!)). OP will also provide the prizes for the very popular Old Pulteney Passage Pursuit Race and Picnic. Once again these will be empirically awarded for items such as best picnic spread, bunting, most notable hospitality offered to the Organiser and the Organiser's Organiser (basically best Pimms or greatest number of hands to lift our dinghy up the beach...and down again), something for the first couple of boats back to Fowey. and anything else which takes our fancy… like long pennants
(Cornelius please note there may be some competition this year), best attired crew, historical costume* or whatever. Slainthe!
You will again be offered a tantalising nautical anagram competition thanks to the generosity of Tamar Ridge Wines, the award winning Tasmanian Winery, as so many obviously enjoyed this cerebral challenge… and the lucky prize winners, some marvellous wines. Following the quite unexpected outpouring of creativity last year, my friends at Camus Cognac are providing suitable encouragement for you all to submit an entry to the Camus Caption Competition.
It is worth noting, with considerable approbation, that even in these challenging economic times, all of our sponsors – the local and the international brand names – are on board again this year. On your behalf Fowey Classics thanks them all.
There are some changes to the shore-side social events: The Learning Curves have been stood down and replaced with what I hope will be an enjoyable alternative. Welcome to Cultural Classics: On Wednesday evening classic boat owner James Boyd – better known internationally as a virtuoso classical guitar player – will treat us to a very special recital and at RFYC on Thursday evening fellow entrant David Courtenay-Clack is teaming up with Xenia Irwin, MW to bring us a laid back and amusing wine tasting event. Full details are on the dedicated Cultural Classics webpage.
Over the last few years we have noticed that the generosity of our main sponsor has been stretched at the Welcome Cocktail Party by a few skippers who have been “swinging the lead” a little by ordering drinks tickets for considerably more people than their boats can possibly accommodate! Whilst we are happy to see the party numbers swelled, a decision has been taken that free tickets will only be issued for the active and registered crew capacity of a boat – see Entry Form for details.
Any extra tickets that are required may be purchased from the Welcome Desk at £6 per head. Applying this requirement also enables us to welcome to the Cocktail Party, on a paid basis, skippers and crews of classic boats who arrive as part of the Plymouth to Fowey passage Race but who have not entered Fowey Classics, before they depart the following day.
The very well supported cream tea birthday party is again in the programme but this year you will need to find a very modest £2.50 in order to share the fun.
There is a small but important change to the popular Classics/RNLI/Quiz evening. This year team size will be a factor and a new maximum limit of six people per team will apply. Teams will be "bracketed" into three groups – teams of 2 people, up to 4 people and up to 6 people. This should help to even up the competition by equalising the amount of grey matter available per team. Prizes will be related to a team size/performance score which should be a more equable approach.
In an effort to make the Friday evening Prize Giving more manageable (it does go on a bit too long…) the prizes for the Classics / RNLI Quiz will be awarded at the Birthday Party Cream tea. This recommendation came too late to be included in the outline programme on the website but it will be shown in the final version in your information pack.
Following the great success of the buffet style Prize Giving supper at Gallants last year, the Thursday evening BBQ on the RFYC Harbour Front terrace will also become a buffet. This upside of this change is a significant reduction in ticket price and far greater availability which will enable many more sailors to enjoy this function.
In 2008 most skippers remembered to bring their marine insurance certificates to the Welcome Desk when they checked in to collect the Information pack.
This year we’d like ALL skippers to remember that no insurance papers = no pack. The website page gives all the information you need.
How many of you noticed that in each of the last two years there have been 13 full moons? Old country folk around here say that this was the reason for the two successive bad summers of ’07 and ’08. This year there are 12 full moons which is as it should be …for the promise of perfect summer weather.
So come and enjoy some of it in Fowey… August 4 – 7. We all look forward to welcoming you.
Good sailing.
Roy
*Would there be any takers for an 18th Century Cornish smugglers (or Revenue men) costume theme? We already know of one skipper who kitted himself out so convincingly as an 18th C. bo’sun that he got prime-time TV coverage two years ago…..