Fowey Rally, 2 - 4 June.

Published 17:03 on 11 Jun 2023

For a number of us, this was the Plan C Rally.  At 65 miles, Fowey is our furthest regular rendevous.  

3 days is usually considered minimal, often including a Bank Holiday.  Thus Plan A is usually feasible for those happy with a relatively quick turnaround before coming home.   In practice many have used the occasion as a springboard to venture further west or to travel earlier in the week with the same intent and so Plan B might involve shorter legs with stops at Newton Ferrers or Plymouth.  This year the rally was a week later, impinging on cross channel plans for some, and the weather gods did not play ball.  A prevailing North Easterly had built up a nasty rolling sea and the weather forecasts were predicting gusts of 35 mph.  The Yacht Club had hosted both Cape Cutters and Newbury Yacht Club earlier in the week and they had some exciting tales to tell of their journeys before the wind from Dartmouth.

There was much procrastination and the WhatsApp group was red hot.  Phil and Karen Coleman in Tillie, a Crabber 24, had already spent a week on the Helford and made their way to Fowey in seamanlike fashion.  Hasty Fish, with the redoubtable Carolyn Schofield and two experienced crew broke the journey at Newton Ferrers and arrived on Pont Pill pontoon at precisely 3.00pm.  Exactly the time she had predicted.  The third sailing yacht to make it was China Blue with Rallymasters Charles and Lorna Cameron.  Initially thwarted by a steering failure off Burgh Island on Friday, they had returned to Salcombe on auto helm, effected repairs and headed for Fowey on Saturday arriving at 5.30 just in time to host the drinks party at Gallants Sailing Club.  This double journey was considered Plan D with Plan C, as you might have guessed, being a voyage by car.  Also deserving of special mention were Robert and Jane Smith in their motor cruiser Giovanna who had made the journey in one and a half hours (the same time recorded by the Rear Commodore in his car) and new members Alison and Denis Chatterton who had motored the shorter distance from Plymouth.

So for most of us the pleasure of the weekend was confined to a wonderful day in Fowey.  For a landlubber the weather must have seemed perfect.  Blue skies and warm temperatures accompanied the dinghy racing: brightly coloured Fowey River class and the more elegant Troys.  In the evening Gallants Sailing Club again made us most welcome with excellent food and a great atmosphere.   It was a particular pleasure to congratulate Robert and his crew Robin Piggott on winning their class at the Yawl Open the previous weekend.  Given the situation, it was impressive that so many made their way regardless of the difficulties.

For the sailing yachts, the return to Salcombe proved to be the predicted slog so many had preferred to avoid.  Hasty Fish tied up at Salcombe at 1715 after an 0600 departure from Fowey (a disciplined departure time given the festivities of the night before).  They experienced a very cold close hauled sail to windward but managed the journey on one tack, motor sailing after the tide turned against them.  Tilly took a pitstop in Plymouth Sunday night but reported that Bigbury Bay was wild on Monday morning.  Our redoubtable and much to be thanked Rallymasters, with understatement benefitting sailors who have relatively recently completed a round Britain cruise that included Cape Wrath and the west coat of Ireland, described the return as fine until we got to Bolt Tail when the wind picked up - and it was lumpy.