Looking Back at the Spring Rally 2017
So what did we all get up to?
Sadly the weather was not kind to us and The Scillies were not an option. Neither was Brittany for most of the fleet and all bar one of the crews sat out the storm for two days in either Plymouth or Falmouth. In true HOEOCA fashion crews got together and a good time was had by all.
The intrepid crew of Miranda, led by Chris Blackburn, stepped on their charter boat in Plymouth late Friday afternoon and set off hot foot across the channel to Roscoff. After visiting Morlaix, Treguier and Roscoff, for a second time, they found a weather window to make it back in time for the Rally dinner. They didn’t get to Trebeurden but there’s always another year…
Jude Holden and the crew of Mr H kindly accommodated a last minute change to the arrangements and picked up their charter boat in Brixham. After visiting Fowey, albeit late in the day, they headed back to Plymouth and sat out the storm with the proud crew of Sea Myth, who put the time to good use by installing a TV on their new boat. They claim to have done other useful stuff too… Mr H then had a good sail round to Dartmouth, so they were poised to take the boat back to Brixham on Friday morning, and travelled to the dinner by car.
The other 3 charter boats, Peter Smerdon and the crew of Bertie, Ian Blake and the crew of Ventis Secundis and Allen Busby and the crew of Liver Bird, headed to Fowey for a glorious evening of sunshine then sat out the storm in Falmouth before heading back to Plymouth or the River Yealm ahead of the dinner.
Having delivered Fulmarks to Plymouth two-handed during the preceding week, Bernie Blower and his full crew joined the three charter boats in Fowey and Falmouth then headed back to the Solent from Plymouth, one again two-handed.
David Ardron and the crew of White Mistral finally made a Rally dinner. After a cracking night sail from Plymouth to Newlyn (still hoping to get to The Scillies) they returned to Falmouth to sit out the storm and watched the America’s Cup. After the dinner they left early the next morning and made it back to the Solent in 24 hours after another cracking sail.
Finally, Jackie and Gwain Patterson and the crew of Skylou arrived at their boat in Falmouth in the small hours of Saturday morning. After visiting Fowey they decided to return to home port in Falmouth to sit out the storm and do some sight-seeing. They then enjoyed a day sail up the Helford River before travelling to the dinner by car. Their two crew members then jumped ship to help sail Sea Myth back to the Solent.
