Portscatho Regatta 25
The week before started with several days of full on easterly gales resulting in no boats able to sail to Fowey for their regatta week, a big disappointment as it is a huge tradition in the Working Boat calendar. The wind eased in the middle of the week by which time is was not practical to sail to Fowey to then turn round to sail back, especially now the wind had dropped to almost a calm.The crews had all booked accommodation in Fowey for the week and drove up to make the most of shoreside entertainment.
So it was now, get all crews back to Falmouth ready for Portscatho Regatta on Saturday and The Pandora Cups on the Monday Bank Holiday. The August Bank Holiday weekend is renowned for bad weather but it turned out to be one of the best days of the year on the Saturday of Portscatho Regatta. Robin Edwards owner of No.18 Rita was the main Organiser and Race Officer. From clearing the village beach from seaweed swept ashore in the previous week’s easterlies, arranging the shore entertainments, laying the courses and starting a feeder sail from Black Rock in Falmouth up round the coast to the village.
The breeze was a light southerly in the morning, which deterred some crews from turning out fearing it was going to be a drifting match. By late morning the wind had increased to a steady southerly breeze and the fleet of race boats sailed downwind to the village. Eleven Handicap Yachts, two Ajaxs and five working boats sailed onto the moorings at the village, First was ‘Rita’ sailed by Robin’s brother Oliver, then ‘Endeavour’ Olly Graffey and Patrick Selman’s ‘’Moon’. The sea was glistening later in the afternoon sun as Florence joined the B Class fleet followed by Lottie and a guest C Class boat, the beautiful Kathleen.
The main event was the afternoon race started off the village harbour with a dead beat against the incoming tide to the weather mark, then offshore to a wing mark, back in towards the village to a leeward mark and around again. This gave the huge crowds a spectacular spectacle from the shore with the colourful topsails making it easy to identify the boats. Robin duly timed them all in including nineteen Handicap yachts and the eight working boats and numerous dinghies. In B Class it was the light wind flyer ‘Endeavour’ sailed By Olly Graffey and Amy Creedon who won by 39 seconds over ‘Rita’ and a minute in front of ‘Helen Mary’.
In the true tradition of Village Regattas most crews went ashore and were welcomed with free beer and pasties. Live music played outside the Plume of Feathers and the St. Dennis Silver Band played the Fora Dance and led the procession round the village and through the pub. This has been a tradition for years. The evening normally rounded off with a rousing singsong, but the waterfront characters have dropped their anchors’ and rock bands have taken over.
Final handicap placing were:
Class B
1st Endeavour, Olly Graffy; 2nd Rita, Oliver Edwards, 3rd Helen Mary, Callum Ferris; 4th Florence, Steve Miles; 5 Moon, Steve Hills; 6th Evelyn; Rob Wing
Class C
1st Lottie, Phil and Jilly Slater; 2nd Kathleen, Dicken Rogers
