The Yachting Year 2018

2013 DESTINATIONS

THE YACHTING YEAR 2018 | 61

a BBQ at the Elephant Boatyard, which lies on the shores

of the river.

 e launch of the event, however, did more than just put

another Solent classic regatta on the map. It created a real

UK classic circuit, by putting a full stop at the end of the

season (the regatta takes place mid-September).

An ambitious season could now see a yacht start its

classic summer’s racing at Falmouth Classics or the

Su olk Yacht Harbour Classic Regatta, both mid-June,

then there is the choice of making it into the Solent for

Panerai British Classic Week, followed directly by Cowes

Classics Week, or doing the Channel Classic Regatta

(which runs every other year).  en you’ve got the

Round the Island Race and Lendy Cowes Week, both

with a healthy array of classics taking part, and a er a

couple of weeks in the o ce catching up on several

thousand emails, it’s time to get a oat again, at Hamble.

If you’re an east coaster, then Maldon is more likely to be

your season closer, and meanwhile there are scores of

other events around the coast, regattas for the racers and

rallies for the cruisers, that attract classic boats of all

shapes and sizes.

A long racing season is not for the faint-hearted.  e

wear and tear on the boat’s crew and the owner’s pocket is

considerable. But it’s heartening to know that the UK

classic scene provides events large and small, racy and less

so, on every corner of our coast, for ga ers, for yachts, for

keelboats, for one-designs. Whatever your classic bent,

there is something for you in 2018.

MAYFLOWER II

Craning their necks up at a tall, narrow stern in a tent at

Mystic Seaport this year have been many groups of visitors

viewing the ongoing progress of the major restoration of

Grillet to develop a boatbuilding training platform, Brian

is branching into Cornwall and has formed the Falmouth

Pilot Cutter CIC, with Luke and Joanna.

 eir aim is to resurrect Cornish Maritime Heritage by

training a new generation of young people in the art of

wooden shipbuilding.  ey have set up in the Rhoda Mary

Heritage Boatyard at Truro and are building a 68 (20.7m)

Falmouth pilot cutter as a community interest project.

Over the three-year build, the project will develop as a

vocational training platform for maritime skills.  e

apprentices will not only build the vessel but also maintain

and sail her once she is launched. For this project Luke has

chosen one of the most famous and long-lived of

Falmouth cutters, the Vincent. Built in 1852 for the

Vincent family of St Mawes, she had a long career in trade

until 1922, before  nishing her life as a houseboat at

Freshwater, up the Percuil River near St Mawes. Today,

some of her  ttings, companionway and spars have

survived and can be seen incorporated into a local house.

 e new vessel, a faithful copy of Vincent, will be called

Pellew in honour of a local hero, the greatest British frigate

captain of the Napoleonic wars.

Over the coming year we’ll see her shape up

magni cently – and we can also appreciate the

development of a fresh group of apprentices, schooled by

Cornish mastercra smen in a centuries-old trade.

THE UK CLASSIC CIRCUIT

 e 2018 season will be the third edition of Hamble

Classics, launched by enthusiastic Solent sailor Jonty

Sherwill. I sailed at the regatta in 2017 and it’s a wonderful

event, with a varied  eet, well-organised racing by an

expert team at the Royal Southern Yacht Club on the

Hamble River and good a er-sail entertainment, including

M A Y F L O W E R I I

T H E U K C L A S S I C C I R C U I T

LEFT Mayfl ower II at

Mystic Seaport

RIGHT Panerai British

Classic Week is a

highlight of the classic

boat summer. Photo

Guido Cantini/Panerai

“

The UK

classic scene

provides

events for

all kinds

of vintage

yachts, racy

and less so,

through the

summer

”

TYY4 Year ahead Classic Boat.indd 61 04/12/2017 15:33