Bosham Classic Revival

2013 and the third rally of its kind was held at Bosham (Chichester Harbour). I found this to be a rather strange sort of ‘Classic’ rally. Turns out if you have a boat in the ‘Classic YW Dayboat’ class, you can qualify for entry. I had a 63-year-old boat with hemp sheets and tufnol cleats and I found myself competing against boats that were less than 2 years old. Baffling to say the least.

This was a well-publicised event, the welcome I received and the organisation behind it all was by far the best of the many rallies I have been to over the years. The sailing was most enjoyable and the friendly welcome really stood out. Have the sponsors been told this event is to encourage 'older boats' or 'older classes'? YW Dayboats - 11 entries of 18 in slow fleet.

 

High tide at Bosham and cars parked on the shore outside 'The Anchor Bleu' get a free car wash!

I lived and worked in the area (Petworth and Walberton) for 5 years and know this area very well. As a sailor though, because of the tidal heights and its draining speed, the harbour is probably better enjoyed using your feet rather than a small boat dependant on the wind

 

 

Highly recommended is this web site (its for bigger boats, I know). The aerial images are excellent oeoceanic

Yachts and Yachting report (Edited)

It is easy to forget that the Bosham Classic Dinghy Revival Meeting is still only in its third year of running, yet in that short period of time, the event has quickly become the most high profile and prestigious 'classic' regatta for this growing genre of dinghy racing. Anyone who thinks that the age of these boats would dictate that the racing would be a gentle cruise around the middle reaches of Chichester Harbour could not be more mistaken. The starts were fiercely contested and with the sudden outbreak of summer bringing, at times, almost continuous streams of yachts and motor boats transiting the course area, tactical consideration were at a premium. Crews also needed to be aware of how the rising heat would swing the winds around, this was very much racing with head up and out of the boat.

The Slow Handicap Fleet was packed full of YW Dayboats who have one of their spiritual homes on the waters of Chichester Harbour. These boats are far from the dinosaurs that some might think, as the boats are highly developed and sailed with a real passion. The racing within the fleet was a real pleasure to watch, as boats traded advantages in the changeable conditions. However, within this mix was a solitary Enterprise that had made the long journey down to the South Coast from Ogston in Derbyshire. With a sail number of 472, this boat showed just how restorations can not only allow the boat to resume its primary role of racing, but can still be sympathetic to the original concepts. The owner of 472, who had rebuilt the boat from something of 'wreck' status had even taken this level of thought through to the rig; when he asked sailmaker Mike McNamara to cut new sails for the boat, they agreed that the numbers should be positioned right up in the apex of the sail (as they used to be back in the late 1950s and early 1960s). It was this attention to detail that saw the Enterprise carry off the Concours Prize (along with a generous voucher from International Paints), just one of the many sponsors who'd recognised the growing importance of this event.

With the pressure from the Dayboats, racing in the slow fleet would go down to the wire and when the wind swung for the deciding final race, it looked as if the Enterprise was out of the running as it was buried behind a pack of boats that included the graceful Emsworth One Design. However, Martin Honnor and crew Bryce Howard are skilled exponents of close quarters fighting and wriggled their way to an inside berth at a very crowded mark rounding. This allowed them to score a 2nd place that was just enough to keep the chasing Dayboats of Colin Blewett crewed by Bosham's Izzie Lee who had come up from Poole for the event and the host club's David and Fiona Macfarlane out of the top spot.

This year's Revival Meeting was a little smaller than last year's bumper fleet but this was very much by design as the organisers had revised their entry criteria to encourage the 'racing' end of the classic spectrum. They are to be commended for not only this move but the way in which they organised the whole event, making everything from registration to recalls stress free. The closeness of the racing and the number of boats who were challenging for top honours, both afloat and in the Concours, showed how Bosham have really got a winning package on their hands. The Club and all their helpers, in conjunction with the generosity of the many sponsors, should all be proud of delivering an event for boats of yesteryear in a style that recalls the charm and fun of sailing back then.

Fleet Two (slow) Results:                      
                       
Pos Boat Type Sail No. Helm Crew PY R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 Pts
1st Enterprise 472 Martin Honnor Bryce Howard 1117 ‑3 1 2 1 2 6
2nd YW dayboat DB647 Colin Blewett Izzie Lee 1200 1 2 3 2 ‑4 8
3rd YW Dayboat DB597 David Macfarlane Oliver / Fiona macfarlane 1200 2 ‑4 1 3 3 9
4th YW Dayboat DB673 Jimbo Davies ‑ 1200 ‑5 3 5 5 5 18
5th YW Dayboat DB616 Alastair Seaton Jacqui Seaton 1200 4 7 4 4 ‑9 19
6th Emsworth 1 Design D1 Tom Ware James Ware Marcus Waring 1200 12 8 7 (DNF) 1 28
7th Torbay Minnow 19 Adrian Weller Jane Weller 1200 7 ‑11 11 8 10 36
8th Devon Yawl 371 John Coyle Peter Ray 1200 13 ‑14 10 6 8 37
9th YW Dayboat DB617 judy roberts Judy Roberts Liz Adams 1200 6 5 (DNF) DNF 6 40
10th Firefly F3184 Michael Brigg Emma Brigg 1170 8 6 6 (DNC) DNC 43
11th GP14 28 Stewart Elder Rose Hanbury 1127 16 15 (DNF) 7 11 49
12th YW Dayboat DB634 Barry Colgate Jan Colgate 1200 9 12 8 (DNF) DNC 52
13th YW Dayboat DB615 John Fletcher Philippa/Charles Zorab 1200 14 10 (DNC) DNF 7 54
14th YW Dayboat DB533 Mark Stanton Shirley Stanton 1200 10 9 (DNC) DNC DNC 65
15th YW Dayboat DB 614 Iain Macpherson Cass Macpherson 1200 11 (DNF) 9 DNC DNC 66
16th Firefly 3255 Duncan Paterson Nicola Paterson 1168 (DNC) 13 12 DNC DNC 71
17th Solo 467 Steve Bailey ‑ 1155 15 (DNC) DNC DNC DNC 84
18th Firefly 3145 Christopher Moore TBC TBC 1168 (DNC) DNC DNC DNC DNC 92
18th Firefly 1811 Alex Francis Richard Root 1168 (DNC) DNC DNC DNC DNC 92
18th Devon Yawl 348 Steve Bailey Jennie Hallet 1200 (DNC) DNC DNC DNF DNC 92
18th YW Dayboat DB197 Adam Howard Jo Howard 1200 (DNF) DNC DNC DNC DNC 92
18th Wayfarer 1751 John Meredith Hardy Bartholome Meredith Hardy 1125 (DNC) DNC DNC DNC DNC 92