2010 was the year that proved that East Coast CA members are
an intrepid lot. 
Despite forecasts of strong winds over the Bank
Holiday weekend 17 boats and 51 members attended the Rally.
There were strong contingents from Kent, with home ports in Ramsgate and the Medway, Essex (Brightlingsea and the River Crouch) and, of course Suffolk. The Section Secretaries travelled zero and 0.2 miles respectively to reach the RHYC marina and thus did not qualify for Colin’s Predicted Time of Arrival competition, which was otherwise as keenly contested as usual.
Geoff Prentice, the RHYC marina manager, and Elspeth performed wonders in fitting every arrival into a suitable berth, a task made more difficult by the fact that the Yacht Club ‘Cruising in Company’ fleet had cancelled their weekend cruise due to the weather.
The rally programme began with a Pontoon Party on board John and Pat Negus’s Sweet Surrender,(right) whose list to starboard seemed to increase as the evening progressed. (That’s Sweet Surrender’s list, not John and Pat’s and nothing to do with John’s boatbuilding skills).
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On Sunday morning we woke to slashing rain and winds gusting to Force 7. “Were we downhearted - NO”. Bram and Penny van de Have had collected details of interesting places to visit in and around Woodbridge. Groups of suitably clad yachtsmen formed up and departed (in a fleet of cars) to their chosen locations. One of the most popular was Sutton Hoo, the site of the Anglo Saxon burial ground which offered an exhibition, country walks, a Saxon King wearing the famous helmet and, most importantly, a restaurant serving hot food. Other members visited the Woodbridge Museum, walked around the town, looked over the Tide Mill and prospected the Tide Mill Marina with future water borne visits in mind. In the afternoon we all gathered at Penny and Bram’s lovely home for tea and cakes, where a headcount revealed that 37 members had braved the elements.
There was
barely time to return to our boats to don party frocks and shiny shoes
for the Bucks Fizz reception at the start of the Rally Supper. The Rally Supper gives us a chance to thank the RHYC for their hospitality through the winter talks season by inviting flag officers to be our guests. We were joined by the Commodore, Ewan Stamp (pictured right with the Passage Competition Winners)and Bruce Moss, the club librarian with their ladies. Ewan presented the prizes to the participants in the PTA competition, determined by a formula far too complicated for me to understand, but everyone who entered seemed to have won.
We were
particularly pleased to be joined by Kathryn Deaton, from the RHYC
office, who handles all the bookings for the section events for us and
by Annabelle Flower and Ella Blunt from CA House who had sailed to
Woolverstone from Ramsgate with Annabelle’s father Peter in his folding
trimaran.
Then it was time for the evening entertainment. Bev, who is a professional actor, held us spellbound throughout a 40 minute performance of the Alan Bennett monologue “A Bed of Lentils”.
In a lighter
On Monday the fleet dispersed as the tide served although
several of the less brave stayed an extra night until Tuesday when the
wind was a mere force 3-4, fortunately from the NE, as all the visiting
yachts were going south. Here, a CA boat heading home after a thouroughly enjoyable weekend. |
By this
time numbers were up to 50 for the three course meal prepared by club
chef Simon and his team.
mood the audience joined in heartily singing a
selection of favourite shanties led by the ‘Brandy Hole Shantymen’, seen left. As
the midnight hour approached we returned replete, tired and hoarse to
our berths for a night in which the howling of the wind in the rigging
made us think that we were indeed rounding Cape Horn in a gale in the
days of sail, as we had been singing earlier in the evening.
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