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ALL AT SEA SEPTEMBER 2017
Another measure of the growing status of the Revival is in the way it can now attract personalities from other genres of Solent sailing; John Tremlitt has forgone his usual X boat to be racing in this stunningly restored Finn
DOUGAL’S
diary
BUCKET LIST BOSHAM How many sailing events are still on your bucket list? We might have another one to tempt you…
Solent based dinghy sailor David Henshall is a well known writer and speaker on topics covering the rich heritage of all The completed wave screen at Haslar aspects of leisure boating.
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lthough it might sound a little mawkish, these days we tend to love not just our top ten lists but our so called bucket lists – a wish list of sailing events to do before we curl our toes en route for the calmer oceans in the sky. For the big boat sailor, it is easy to compile such a list… Antigua Week, the Fastnet, Sydney to Hobart, even the Round the Island Race for those who have yet to do this iconic race. For the small boat sailor, however, this task is quite a bit harder. There is Salcombe Week for the Merlin Rockets (featured recently in All at Sea) and the iconic Prince of Wales Trophy for the International 14s, the Finn Gold has to be right up then and then there is... as you can see, it gets a lot trickier. CLASSIC EVENT Luckily there is now an event that has gained sufficient stature and profile to force its way onto any self-respecting bucket list of sailing events that just have to be done and, more importantly, it is one that is open to all. All at Sea have featured the Classic Boat Revival at Bosham before and make no apologies for doing so again, for in a season that has been notable for the decline in the numbers of boats attending championships and open meetings, Bosham have hit upon a winning formula that has seen their numbers increase again.
Lots of ‘old ladies’ fighting for their place on the start line
Yet the package is one of real simplicity. You start with a beautiful, picturesque setting, ensure that the club is attractive and welcoming, then tightly organise an event for the best of our ‘classic’ small boats. It helps that success breeds success, as the strength of the Classic Boat Revival brand has seen ongoing support from a healthy number of blue chip sponsors. Strides, the Sussex based Auction House enjoy a long-standing relationship with the event, as do the harbour based Haines boatyard, where a number of superbly eye-catching boats have undergone their restorations. Then there is the involvement of Pusser’s Rum, a classic that needs nothing in the way of restoration, just drinking. MOTHER NATURE The only thing that the organisers at Bosham cannot control is the weather, though in recent years one gets the impression that they are working on this too. As in previous years, the weekend would be an inclusive mix of hot sunny weather and pleasant breezes, then a day of wind and rain that tests the real race credentials of these older (and some are bus pass elderly) boats. As the visiting boats rigged on the green in front of the church on the Saturday morning, there must have been some who were thinking that there was little chance of any
Some of the boats might be a far cry from the high performance race machines found elsewhere on the harbour, but few of those allow the helm to dress the part!
racing, for despite the warm sunshine, the waters were glassy smooth. PRO Nick Fox knew better, however, and promised that with just an hour’s delay, the sea breeze would be fully in play allowing a full programme of racing. In this prediction he was spot on, with all three fleets of fast, medium and slow boats all enjoying a truly classic day of close racing. Considering the age of some of the entries (the boats, not the crews!) it was clear that there would be nothing in the way of any allowance for age. It was a race course and the boats had to compete, closely, for every position. At the end of the day, with a full programme of racing completed, there was the helpful push of the tide back up to the slipway at Bosham, just in time for a thirst quenching drink, then hot food at the club, all to the sounds of a cool jazz band.
BATTLING ON Sadly, this idyll would not last, with Sunday morning greeting competitors with low, scudding clouds, persistent rain and enough weight in the wind for some of the more fragile entries to start derigging. By the time racing got under way, conditions had deteriorated further, with strong gusts coming through with the squall fronts; some of these blasts were quite unpleasant, with one strong enough to snap a mast like a matchstick. It says much about the quality of the restorations of some of these older boats that they battled on to complete their schedule, before the much-anticipated return to the Bosham Clubhouse for a complimentary high tea. The prize giving saw the results just as they should be, for the boats to have been on the podium, they had to have performed well across both the days. At the same time, for a boat to be in consideration for the sought after Concours Prize, it had to race for the whole weekend. In this competition, as in the main racing, there was nothing between any of the leading competitors. Little wonder then that Bosham is becoming such a ‘must do’ event but be warned; the standards of sailing and of quality of entry goes up with each passing year. As a bucket list event that anyone can attend, Bosham ticks so many boxes. Winning there is another matter, but for many that will not matter, for this really is a case where just to be there, to compete, is reward enough.