Ramsgate Rally Report 2011

Once again it looked as though the weather was going to get the better of one of our Rallies, but the members of Hoo Ness Y.C. were up to the challenge of Ramsgate on a very windy Bank Holiday weekend and victory was snatched out of the jaws of defeat yet again.

The smart guys who were able to get away early sailed to Ramsgate on Friday morning and Maia, Comus, Cathala, Whychway, Elysium, Reve D'Or and Symphony were tied up there by early evening. Wil Pretty and Bryan Wright sailed Chica overnight and arrived early Saturday morning and a few hardy souls sailed down during Saturday, including Bob and Rosemary Wells in Bullrush, Chas Hessey and crew in Aurai, the Commodore and Barry Francis in Clouds and Graham Hemington and Brian Dixon in Sunrise. Not surprisingly, given the wind strength and direction, the leg from the Foreland to Ramsgate was a challenge, but all survived to tell the tale.

Courtesy of Nadine and Roly Spurgeon in their land yacht, Celia and I were able to join in the fun at Ramsgate on Sunday where a good crowd sat down to an excellent lunch at the Royal Temple Yacht Club. This was followed by the now traditional Boule match at the Ramsgate Town Piste outside the Horse and Groom pub. After intense competition, admirably supervised by Brian Hayes, the combination of Tony Chamberlain, Tony Lavelle and Bryan Wright won through (If they had a team name I didn't get to hear it). That is the second year running that Tony Lavelle has been in the winning team so we reckon he must have been practicing somewhere.

The 27 or so brave souls who actually sailed to Ramsgate were joined at the Sunday lunch by various other people to achieve a grand total of 46 diners. These sociable types, who got there by other means, included Pat Francis, Maureen Gaskin, Beryl and Keith Boddy, Mike and Carol Townsend, Annie and Martin Smith, Sue and David Purcell, Nadine and Roly Spurgeon, Tony Lavelle, Gordon Pickett, Celia and myself

The weather relented on Monday and those who returned to the Medway had a super sail home after an early start. Safely back in Chatham by car the previous evening Celia and I were able to enjoy our first sail on Roley Spurgeon's impressive Beneteau First 35.7 Northern Rock on Monday morning. As we approached Folly Point from Chatham we were delighted to see the fleet returning from Ramsgate come into sight. It was also good to see Jessica, Free Spirit and Sisu out on the river.

Martin Richards
Rear Commodore

More photos from the weekend can be seen here

Date Published 4th Jun 2011