Topsham/West Country Rally
27 May - 10 June 2006
Report by Clifford Miller, photos by Jenny Mead, Cathie Cunnison, Barbara Forster,
Clifford Miller and Peter Lowry.
1. To Topsham
"Three yachts dismasted and one sunk on the Solent yesterday" was the dismal report from the Harbourmaster at Bucklers Hard
as Abacus left on Tuesday 30th May to catch up with the half term cruise and head on west to Topsham. With two reefs and
the blade jib we had an easy sail to Poole (Studland too bouncy) and anchored behind Brownsea in Blood Alley with Harlequin,
Mayflower and Shemar. Dinner on board (baked sweet & sour duck with golden caraway rice-thanks Tod), drinks on Shemar
for all and a walk for all round Brownsea the following morning set the pattern for some really relaxed cruising over the
next 12 days.
Thereafter it was Weymouth where we found Vol-au-vent and were joined by Lady Penelope, Lyme Regis where we found Ariel
in the harbour and then to the Exe on Friday. With little wind the Lyme Regis to the Exe sail should have been uneventful
but a messed up foresail change resulted in a busy Saturday morning with a trip to the sailmaker for a repair( Chris at
Sails & Canvas, Topsham who advertises in our newsletter-very helpful), a new halyard and a winch up the mast to fix
everything!
2. The Topsham Rally, 2nd 3rd & 4th June
Our first time into the Exe at LW+2 and the passage up to Topsham was interesting and quite straight forward. On arrival
at Trouts pontoon we found most of the visiting Seal fleet already there and were nicely greeted by Kate Hattersley our
Area Officer for the South West who races and cruise Parker 275/ 21 Beeline from Topsham Sailing Club.
Topsham is delightful and four of us enjoyed a conducted tour by an elderly gent on Saturday afternoon who explained the
history, the architecture and the source of the stone in most of the buildings, nearly all of which are listed.
The rally was a great success with 9 visiting yachts ( a few less than those expected due to the previous weekend’s weather)
which with crews, members by car and local owners added up to about 50 attending the barbeque at the Sailing Club. We were
made most welcome by the Commodore, Vice Commodore and members, so sunshine, Pimms, barbeque and a Jazz Band made for a
very cheery evening! A list of the 9 visiting yachts is given below and it was particularly nice to see one smaller yacht,
Seal 22/91 Hylje from Totnes with skipper Stephen Munday.
Kate Hattersley saw us off on Sunday morning and our thanks to her, husband Andrew and their three children for the organisation,
hard work and music which made such a great weekend.
3. Salcombe presentation to Gerry Turner and west
Six Seals carried on west and stayed together for a few more days. Most went to Dittisham then Salcombe where we met Gerry
Turner (Parker 21/18 Dawn) who has been greeting Seal Sailing Association members at the Yacht Club for nearly 20 years.
We numbered 5 visiting yachts including Seal 28 "Caller Ou" who we found undergoing some repairs and so, 10 of us were able
to be present for the presentation of a "Seal" Caithness Glass Paperweight to Gerry in recognition and thanks for his long
reign as Area officer for the South West from about 1988 to the end of 2005.
After Salcombe, Abacus went on to Newton Ferrers with Mayflower Parker 325/38 now owned by Graeme Lindsay who came from
Bahrain (where he has a Seal 22) to move his 325 from Harwich to the South Coast and joined the half term and Topsham rallies.
We went via Burgh Island and Abacus did a short trip up the Avon to Bantham en route (a bit shallow at HW neaps!).
After Newton Ferrers, Abacus continued west to Mylor with night stops at Polperro (on visitors buoys in the rocky entrance),
Helford and Falmouth. En route we rounded the Eddystone Lighthouse (caught/ate 6 mackerel), popped in to Mevagissey for
coffee/postcards, sussed out Gorran Haven, hove to off Dodman point (caught/ate Pollock), and had a great spinnaker run
from there to the Helford River.
4. Conclusion
I had almost forgotten the pleasures of cruising the West Country! Breaking the Lyme Bay crossing at Lyme Regis and Topsham
meant "no pain" and only 20 to 30 miles per day with plenty of time each day of the cruise for shoreside exploration, dinghy
forays, lunch stops and fishing. 264 mile logged.
Yachts at Topsham: Seal 22-Hyjle, Seal 26s x 2-Tara of Arun, Ariel, Parker 27/275s- Harlequin, Stroller, Lady Penelope,
Abacus, Parker 325/335s-Mayflower, Shemar.
Others met enroute; P275 Vol-au-vent-Weymouth, Seal 28 Caller Ou-Salcombe
Clifford Miller, Abacus, Parker 275/58
Crew: leg 1- Tod & Peter (Seal 28/66 Minimosh); leg 2-Dennis & Mark
After a day at Fareham the some members of the fleet moved to Yarmouth where a BBQ was held after which they sailed to Poole
- others sailed on to Topsham.
The following pictures show members anchored at Shipstall Point - Poole
After Poole - the above boats sailed to Christchurch
Arriving at Christchurch the members joined in with the Poole area rally organised by Keith McCarthy
The following pictures relate to those members who proceeded to Topsham.