Two boats, Our 01 and Caerdydd, launched from the host club, the Torpoint Mosquito Sailing Club, on the morning of Saturday July 5th, with an ebb tide and brisk f4 NW wind for the rendezvous at Cawsand. Boats from the T.M.S.C. also joined in, and included an East Coast One Design, a Silhouette II, and two Shearwater catamarans. Roger Davies in Our 01 was first of the D.C.A. boats away, going strong with wind and tide, and was well away before Caerdydd got going. Soon she too was romping along with the wind on the quarter and sluicing ebb tide under her, and it wasn’t very long before she was through the Narrows, passed Drake’s Island and out through the Bridge Channel.

Heading for the west end of the breakwater, a stentorian hail attracted our attention. It came from See Pink skippered by Harry Worth, who had started from the River Yealm; we then sailed in company to Cawsand. Unfortunately, it happened to be the Cawsand Bay Rowing Club’s regatta. Harry Worth managed to slip in and secure alongside Roger, but Caerdydd had to hang fire and stand on and off until a suitable opportunity occurred to get in. Soon, however, the three D.C.A. boats were together with burgees flying, lying just off the beach. Everything being squared off and the boats being made shipshape, Harry opened his wine locker, and soon Roger, my crew Jim, Harry and myself were imbibing an excellent glass of sherry!

But more surprises were to come... a dinghy put off from the beach manned by Roy Cook, skipper of the Shearwater Sventic, and conveyed us all ashore. To our surprise, on the platform of Sventic were a couple of crates of bottled beer, and as we landed each one was ceremoniously handed a bottle. We all sat on and around the catamaran enjoying our drink, and were joined by Ed Avery and his wife from the Silhouette, and later by Dave England and family from the East Coast O.D. We all stayed yarning on the beach, and then went for a walk in the twin villages of Cawsand and Kingsand.

Whilst the others were away, I got a lift out to the boats in the last dinghy on the beach, and awaited the others’ return. Presently they appeared with fish and chips, and the next problem was to get the party aboard. I got into Harry Worth’s inflatable, but it had been leaking and I was enveloped in folds of rubber. Clambering hastily aboard Caerdydd, I got out the oars and pulled into the beach, and then put the various D.C.A. skippers aboard their boats. After partaking of the excellent fish and chips, Harry produced a tot of gin for all hands, after which, preparations to set sail were made.

Our 01 was first away, as Roger wanted to sail via Jennycliff Bay. Next off was Sea Pink, with Caerdydd last. We were in the lee of the houses at Cawsand, so my crew Jim got the wooden topsails out and pulled until we got into the wind, and away we went, making slow progress considering the strength of the wind plus the benefit of the flood tide. We heard a most peculiar sound but could not make out what it was until Jim looked over the starboard side and saw... yes, we had been towing our weight for nearly a mile! This was soon remedied, and we caught up with Sea Pink and sailed right back to Torpoint and moorings. Roger had naturally got there first, and was about to recover Our 01 and get her on her trailer. This evolution being satisfactorily carried out, Roger, Harry, Jim and myself retired to the club lounge for a noggin before returning to England. Although the programme was not carried out as planned, i.e. camping overnight at Lower Anderton, perhaps it was just as well, as there was torrential rain during the night. All of us had a most enjoyable day.

I would like to mention that I had no applications from any other members of the D.C.A. or requests for details. I would have liked to have seen more support, but the fact that three D.C.A. boats were at the first rally in the Plymouth area raises one’s hopes that more support will be given to a future ‘do’.