Perhaps it was a mistake to go to the DCA AGM in 2004. There was a lively discussion about where to hold the major event of our 50th Anniversary Year. When Liz Baker suggested Cobnor as a location, I was loud in my support – I think it's a lovely spot and an ideal base for dinghy cruising. But I live in Lancaster, so I wasn't planning to get involved in organising an event near Chichester.

Swallowing the bait…

A few days later I had a phone call from our esteemed President, and his smooth talking soon had me agreeing to organise the Cobnor Anniversary Rally. One Presidential pronouncement sticks in my head – "Oh, we won't get more than 30 or 40 boats – a big regional rally is never more than 15 boats and lots of people won't want to travel …".

It soon became clear that this was going to be a much bigger affair – we soon had 60 boats registered and 120 people attending at least part of the event. So the usual do-it-yourself approach was not going to work.

The Preparations

Thanks to the sterling efforts of Graham Deans and Liz Baker, we organised a large marquee, (with generator), caterers for a barbecue and an Anniversary Dinner and extra beach moorings (with special permission from the Harbour Master). Various notices were dispatched to all those attending, and moneys were collected to pay for everything from harbour dues to meals to camping fees.

Friday – Arrival and Barbecue

I waited with bated breath on Friday 15th July to see if everything was going to work.

I got nice and muddy laying four anchors and 12 plastic cans as a mooring for boats on the beach. But at least the sun was shining, the water was warm and the weather set fair for the weekend. Bob Measures welcomed everyone to the Camping Field and found them a camping spot (providing a warm welcome even to those who arrived in the early hours). Lighter boats stayed ashore in the boat park, while heavier boats launched elsewhere and sailed over to moor on the beach. The caterers arrived exactly on time and the burgers, chicken legs and sausages were soon sizzling. 80 people enjoyed a pleasant barbecue, and the DCA bar, smoothly organised by Chris Jenkins, did very good business.

Saturday – Treasure Hunt and Anniversary Dinner

Saturday dawned beautifully clear, with a light breeze, and I slipped down the harbour in Eel to lay a few clues for Liz Baker's Treasure Hunt. A lovely day for a sail, but Eel was leaking rather more than usual, so regular pumping was required! By the time I was sailing back, the DCA fleet was dispersing in all directions round the harbour, some more intent on treasure hunting, others just enjoying the sail and exploring the harbour.

Back at the Marquee, there were tables to lay and balloons to blow up and by 5pm, the marquee was looking very celebratory, with a DCA Anniversary mug at every place. By the time the marquee was full of people, our only problem was to persuade people to sit down and eat. Angie from Cottage Cuisine provided some delicious food, washed down with plenty of good conversation and some atmospheric jazz from the band.

Sunday – Sail Past and Beach Picnic

Sunday was the day of the DCA Anniversary Sail Past! We needed everyone on the water for 1000, so Steve Bradwell and his team on the beach did a sterling job of getting everyone launched promptly. Our President and Helen (complete with water pistols) were aboard Avel Dro anchored off Cobnor Point to take the salute. Joan Abrams in Pladdy Lug led the massed fleet in a procession from Cobnor Point to East Head, where the assembled company gathered on the beach for a massed photo. There followed a pleasant informal picnic and relaxed afternoon on the beach at East Head for most of us (but not for Len Wingfield who laid on a further capsize demonstration). The weather was absolutely perfect, sunny and hot with just enough breeze for a nice sail. The company was excellent, with people from different regions really getting to get to know each other by this stage. And there was plenty to talk about, with the whole spectrum of dinghy cruising boats on the beach, from Aidan de la Mare's venerable Jady Lane to John Lidstone's cutting edge outrigger canoe. This is one of the joys of DCA rallies: we sometimes get to sail craft that we otherwise might never try.

The Sailing Week

Understandably many people could only stay for the weekend, but there were still 30 or 40 boats staying on for the Sailing Week. I could only stay a couple of days, so others can provide a more comprehensive account. Graham Deans joined me on Monday for a very brisk sail, where Eel required even more pumping (I have since found the leak), and we ventured outside the entrance briefly before deciding that it was a bit too boisterous.

Tuesday saw most of the fleet heading up the harbour to Dell Quay for coffee, with a very gusty beat home again. I then enjoyed another mudbath retrieving the mooring on the beach (with a pleasant swim to follow) and packed up the car, only to have the hydraulic suspension burst within a few miles. So Eel was towed home behind a Green Flag breakdown truck, while I snoozed in the cab for most of the journey north to Lancaster.

I would really like to thank everyone for coming, and for their help in making the whole event such a success. Here's to the 100th!