2024 Heritage Rally
After record numbers at this year’s Brixham Heritage Regatta earlier this year to celebrate the sailing trawler, Provident’s 100th birthday, the autumn Brixham Heritage Rally was a slightly more modest affair.
A small but select gathering of heritage boats which included Escape, Little Tern, Arabella of Torquay, Orthops and Meltemie (both new to BHR), and Krka, flying the flag for the Junk rig boats, assembled on the Brixham Town Pontoon on Friday 6thSeptember.
An informal ‘skippers briefing’ was held on the pontoon and, despite a weather forecast that promised little wind and much rain, all the participants headed out on Saturday afternoon into Torbay for a sail in company around a sausage-shaped course around 2 buoys laid by the regatta bosun, Dave Wilson. In the event, the fleet was treated to a steady NE F3 and some welcome sunshine with the rain holding off until most were moored up and getting ready for the social. Some excellent sailing gradually petered out as the wind fell away completely.
The Royal Navy aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth conducting operations in the bay provided a surprising and an impressive backdrop to a very pleasant afternoon’s sailing. Afterwards, rather soggy heritage crews retired to Brixham Yacht Club to join the K1 Dinghy National Championship crowd for a very tasty buzzing evening barbeque. The rum and the beer flowed as we settled in the Jubilee Room for Heritage regatta reminiscing of the summer and planning the looming winters work plan!