It is Thursday 11th June and the organising team should be welcoming upwards of 200 participating vessels, but we are not because of Covid 19. If we were the Haven team of volunteers would be experiencing rain and easterly gusts up to 37 knots and no doubt a few challenges in getting vessels berthed alongside safely. I anticipate we would have had to ask several of the larger vessels to anchor in the inner harbour pending a reduction in wind strength and a change of direction. No doubt we would have been seeking an alternative venue to the Haven pontoons for the Thursday night’s reception.
Looking ahead there is some rain scheduled for Friday and Saturday with winds gusting up to 28 knots on Friday but then reducing and providing a much lower wind strength and drier weather for Sunday which would have ensured the parades were able to take place.
Sue and her team would have been busy since Tuesday registering participants from Tuesday 9th and handing out the welcome bags at the Watersports Centre.
The 2020 event may well have been memorable for the rain and strong winds but will be remembered for the year that was not.
We considered a small invited event in September to assist the Falmouth Harbour Commissioners in commemorating their 150th anniversary but the Commissioners not surprisingly decided to transfer the commemorative year from September 2020 to September 2021 so we will plan to help them mark this miles stone during the 2021 Classics (11 – 13 June) and not this September.
You may not able to participate in the Classics but you can experience a virtual Falmouth International Shanty Festival via: www.facebook.com/falmouthinternationalseashanty festival/live from 18.00 on 12th June. A three hour event with 30 groups.
The organising team hope that you already have your vessel afloat or will soon do so and that you have a good sailing summer. We look forward to seeing you all next June and will be posting the revised website during the Autumn. The Royal Navy have already been in touch to make provisional arrangements for their involvement in 2021!
