THE JUMBO PROJECT LAUNCHES ITS' FIRST BOAT.
For the first time in
over 100 years (and a year to the day since the Project began) a St.Ives 'jumbo' has been launched in the harbour. She is a replica of the smallest class of fishing lugger which was developed specifically for St.Ives in the 1880's and ironically named after the famous
circus elephant.
Unable to resist the
desire to get sailing, she was towed by tractor across the sand to meet the
incoming tide ahead of the scheduled mid-afternoon launch. We apologise to all those who consequently missed the actual
'launch'. After short speeches from the owner and Jonny
Nance, the builder and instigator of the Project, the jumbo was formally named
'Celeste' by Matthew Care. His words and soft W. Cornish accent provided a
brief moment of local acknowledgment and gravitas to proceedings whilst the
jumbo's bows were baptised with water from the well
at Trevail.
To the celebratory sounds of the steel band she was
off as soon as she was afloat to meet Happy Return (the restored Porthleven lugger) which arrived
shortly having sailed around land from
The traditional Launch Day fare of saffron buns and
' a dish o' tay' were provided in the Shore Shelter.
The first stage of the Project was concluded with some local songs and a few
beers at the Union Inn.
The next
stage
Not only is she
authentic but she's attractive and, most importantly, has already proved
herself most exhilarating to sail which bodes well for the next
stage of the project: we are now anxious to attract sponsors for the building
of a second identical jumbo to be based
at St.Ives in order to establish a new
racing class for the town.
If successful, this project has
the potential to reverse the steady decline of the waterfront community.
Racing Jumbos will be a
dynamic means of encouraging (especially young) people to engage with the
sea and each other, to learn skills of seamanship, develop self-esteem and -
almost by default -to discover a sense of pride in the town's rich heritage.
All this whilst filling the harbour and bay with
activity providing a spectacle for all to enjoy. This is not a new idea but one
that has had a lot of success worldwide. It is simply that it's particularly
well-suited to the St.Ives of today.
To this end the owner has
generously made Celeste available for
the members of the sailing club to use on
occasion. Tomorrow, Saturday 22 September, will be the first of these. This is your chance to acquaint
yourself with the jumbo, experience sailing a lugger
and the source of this wild enthusiasm! To register your interest please
call Martin Potter of the St.Ives Sailing Club today
on 07753 861844.
ends