Dramatic improvement in the weather this weekend helped to ensure that the 4^th annual Boats in the Bay event, held at St.Ives last Saturday, was the best yet.

3 St.Ives Luggers: Mackerel boat Barnabas; pilchard boat Dolly Pentreath and the jumbo Celeste. (photo Rupert Manley)

In brilliant sunshine and a fresh easterly breeze, four large decked luggers, the gaff-rigged 'Minnie' and three smaller open boats, including the Jumbo 'Celeste', tacked to and fro about St.Ives Bay providing a spectacular start to the September Festival . History was remade as there were more luggers sailing in the bay than at any one time since the First World War!          

Four boats had sailed from Mounts Bay including the recently rebuilt 'Ripple' on her first visit to her home port since 1933 to be welcomed by friends and relations of the Barber family - her former owners.

After the days sailing, participating crews gathered outside the Shamrock Lodge for prizegiving. Jonny Nance, organiser of the event, opened proceedings and introduced Jeanette Eathorne to present the prizes donated by Seaware and The Fishermans Coop. Jeanette entertained the gathering with her anecdotes from her childhood spent 'Downalong' -as the old heart of the town is known. She referred to the strength of community that existed in those days, despite the comparitive hardship, and acknowledged (to rousing cheers) that the Jumbo Association through organising events such as this had already begun to restore some of this sense of identity.

Barnabas chases Celeste to the windward mark with John Lambourne's Ripple leading the fleet (centre). Photo.Rupert Manley.

As racing had been abandoned in favour of generally cavorting about the Bay, the occasion provided instead an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of certain lugger enthusiasts. First prize went to Adam Kerr for his many years of commitment, through thick and thin, to keeping Barnabas sailing on behalf of the Cornish Maritime Trust.

Runners-up were John Lambourne of Ripple and the Mounts Bay Luggers Association with Happy Return.

As has become usual, the evening concluded in song at the Castle Inn with members of the Cadgwith Singers but this time interspersed with renditions from the Acapella Fellas - a barbershop quartet from Coventry that happened to be passing by!