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10/30 Celebration Rally & Grand Fleet Day - Calshot 18th - 20th July 1997
Some 200 people came, 80 plus boats sailed to Newtown Creek for a picnic lunch, 160 people sat down to the rally supper and the sun shone from dawn 'till dusk.
Twelve Dutch boats attended, concluding their 10 day Feeder Cruise of the Solent and beyond with Jim Hopwood in Hippo, his splendid "gig with a lid". Two crews from Ireland were joined by Declan Tiernan who flew in from Dublin especially for the rally. Other crews sailed from Chichester, Warsash, the Beaulieu and Cowes. Bill and Ann Woodhouse came from Poole with Idyll Gryphon, the sole Drifter and Garth Holford, in his eightieth year, sailed his Lugger Pastimes from Lymington.
The rest came by land, from as far afield as Merseyside, the West Midlands, North Yorkshire, Anglesey, Gwent and Devon. Many were attending their first Drascombe rally.
With its huge buildings, built to house flying boats and acres of parking, the Calshot Centre welcomed us all, the day sailors, the bed and breakfasters, the campers and the liveaboards - the faint hearted who opted for the firmness of the carpark to ensure a quiet night's sleep and the brave who risked a little "pyjama dancing" in the creek in the wee small hours as the tide ebbed and boats jostled together for a while, until the water disappeared and they settled quietly onto the mud.
Friday's early supper was followed by a get-together over a glass of wine, organised by Stewart Brown, a presentation by Mike Jones, one of the Centre's Safety Officers and briefings on the weekend's activities by Jim Hopwood and Peter Tiplady. The evening ended in fine style in the Centre's Spinnaker Bar with a superb sing-song led by Michael Murtagh and his crew Liam.
Saturday morning saw the fleet en-route for Newtown Creek, 6 miles to the south-west, streaming out of Southampton Water at 10.30 and soon the whole of the western Solent was a mass of tan sails. About 11.30 the breeze died and for most crews thoughts of lunch overcame the purer principles of a tide-assisted drift. A seemingly endless stream of Drascombes were soon motoring into Newtown Creek, to beach in a solid line some 200 yards long just inside the entrance.
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The next few hours were scenes of hectic inactivity; a number of brave souls swam, children splashed in a shallow lagoon, boats and their multi-various modifications were examined and discussed, a lugger sporting a squares'l and huge swivel gun causing especial interest and there was a good deal of lying about in the warm sunshine. Officialdom in the imposing form of Ken Abernathy, the National Trust Harbour Master appeared in his dory. "Enjoy yourselves" he said "if you light a barbecue be careful not to set the grass alight and please take your rubbish home with you". And then he left; God bless the National Trust.
As the tide fell, the current in the harbour mouth increased, boats had to be kept afloat and some began to leave. One Dutch Coaster decided to leave by herself, her skipper not only swimming after her, but catching up, getting aboard and bringing her back to tumultuous applause. Those departing early indulged in that popular Solent pastime of sailing backwards until the tide turned about at 4 o'clock and then everyone enjoyed a cracking sail back to Calshot in a freshening south westerly breeze.
With impeccable timing, Luke and Chris Churchouse stepped into the Dining Room as we sat down to supper, having joined the West Country Drascombes who had sailed to Noss Mayo for a tea party with John and Kate Watkinson, then driven to Calshot to be with us.
Supper concluded with a presentation to Luke Churchouse of bottles of wine brought across The Channel by Drascombe for John Watkinson and himself together with a book produced by Peter Gough, containing the signatures of everyone at the Calshot Grand Fleet Day, to be passed to John Watkinson. Jim Hopwood then introducing a number of the more notorious, sorry, notable members present including Jeremy Churchouse and Maurtis de Jonge gave an address on behalf of the Dutch sailors, and presented the Chairman and Emma and Peter Tiplady with huge Dutch cheeses and ensigns, extending an invitation to everyone present to join a Dutch Drascombe rally.
Sunday dawned bright and clear but with no wind. Nevertheless, boats departed for a trip to Cowes, some sailing on up the Medina to Newport. Others navigated the shallow twisting channel for lunch at the Jolly Sailor in Ashlett Creek and a small group motored up Southampton Water to Ocean Village marina to see the BT Global Challenge fleet and the schooner America, original winner of the cup that bears her name, now restored to her former glory.
We were blessed with the most wonderful weather and based at a location well able to cater for all our needs; what made the event so memorable for me and I suspect most of those who attended was the marvellous sense of enjoyment and good fellowship which prevailed. On Saturday morning, as everyone was launching, 1 spoke to Mike Jones the Safety Officer. "I'm a bit disappointed" he said with a smile, "I came down to watch the usual dramas most people have when they launch. There hasn't been one; your lot seem to know what they're doing and if anyone has a problem, everyone mucks in and helps". "That" I said with pride, "Is what Drascombes are all about".
My thanks to everyone who helped make the weekend a success; here's to Ist January 2000 and the Cape Wrath Millennium Day Rally!
Peter Tiplady