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Welcome to the Cornish Crabbers Club
For owners and admirers of all boats built by Cornish Crabbers
Cruise Report
Cornish Crabber Club - Solent Rally 2014
June 16th - 22nd
After several months in the planning, the Rally commenced on the 16th June.
The 2014 rally followed the inaugural event of 2013 when 7 Crabbers took part. This year’s event attracted 18 entries, and included most of the 2014 participants plus many new and welcome entrants. The boats entered in this year’s event ranged from the Shrimper 19 belonging to Mike Shearman from Poole to the magnificent 1989 built Pilot Cutter Alice Pellow owned by Dave Percival from Emsworth. In between there were 4 Crabber 26s, 4 Crabber 24s, 1 Yawl, 2 MkI Crabbers, 1 MkII Crabber, 3 Crabber 22s and not forgetting the appearance at Beaulieu of another Pilot Cutter - the beautiful  High Barbaree owned by Tim and Liz Dodwell.
The event had two starting points - Yarmouth and Poole. Those boats based in the Solent met in Yarmouth during the 16th June. Berthing had been arranged at Harold Hayles Boatyard. Tegen, the Crabber 22 of John and Rosemary Gifford from Poole, made the effort to come to Yarmouth, knowing full well that they would be returning the following day. The other boats joining at Yarmouth were - Dave and Kay Percival on the Pilot Cutter Alice Pellow, Nigel and Sue Anderson on Crabber 26 Molly, Christopher and Sue Pryke on Crabber 26 Creekability II, Graham and Pat Woodward on Crabber 26 Sally Lightfoot, Mike and Sue Geoghegan on Crabber 26  Lorwenna, Simon D’Arcy on Crabber 24 Equinox, Peter Moore on Crabber 24  Moores Claws, Dave and Joanne Morley on Crabber 24 Yo Yo,  Mike Collins on the MkI Crabber Cobwebs, Steve Evatt on the Cornish Yawl Nellie B, and Julian and Mary Biggs on Crabber 22 Coco.
A vicious ebb was running outside Yarmouth Harbour as many of the boats arrived. This combined with the ever present IoW car ferry made for some challenging entries to Yarmouth Harbour. The rally’s first supper was provided by the Royal Solent Yacht Club, and was a great way for owners to meet and introduce themselves. In the light of earlier advice on local tides from Poole-based Trevor Heritage, Hon. Sec. of the Shrimper Owners’ Association, the merits of an early or late departure from Yarmouth to Poole were discussed. The “earlies” won the vote! The supper provided by the Club was excellent. We were all grateful for the service that they provided.
June 17th dawned chilly with a good breeze of around F5 from the North East. The early start began, and we all, bar one, left our berths at around 0600hrs. A lot of us were reefed down as we left Yarmouth, and were swept down to Hurst by the spring ebb. After leaving the Solent most boats headed North alongside Hurst spit and then made a course for Hengistbury Head, Christchurch Bay and into Poole Harbour via the East Looe Channel. Alice Pellow made course for the Needles, to “have a look” at conditions there, as she was to take part in the forthcoming Round the Island Race, and wanted to check out the area.  We all arrived in Poole Harbour shortly after 1015hrs after a very fast trip with the North Easterly helping us along. Wind conditions did ease as we got closer to Poole, giving us the opportunity to shake out our reefs and enjoy the rest of a wonderful sail to Poole.