OGA60 Jubilee Celebration on the River Orwell
by Beverley Yates 18 Aug 2023 10:36 UTC
3-6 August 2023
The parade of sail - OGA60 Jubilee Party on the River Orwell © Sandy Miller /
www.sandymiller.org
Over 100 classic yachts, working boats and open boats with 320 skippers, crews, family
and friends travelling by sea, road, rail or ferry began to arrive on the River Orwell,
Wednesday 2 August, 2023. They came to welcome the return of 15 OGA60 Round Britain
Cruise boats and celebrate 60 years of the OGA, the Association for Gaff Rig Sailing.
Mike
Beckett, Association President and participant in the OGA60 Round Britain Cruise said:
"It was fitting that the Round Britain Cruise should end up in the Jubilee Party on the East
Coast. After visiting eight Party Ports and many other harbours and anchorages all around
the coast, we completed our voyage in the area where the OGA was founded 60 years
ago. The East Coast Committee had worked hard to put on an excellent programme."
As more and more boats arrived into Beacon Marina, Ipswich the OGA welcoming
committee, clad in bright orange t-shirts, were ably assisted with berthing new arrivals by
a team of ABP staff, wearing their corporate orange hi-viz. There was a buzz of
excitement as the VHF crackled indicating another group of boats was approaching the
lock.
Pete Thomas, East Coast OGA Committee member, had made a careful assessment
of who could raft against whom to fill the available spaces cleared by ABP for the event.
There was an excited air of anticipation from organisers and participants alike for the
long-awaited Jubilee Party weekend.
Skippers hoisted their bunting and a party atmosphere began to grow as late arrivals
were squeezed into their berths. Apart from the opportunity to visit boats on the
pontoons, tours of Spirit Yachts and guided tours of Ipswich had been arranged.
Meanwhile, downriver at Suffolk Yacht Harbour, Levington 30 participating open boats
were arriving by road to settle into their campsite, B&B or campervan park and check out
launch facilities.
The Party started in earnest on Thursday afternoon with a Civic Reception, sponsored by
Associated British Ports (ABP) and Ipswich Borough Council, addressed by the Mayor of
Ipswich, Councillor Lynne Mortimer, who proposed a toast to the 15 returning skippers
and crews. Taxis had been arranged for the open boat sailors based in Levington to join
the gathering and a throng gathered beside the Old Custom House. Assisted by Paul
Masters, Vice President of the East Coast OGA, the Mayor awarded individual plaques to
each OGA60 RBC skipper, commemorating their achievement.
The Reception was
followed by an excellent supper at Party HQ, the recently restored, deconsecrated St
Clement's Church, formerly one of the mariners' churches of Ipswich and looked after by
the Ipswich Historic Churches Trust. The after-dinner speaker was the legendary dialect
coach, hired by Netflix to train actors in the Suffolk accent for 'The Dig', Charlie Haylock.
On Friday morning, bright and early, BBC Radio Suffolk arrived to record the first of three
interviews broadcast throughout the morning. Although starting bright and sunny, there
were warnings of a change in the weather as skippers began to think about preparing to
leave for the Parade of Sail while the lock was on 'free flow'. Untangling all the careful
rafting from Wednesday, striking the bunting and deciding about how many reefs may be
needed, 80 classic yachts and working boats slowly departed ABP Beacon Marina.
The fleet was organised into 'squadrons', each group streaming a long coloured ribbon to
identify them to their lead boat. The locking out was brought forward to accommodate a
commercial vessel making way upriver and by 1.30pm, the larger boats were hoisting
sails and gathering under the Orwell Bridge. On schedule, they were joined by the flotilla
of dinghies and open boats sailing up from Suffolk Yacht Harbour, Levington.
As the first
'squadron' began to line up for departure the skies began to change. Dark clouds had
been gathering and there was a rumble of thunder. Within 20 minutes or so of the Parade
setting sail the water began to churn, lightning struck and visibility dropped to only a few
metres in the driving rain. Already sailing, skippers had to don waterproofs, shut hatches,
scandalise sails and prepare to sail in close company through the spectacular
thunderstorm. After perhaps half an hour, the rain stopped, the wind dropped and the
Parade continued in relative calm down to Suffolk Yacht Harbour.
East Anglian Sailing School and East Anglian Sailing Trust provided water taxi and safety
boat support for events throughout the weekend. As well as providing safety cover, they
provided a platform for the OGA's official photographer, Sandy Miller, who said:
"Whilst acting as support boat EAST volunteers went out of their way to get me into good
positions for photos and then continued to do so amidst the biblical downpours of the
Parade of Sail on Friday. A huge thank you to Ed Harvey of EASS. It was down to his skill,
amidst lumpy seas, that I was able to get into such good positions for the EC Race on
Sunday. Photography is, after all, mainly about being in the right place at the right time!"
We were made most welcome by all the staff at SYH Marina and Haven Ports Yacht Club
who ran the Lightship Restaurant and Bar tirelessly for us all weekend. The Harbourside
Kitchen staff also gave excellent service, including the delivery of barbecue packs on
Monday morning for those boats embarking on the Jubilee Cruise to Chatham.
Gathering in the Harbour Room at SYH, supper was an al fresco paella supper followed
by another toast, proposed by OGA President, Mike Beckett, this time to the Association
as a whole, with birthday cake, of course. Briarbank Brewery had brewed a special
'Gaffers Ale' and 'Impractical Boatowner' Dave Selby provided the after dinner talk.
Sponsors of the event, Teamac Marine, had been busy judging the Concours d'Elegance
and presented the trophy to Keith McIlwain for his boat 'Dipper'.
The rains returned on Saturday with a vengeance. The planned sketching and ropework
workshops were held undercover, the Lightship was made available all day for shelter, the
planned visit to Sutton Hoo and Woodbridge went ahead and everyone made the best of
our British summertime! Captain Trevor Dann, a Trinity House Ambassador, gave an
illustrated talk about the history and work of Trinity House before supper.
Later in the
evening there was a charity auction, ably run by auctioneer Clare Roberts. This was both
entertaining and successful in raising around £2,500 for the East Anglian Sailing Trust, a
charity providing sailing sessions for disabled and disadvantaged adults and children.
Decisions about a course for the OGA60 Jubilee East Coast Race, sponsored by
Dartmouth Gin, were made early on Sunday morning with winds forecast gusting to force
6. Several registered boats remained in harbour, their skippers and crews joining others
meaning just 25 gathered at the start line with reefed sails and oilies at the ready.
Claire
Scott, HPYC Race Officer set an inshore course with her team and they provided an
excellent service to all competitors from signing in to the finish line.
Five boats retired leaving 20 finishers who had battled with the wild elements for three or
four hours.
The overall winner was 'Charm', an Albert Strange yawl, skippered and
crewed by the OGA East Coast President, Robert Hill and Secretary, Lorna Hill.
The open boat race attracted a very small entry with only two finishers. The winner was
Steve Mitchell in his smacks boat, 'Joy'.
The Race Team commented:
"The race team, better sheltered in their hut on the line than they would have been on a
committee boat, were impressed that despite the still challenging conditions, 25 boats
turned out for the start. They sympathised with those who chose to stay in the marina, but
admired the determination of those gaffers of all ages, shapes and sizes wanting to race."
Sunday evening was the 'grand finale' with prize-giving and hog roast followed by music
and dancing into the night with John & Mario in the HPYC Harbour Room.
Here's to the next 60 years of the OGA! www.oga.org.uk