Club News Stories

Fowey Gallants
Sailing Club

Dolphin wins Old Gaffers Round The Island – By John Roberson

The Mevagisey Tosher Dolphin, which was the smallest boat in the Original Old Gaffers class of the J.P. Morgan Round the Island Race, picked up the Jubilee Challenge Trophy for 1st on corrected time.

Skippered by Pete Williams, whose Bodinnick Boatyard in Cornwall had restored the boat in 2002, Dolphin beat a small but quality line up of old gafers, which ranged in size from the winner’s humble 20 feet to the 57 foot Kelpie.

Crewed by Tim Phillips and John Roberson, Pete Williams sailed Dolphin from Cornwall to the Solent, a three day trip, won the race, and then sailed her back again – veni vidi vici!

A total of over 1,800 boats entered the race.

Dolphin has some interesting historic parallels with the Round the Island Race:
- The race was conceived in 1930, the year that Dolphin was built.
- The first race, in 1931, was won by a Cornish fishing boat, and Dolphin was built as a Cornish fishing boat.
- The winner of the first race, “Merry Conceit”, was bought in partnership for £45, and Dolphin was bought by her present owners, Pete Williams and Charlie Ford, for £30.

Successful week for Paul Toms at the J24 Worlds in Sardinia.

Held in Cannigoine, Sardinia this years J24 World Championships saw 10 UK boats compete in a highly competitive fleet from across the world. Sailing Joya, Paul Toms and his crew Simon Hindley, Tom Peyton (from Fowey and Tywardreath respectively) and Jonathan Cunliffe from Falmouth, finished 33rd overall in a fleet of 78 boats which included several of the worlds top J24 sailors. With results including a 6th and a 14th Paul said " we are pleased to have done so well in such a strong fleet, it's the first time we have done an event on this scale so we can only look to build on this for the future".

Overall Italian Andrea Casale took first place, Second was Bob Turner's Serco helmed by Canadian Milev Rossi and for the UK in third place was Ian Southworth, with Lucy Macgregor becoming the Womens World Champion finishing in 17th place.