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Compared with the Brightlingsea rally and East Coast race, with all its slick organisation, sponsors and razzamatazz, the Harwich event was so laid back as to be almost horizontal; no entry form, no organised racing, no organised eating, no organised anything – it just happened. Well, not quite; an awful lot of work had gone on behind the scenes by Pete Elliston, who had been asked by the Harwich Rotary Club, masterminding the on-shore events, to put on a show of ‘historic gaffers’ for the general public to admire and put a bit of ‘Sea’ into the Festival.
Gaffers were just asked to congregate at Shotley marina on the Saturday evening for a natter and music, prior to a parade of sail/race on the Sunday. It all went off very well and we all had a good time; the weather helped of course, hot, hot sun and the occasional breeze to waft ‘competitors’ around the short course off Harwich frontage. There were no prizes, but competition between the ten entries was keen, with the advantage that you could retire at any time without losing face or points and withdraw to the relative coolness of the Trinity House Pier, where Pete had secured exclusive mooring rights. A good thing too, as Ha’penny pier was wall to wall visitors, with boats rafted up seven deep outside, whereas the gaffers rested in quiet seclusion in their ‘members enclosure’, enjoying a communal lunch and gossip, while from onshore, African drummers and a jazz band provided background music.  Well done Pete, let’s do it again next year. Bernard Patrick |