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East Coast Gaffers gather in St Malo!

EC Gaffer, Marion (latterly of ‘East Breeze’) is crewing on the SW Gaffer boat ‘Ester’ and brings us an update with photos of the OGA fleet gathering in St Malo at the start of the Vieux Greements Rally this weekend. She reports that, sadly, the weather is not looking great but some larger boats may venture up the Rance tomorrow whilst smaller ones enjoy fun and games in the Vauban Basin.

EC Young Gaffers Will and Ed Roberts are crewing aboard ‘Cygnet of London’, the beautiful gaff rigged yawl, built in 1906 by the Burgoyne brothers of Kingston on Thames. ‘Cygnet’ was stormbound on passage at Cherbourg, having met up with ‘Cachalot’ skipper and crew in Ramsgate as they returned from Dunkirk. Another well-known member of the EC OGA fleet to arrive in St Malo was ‘Rely’, having line honours for arriving first. She was built in 1911 by Nobles of Fraserburgh, commissioned as a ‘Zulu’ pilot vessel without an engine and two lug sails. EC Area Secretary, Pete took a trailer across with ‘Dirty Girty’ and Gaffling no. 1 ‘Linling’ while John and Clare Roberts trailed a double stacker with the gaff-rigged Wayfarer ‘Papa Little’ and Smacks boat ‘Papa Stour’.

Ken and Carey trailed a Smacks boat, ‘H2O’ from Harwich while Solent member Steve Mitchell is bringing his Smacks boat, ‘Joy’ to St Malo after attending La Semaine du Golfe du Morbihan. Several other boats have also arrived including: ‘Moon River’ (South West), ‘Nona Me’ (Bristol Channel), ‘Alice’, Little Stint’ (Solent), ‘Meagan’ (Solent), ‘Cynthia’ (South West), ‘Bryony’ (South West), ‘Susan J’ (South West), ‘Jan Blank’ (Netherlands) and ‘Tarka’.