At the beginning of June, 2025 OGA members converged on St Malo for the grand festival, organised by the French OGA. Over 60 boats arrived from the Netherlands, Belgium, England, Wales and, of course, France. Les Old Gaffers – Association des Vieux Gréements de France was set up in 1975 after a chance meeting with some Solent and East Coast OGA boats in Le Havre and the Channel Islands. Their HQ is the garrison room inside St Malo’s Grandes Portes walls. Find a report from the Younger Gaffers here.
Firstly, thankyou to Philippe Ferrand Photographe who has given permission for us to use some of his wonderful photographs of East Coast people and boats from the event. Do visit his website for more fantastic photos of the Festival.
27 UK boats were registered but not all made it! The weather set a very big challenge. Several Solent skippers and crews took the Portsmouth to St Malo ferry. As for the East Coasters, ‘Rely’ powered through early in the week while ‘Cygnet’ showed prowess despite the conditions. A fleet of smaller East Coast boats were trailed from Suffolk and Essex. For those boats coming from the South West, wind and waves were abeam. The plucky ‘Moon River’, ‘Ester’ (crewed by Eastcoaster, Marion), ‘Cynthia’, ‘Passager’ and ‘Susan J’ all made it safely. More local boats included ‘Tarka’ from Guernsey with ‘Fox Hound’ and ‘Syrinx’ from Jersey and ‘Byrony’ from Paimpol. ‘Jan Blank’ was trailed from Holland and Wales was represented by trailer sailor ‘Nona me’.
Joining the Festival from the Netherlands, ‘Jan Blank’ arrived to launch in St Malo Les Sablons using the trailer extension with time for some exploring before the event started. Drying out out at Les Hebihens is described as ‘paradise’ on the white sandy beach before taking her place along the quay in St Malo and joining the race, sailing alongside the replica bisquine ‘La Granvillaise‘. Sailing back for the trailer ‘Jan Blank’ sat at anchor in Cancale and dried out at Rothenoueuf where Rik could not set the legs due to waves. Finally, back on her trailer, there was a resting place on the road at Honfleur.
Set against a backdrop of the city’s great granite walls and ramparts, tall masts, bowsprits and tanned sails cut a festive profile, imposing their spirit against the grey scudding skies. Rain dominated the first acts but the folk bands, dancers, sea shanty groups, bagpipe players and costumed drummers jointly smothered the gloom spreading a blanket of good cheer. Along the old quay an instant white tented village of stands had been erected. Town workers and an army of gaffer benevolés (volunteers) had toiled to get things ready. Even more ‘benevolés’ cooked sausage and crêpes, sold wine, beer cider and whatever else popped your fancy. Sizzling grills sent saucisson smoke spiralling in the wind.
A memorable event of the weekend was the big indoor cathedral ceremony, all bells ringing and priests a-fluttering to bless the OGA fleet and join the big crew parade through the streets of St Malo down to the quayside to bless the first timbers of the ‘Nouvelle Hermione’, a replica boat building project of the Malouain ship that took Jaques Cartier across the Atlantic in 1536 to discover the St Lawrence River and open the path to the foundation of French Canada.
Finally, thanks must go to the French OGA organisers, Anne Metel and Julien with all their willing volunteers, Ben Collins, Solent OGA, for co-ordination and Pete Elliston, East Coast Area Secretary for organising alternative events in St Malo . . . and of course to all the participants, skippers and crews.
Contributors: Rik Homan, Ben Collins, Kate Ryder, Clare Roberts, Steve Hancox, Marion Shirley, Julie Patuck, Philippe Ferrand Photographe
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