South West Sailing

It is very easy to write about a subject you enjoy, as the words tend to flow quiet easily if the topic is of interest. Sailing in Falmouth is very special as the sailing waters are exceptional with little commercial traffic and thanks to the efforts of South West Water and their long suffering bill payers fairly clean.

You could say however that clean water and good sailing waters can be found else where in the UK and I would be forced to agree but add in interesting local sailing fleets, shipyards of all shapes and sizes and a geographical location that continues to bring a vast array of visitors and you have a unique mix unrivalled anywhere in the world.

Last Wednesday it was the turn of the Working Boat fleet to take centre stage with the Silver Oyster Race to celebrate an historic legal victory for the oystermen over the Fishery regulators in 1901.

Mylor Yacht Club was the venue for the 31st SOR and it was a very special event as always a gathering of friends both old and new and a chance to forget “credit crunches” and poor fishing returns and savour friendship and camaraderie in a glorious waterside location overlooking the oyster fishery.

As luck would have it the weather was sunny and cold with a northerly force 3-4 in attendance giving the combined fleets of licensed and unlicensed working boats a delightful sail across the oyster beds to Messack, St Just and back to Mylor.

After a couple of turns around the course the fleets adjourned ashore for a pasty and a pint at the Clubhouse. New Chairman of POFSA Steve Nicholls was the Race Officer and Master of Ceremonies ashore and Sue Treneer presented the trophies.

In Class C for unlicensed boats Sapphire (Chris Simmonds) finished 1st with Muriel (Steve Miles) in 2nd place whilst in B Class Moon (Pat Selman) took the gun from Irene (Robert Northey) and Agnes (Robin Snelson).

In the Licensed fleets Dolly (Barry Prynn) won C Class from Girl Sarah (Adam Davies/Timmie Bailey) and in B Class the Silver Oyster went to Chris Ranger on board Alf Smythers from Ian Shield and the Molly.

Molly in fact had taken the gun but Ian confessed to as yet not having commenced dredging so retired and surrendered the beautiful Silver Oyster trophy to the Alf Smythers crew.

All in all a brilliant event organized by Mylor Yacht Club, which demonstrates all the strengths that sailing has to offer in Falmouth and no doubt Steve Nicholls will as the new chairman of POFSA seek to reaffirm in Falmouth Week 2009.

Events like the SOR make our regattas so different to the average fare on offer around the country. Falmouth Week should not mirror other events but celebrate what makes it different - every day a new Sailing Club and a new start line offering the best estuary sailing anywhere in the UK.

It is a source of bitterness for me that the proposals to redevelop the Watersports Centre into a sailing academy some 8/9 years ago failed to get off the ground. Many would say get over it – it is history move on but in writing about sailing on a weekly basis I am continually struck by that lost opportunity.

I was with the RYA at their office in the Hamble last week and in discussing the build up to Weymouth in 2012 there are several major sailing events in the pipeline and all involve using the facilities of the RYA Sailing Academies built around 2000.

Falmouth was the only one of 7 such academies not built and I believe it is a tragedy of almost epic proportions that local politics prevented the Watersports Centre becoming a major UK regatta venue.

The International Laser Association the ruling body of the Laser Class based in Falmouth has brought the 2010 Laser World Championships to the UK for the first time in since 1988.

In 1988 the Standard Rig event was based in Falmouth and attracted 88 entries come 2010 numbers for the Standard Rig fleet will probably be around 150 plus and for the Radial Rig around 250. Add on the 4.7 Rig and in all probability some 500 Laser sailors plus families, friends and coaches will be visiting the UK.

It will be too big an event to stage in one location and so has been split in two with the Largs and the Hayling Isle sailing academies hosting the various fleets. You cannot blame the ILA for ignoring Falmouth as quiet simply the facilities ashore are not up to hosting such major events.

Falmouth is however the 3rd largest natural harbour in the world and is such an asset it is almost criminal that the RDA and Government Agencies do not focus more resources on utilizing its potential.

I happily concede that the Funchal 500 surprised and exceeded my expectations this year but only serves to underline the opportunities we continue to miss out on for the lack of shore side facilities.

The continuing development of the University of Cornwall is a golden opportunity to incorporate a waterside students union facility to include a water sports academy encompassing sports such as diving, water skiing, jet skis, canoeing and of course sailing.

Add into the mix some adjoining student accommodation and you have a ready-made event centre for use throughout the summer during the University vacation. It is of course not that simple but it really should be as the logic is overwhelming that we would all benefit from such a development.

This summer has in hindsight been a disaster for our tourism industry and a steady flow of sailing events would attract eager competitors whatever the weather.

It is remarkable that through the efforts of our local sailing clubs such as Restronguet, Mounts Bay and the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club we continue to attract quality sailing events every year.

Booked for 2009 at the moment are the International 14 Nationals at Restronguet, the SB3 and Dragon Nationals at the RCYC with Mounts Bay and Looe yet to confirm their championship events.

The demand is there as the sailing waters off our coast are stunning thanks in part the efforts of South West Water and the lack of commercial shipping. In short a perfect play ground in which to host major sailing events.

The creation of the single unitary authority offers another opportunity for the new Council to either create a new post of Maritime Promotions Officer to promote maritime events across the County or persuade the Tourist Board to allocate a member of staff to adopt a similar role.

I firmly believe it is purely a question of vision and it should not be left just to the enthusiasm of one or two volunteer sailing secretaries at our sailing clubs.

Given the current financial situation our local economy is likely to suffer along with the rest of the country and our sailing waters are a neglected asset that could help lift the County out of recession.

This is a subject very dear to my heart and I will continue to push for change in Cornwall as I watch developments at Weymouth and the other sailing academies.

November 5th besides being Guy Fawkes Day is also the anniversary of a victory for the dredgermen of the Truro Oyster Fishery over Truro Corporation in a legal dispute over the laying of oysters along the foreshore.

The Truro Oyster Fishery is an area defined by the Truro Oyster and Mussel Fishery Order of 1876 as extending from Victoria Point (St Clements) to Messack Point (St Just) to Tarra Point (Mylor) to Sunset (Kea) and returning to Victoria Point.

Under the terms of the Order the Corporation were bound only to raise money by the sale of licenses with a fixed fee levied for each dredge.

The Corporation sought to find ways of increasing revenue and decided to charge the dredgermen for laying or re-laying oysters along the foreshore.

Traditionally on dredging the oyster from the estuary the dredgermen would stake out layings or beds in the creeks in order to deposit their catch to await shipping to market or store young oysters to provide spawn to repopulate the fishery or simply create an oyster larder.

The Corporation instructed its Bailiff to list all these layings within the boundary of the Fishery and impose a charge to either dredgermen or merchant of 1 shilling per 20ft run onshore for each laying.

The laying of cultch (broken oyster shells) to create beds within the Fishery was liable to a £5 fine and zealous Bailiffs impounded young oysters found in certain layings and returned them to the main fishery.

As could be expected these actions brought about organized resistance and in 1894 the Bailiff’s boat mysteriously disappeared and despite a £10 reward had to be replaced.

In 1899 the Corporation commenced legal proceedings against the dredgermen in the High Court over the question of foreshore rights and the ability of the Corporation to charge rent.

Mr. Justice Wills in an historic decision on 5th November 1901 decided in favour of the dredgermen and decided the Corporation had no rights over the foreshore.

There was a debate by the Corporation as to whether to appeal the decision but they eventually conceded defeat and that victory has been celebrated by November 5th being declared a holiday for the dredgermen and a 24 hour shut down of the Fishery.

It was a landmark decision for what was in the early 1900’s a major fishing fleet in the Duchy. Estimates vary with few records but the fleet was reckoned to number between 30-40 sailboats and over 100 plus oyster punts.

Figures are vague and sketchy but in 1924 the fishery stock was estimated at some 7 million oysters and as late as 1953 the Corporation estimated over 3.5 million oysters had been landed in one season.

Oyster fishermen from places such as Whitstable, Colchester and Rochester whose fisheries were in decline made frequent sorties down to Falmouth to raid the fishery from the 1840’s and met fierce local opposition.

It was a man’s livelihood at stake and feelings over oysters ran very high especially when out port boats appeared to harvest the local bounty to be found throughout the Carrick Roads and in all the rivers and creeks.

The invasions declined as the East Coast and Kent oyster fisheries fell into decay and their oyster fleets were converted from sail to engine and accordingly not permitted to dredge in the Fal.

The short season and the need to work a boat for 12 months meant that the fishery has remained purely the preserve of local fishermen.

In 1978 Mylor Yacht Club decided to host a race on November 5th to celebrate the High Court victory and invited all those working boats holding dredging licenses from Carrick Council to participate for the Silver Oyster Trophies.

These trophies were commissioned by the then Commodore of the club Peter Grigg and comprise two mounted oyster shells cast from local oysters which can only be won by competitors in the winter working boat fleets.

Some 21 boats entered and Stella skippered by Ray Frost won B class and Leila with Mike Parsons at the helm won Class C.

For that first event the Oyster Fishery was in very good heart and fleet numbers were in double figures so initially the summer racing fleets were not invited to compete. Indeed in the 1980’s rowing races were organized for the “Haul and Tow” oyster punts to encompass those oystermen who worked the Fishery under oar.

Numbers of entries have varied each year depending on the health of the Fishery, the quality and quantity of the catch. After a few years of falling numbers the decision was taken to invite the summer working boat fleet to join in the festivities.

The common oyster needs a clean environment for their reproduction and growth as on average an adult specimen will daily filter 15 gallons of water to obtain food particles and dissolved oxygen.

The dissolved oxygen content of the water is crucial and must achieve at least 50% saturation before the oyster will survive.

Modern Public Health standards now require Fal oysters are purified in clean saltwater for 48 hours before consumption due to the river suffering periodic mineral pollution from old mine workings and some viral infections from agricultural and sewage waste.

In the early 1980’s a deadly oyster virus Bonamia infected the stock and the fishery all but died off and was closed from 1981 to 1984.

The advent of the Mackerel Klondykers in the late 70’s early 80’s also brought about pollution concerns with at the height of the mackerel boom some 15 huge foreign factory freezer trawlers anchored in the Carrick Roads processing the catch. Oil, bilge water and decomposing fish waste were dangers to the Fishery and seriously effected its future survival.

The decline of mackerel stocks meant that the Klondykers moved on and since then the Fishery has enjoyed a period of relative calm although with such a slow growing creature as the oyster dredging activity is limited and is usually finished before Christmas or the early New Year.

This year is the 36th Silver Oyster Race and takes place next Wednesday as usual on the 5th November. It is a wonderful social occasion with the race in the morning and a pasty and a pint at the Clubhouse after prize giving.

It is a rare opportunity for the summer and winter fleets to socialize and celebrate this unique Fishery and a marvelous day out for both spectators and competitors alike.

I sincerely hope the weather cooperates and would urge anyone in the Mylor area to pop down to the Clubhouse and savour the special atmosphere of this event and the survival of the Oyster Fishery into the 21st century.

Who knows they may even have oysters on the menu if there are any left after the Oyster Festival!

As a child fishing and fishermen always fascinated me and one of the first fishermen I encountered was Teddy Harris down at Percuil. At the end of the beach at Percuil was a small shed, which housed the local branch of the Duchy of Cornwall Oyster Farm and Teddy worked on the fishery cleaning and relaying young oysters.

I was learning to sail and generally messing about in boats during the summer months down at Percuil and watching Teddy handle a boat was an education for a young enthusiastic amateur. Seamanship is acquired over years via experience and practice and making the simple tasks like rowing look simple and effortless.

Oysters were unknown to me and I never actually tried to eat one until a sailing trip to France aged 15 and in the company of three younger children who would eat all the gastronomic minefields on offer over the Channel. My diet of fish fingers and beans was soon replaced by frog’s legs, snails and of course oysters.

If these three precocious brats would tackle French cuisine with gusto then I would not flinch and equally take on the challenges on offer after all I was 15 and seriously cool.

That 4-week holiday literally changed my diet and made my mum’s task of cooking tea a lot easier than it had been prior to the trip abroad. I confess that not all the food sampled became standard items on my daily menu thereafter notably frogs’ legs but I did become slightly more adventurous in my outlook and was definitely easier to feed when out and about.

As I grew older I became more aware of the importance of Oysters around the Carrick Roads and the fact that at one time it was the staple food for a large proportion of the population. In the 18th century millions of oysters were consumed in the UK and oyster beds were an important asset for landowners with oyster poaching a criminal offence.

The Helford Oyster beds came into the ownership of the Vyvyan family and in 1829 the upper reaches of the river were leased to a certain John Tyacke and the rent included a clause that twice weekly 100 oysters were to be delivered to Trelowarren House throughout the year.

Given the vast quantities of oysters being consumed it was obvious that stocks around the coast could not survive and gradually the industry declined and the price of oysters rose. Until the advent of the railway and refrigeration the industry in Cornwall stagnated but crucially survived.

Ownership of the oyster beds passed over to the Duchy of Cornwall with activities centred on the Helford River at Port Navas. The “Original Helford Oysterage and Fishing Company” operated the beds from 1910 and the Duchy Oyster Farm was built in 1948 to pack and clean oysters.

When I first met Teddy Harris in the early 60’s the ownership of the oyster beds had passed to Macfisheries but a seemingly terminal decline had set in. Relaying oysters is a costly business with high fatalities and with dwindling stocks the beds on the Percuil River fell into disuse.

The Helford beds survived in no small part to the Hodges family who have been involved in the fishery for decades first as Oyster Bailiffs and then as employees of Macfisheries.

Leonard Hodges subsequently acquired the lease and ran the business for many years before handing over to his son Lindsey. The family involvement ceased after nearly 40 years in 2005 when the lease was sold to Ben Wright of Wright Brothers.

Wright Bros is owned by ex City lawyer Ben and his brother-in-law Robin Hancock a former record producer who has worked in the past with the likes of Madonna and Billy Idol.

The pair originally started business in 2002 as a result of Ben’s friendship with Jerome Miet one of the largest producers of oysters in France. France produces around 2 billion oysters annually and Jerome Miet produces around 10 million alone that equates to the entire production in the UK.

After a day on the Marennes Oleron in SW France fishing for oysters with Miet, Wright decided to rekindle the demand for oysters in the UK.

Given their background in London high society the pair aimed to supply the best restaurants and cafes in London and it worked with clients now including Bentley’s Oyster Bar, Scott’s, The Ivy, J Sheekey, the Rivington, The Wolseley, Automat, The Ebury, Racine and the Bibendum.

Starting with Marennes Oleron oysters the Company has branched out and in a refreshing change are importing razor clams, winkles, and whelks from Boulogne and mussels from La Rochelle.

The oysters from Marennes Oleron are grown in the sea for 3 years and then transferred to claires, clay bottomed lakes where without tides and with less salt, they are left to fatten. Quality varies with time and different grades are imported with the superior grades left in the claires for a longer time.

Indeed the Company has a stock of the “pousse en claire”, which are fattened for 6 months and spaced at 3 per square metre. Traditionally these plump little beauties “the Kobe beef of oysters” have been reserved for the producers and their families.

The success of the business encouraged the team to branch out into the restaurant game themselves and Wright Bros Oyster & Porter House in Borough Market soon opened to general acclaim from critics and public alike.

Seafood predominates and is sourced world wide but with particular emphasis on UK seafood from the finest locations. Cornwall is well represented with Helford crab and of course Helford oysters.

The restaurant stocks over 24 different types of oysters including British Columbia, Humbolt Bay, Kumamoto, Tsarskaya, West Mersea, Carlingford Loch and Papillon with pride of place going to Helford.

Given Ben Wright’s experiences with the French oyster industry there will be a major benefits to the Duchy Oyster Farm and already the company has invested in a new oyster barge, cages and racks with an upgrade of shore side facilities to improve product handling and quality.

An Objective One grant was obtained to help with these improvements and together with help from the Truro Oyster Fishery Management set up in 2003 the future is looking very rosy for the Ostrea edulis or Native oyster.

A trip last year to the Slow Food conference in Terra Madre in Italy by TOFMG with support from South West Rural Enterprise Gateway and Cornwall County Council put the spotlight firmly on the Helford and Fal oyster industry.

The Native oyster found down here is regarded by many gourmets as the best in the UK and the renaissance it has undergone over the last few years is staggering and no small part due to the Wright Bros, the TOFMG and of course the annual Oyster Festival.

Today of all days it is appropriate to praise their efforts and forgo the red roses and the champagne and just buy a dozen of Helford’s finest.

Some stories just take your breath away and this one is truly astonishing.

An Ethiopian man living in London last week received a phone call via a GSM/Satellite phone from a distant relative who was on board a large Zodiac inflatable some 64 miles off the coast of Libya.

On board the inflatable were some 59 people comprising 15 females, of which 4 were pregnant, 7 children and 37 men.

They had not been fed or given any water for 3 days and had been dumped into this leaky inflatable by a commercial vessel at the dead of night after 2 days at sea closeted in a cramped storeroom.

They had been told they were in Italian waters, close to Lampedusa, a Sicilian island in the Mediterranean but with no engine their situation was desperate.

The Ethiopian rang the Coastguard in London who referred the matter to Falmouth MRCC at Pendennis.

Falmouth Operations room rang the inflatable and spoke to English speaking female on board who outlined their problems.

The inflatable was in Libyan waters but despite British Diplomatic pressure activated by Falmouth MRCC the Libyan search and rescue made no effort to help.

Other governments in the area were also reluctant to get involved. The Italian navy was already dealing with 2 similar incidents involving 1000 such refugees or illegal immigrants.

There were no US or UK military vessels within 150 miles of the raft’s known location.

Eventually some 17 hours after receiving this distress call Falmouth MRCC was able to locate a Tunisian Naval Supply Vessel to do the humanitarian duty and go and rescue these poor souls.

Chatting to Falmouth MRCC their view is to forget the politics of the situation and just deal with the crisis.

It is a sobering thought that they estimate that around 20,000 people drowned last year in the Mediterranean and Atlantic as a result of attempting to leave Africa and get to Europe.

We live in strange times.