What a week!  The MV Dione Sky a 152 ft long super yacht custom built in 1996 by Palmer Johnson Yachts in Sturgeon Bay WI (United States) offering luxury accommodation for just 10 guests with a range of 7,000, miles arrived in the same week as the Classic Channel Regatta, even the seagulls were impressed this week!

2.  Classic Channel Regatta 2011

Mike Jones reports: The Classic Channel Regatta fleet, which was largely moored on the river Dart, was a charming sight, with boats ‘dressed overall’ for the occasion. Including Kelpie, the oldest in the fleet, some 108 years old and looking beautiful after a recent restoration. There were several absentees for the start of the racing on Saturday due to some adverse conditions in the week leading up to the event, including Clarionet who had to put in to Portland marina after springing a leak during their passage to Dartmouth. The determined and boisterous crew have now joined the rest of the fleet after sailing through heavy fog.

Racing got underway on Saturday in a stiff 25-knot breeze with gusts in the early 30s. There were several pre-start incidents, but after that the crews of this majestic fleet showed great skill and seamanship to get their yachts round the 18-mile course, with the wind easing a little towards the end of the day. Evening festivities were held at the Old Market Square in Dartmouth, in addition to the live Jazz Band, there was an impromptu sea-shanty session, all very much in the spirit of this Classic Regatta.

Sunday saw racing postponed until 13:00 as a thick bank of fog sat just off the entrance to the Dart. When racing did eventually get underway the fleet had mixed conditions, as half the course was still enveloped in fog, while the other half was bathed in sunshine. Back ashore at the Royal Dart Yacht Club, prizes were presented by world-renowned yacht designer Nigel Irens, who had spent the day racing with Bruce Thorogood, Classic Channel Regatta Chairman on his 42ft sloop ‘Mabel’. In addition to the class prizes, several special presentations were awarded, including the Lutine of Helford Memorial Trophy, presented to Peter Nash for his contribution to classic yachting by James Emerson, son of the late Clive Emerson, owner of Lutine of Helford and Gweek Quay Boatyard, Falmouth. Lutine of Helford has competed in all the previous Classic Channel Regattas to date.

With the departure of the passage race to Paimpol scheduled to start at 15:30 a parade of sail was arranged on the river Dart. Kelpie, as the oldest yacht in the regatta led the twenty-four strong fleet in a procession up and down the river, before sailing out to the start line. Conditions were extremely light for the start of all three classes, but the wind filled in almost instantly just after the start from a westerly direction, as the fleet made its way across the Channel overnight to Paimpol the wind veered to the north west. Some yachts experienced poor visibility and fog patches during the night, but everyone safely navigated their way through the shipping lanes to arrive off Paimpol the following morning. The first yacht to cross the finish line was Khayyam at just after 06:00.

A warm welcome was extended to all visiting yachts on arrival in the port; the fleet has now been bolstered with the arrival of several additional yachts, which will compete in the final three legs of this colourful Regatta. The crews have a lay-day on Wednesday to prepare for the challenging round Brehat (an island just off Paimpol) race on Thursday, before then racing to St Peter Port on Friday.

3.  The Pope's Toilet Tonight!

Tonight sees the last film night of our summer season. So why not come along a bit earlier and join the committee and other members for a drink and some complimentary nibbles. The bar is open from 7.00pm and we will be serving all the regulars, and - as a concession to summer - Pimms by the glass.

This small but perfectly formed Uruguayan comedy has the fetching Cesar Troncoso as Beto, a financially strapped petty smuggler from the small town of Melo near the Brazilian border, who hopes the Pope’s 1988 visit will provide his wife and daughter with financial succour as well as the appropriate blessing. Accordingly, he gets the idea that the huge crowds expected to swarm across the township may want to relieve themselves after gorging on the excitement of the visit and the many stalls set up to provide food and drink for them by the locals. He will therefore build a lavatory with a wash basin outside it and charge a small fee for use. Almost everything that can go wrong does, and he has to rush with the toilet bowl from Brazil on his broken-down bike, past surprised customs officers. Will he be too late?.....

This film is on tonight at the Guildhall at 7.30pm. Guest tickets can be purchased on the night of the screening at The Windjammer pub in Victoria Road, Dartmouth for £3.60 per film, between 7.00 – 7.25 pm. New members can join at the door on any screening night. For further information contact: Clive Osborne on 079-6802-6449

4.   Training Gigs

Kevin Pyne reports: We have two fibreglass training gigs which are used to keep the use and wear on the wooden gigs to a minimum. In fact in winter the GRP gigs are all that are used.

The picture shows a mixture of racing members and social rowing members of the club out practising recently just off the model dockyard at Sanquay.

The format on that day being one of a hard row up to Dittisham then turn around and gently row back with a couple of quick hard blasts on the way home.

At that moment the gig crew were very much going for it and truly blasting. The club is always looking for new members to join racing crews or for that matter those who just like to row out on an evening or the weekend socially. In the back ground are two Belgian minesweepers who had been spending the weekend as guests of the Royal Naval College .

5.   Small News

• Dartmouth dot TV relentlessly promotes Dartmouth and its festivals.  We have recently updated our "unofficial" sites to include easily accessible and navigable photography over the last five years.  To see the Regatta over the last five years click here.   To see how the Music Festival has developed over the last five years click here.  To get a taste of the Food Festival over the last five years click here.  When you get there click on the dates to see each year.
   

• Chris Ryan reports: “Last chance to get your rowing entries into Kingswear Regatta which is on 23rd/24th July. Details on their website click here to see it.   We will have an update on this great regatta closer to the date”  The Dartmouth dot TV crew have always commented that this is the best "small regatta" in the world!
   

• Yvonne Cottam reports : Can I ask you to mention the Maori visit from 16th to 22nd July. 50 students and staff from the James Cook High School in Auckland will arrive pm on Saturday 16th and leave early am on Friday 22nd. This will be their last visit to Dartmouth as a group.
  
  They will be performing at the Yacht Club on Tuesday 19th July from 7 pm with the Nautiboys - the club has acquired an open licence so members of the public can attend.
  
  On Wednesday afternoon they will perform in the Royal Avenue Gardens with the Academy steel bands - there will also be a fund raising fete for local organisations from 11 am.  At 6pm on Thursday they will perform at the Dart Marina Hotel (outside).
  
  I am also desperately looking for accommodation - I have about another 15 to find hosts for click here if you can help?

• David Jones reports: South Hams will be featured in an Episode of Countrywise Kitchen on Mon July 11th on ITV1 at 8pm. This episode was shot entirely in the South Hams during April and will feature pieces on: Manna from Devon Cooking School, Moostone Meats at Wembury,  Sharpham Vineyard among others.

Why not come and visit Dartmouth?

• Self catering accommodation click here
   
• Dartmouth B and B  click here
   
• Dartmouth Hotels click here
   
• A Tourist Guide to Dartmouth click here
   
• Shopping in Dartmouth click here

Images copyright  Dave Cawley, Jill Cawley, Kevin Pyne,   Andy Kyle,  Mike Jones of Waterline Media & others.