The Westerly Owners' Association - South Coast Group

Yarmouth "Music, Music, Music" Rally

Seven Yachts Busiris, Restless Too, Kontent, Karis, Mouette Blanche, Dunlin and Stormbird sailed through lively conditions, with wind W/SW 4/5 gusting up to a measured 30kn by one yacht and against an ebbing spring tide in the Solent, into Yarmouth.

Two yachts Nicara and Easy Go heroically traversed the Yar Bridge from their moorings in the Yar River.

The theme for the event was “Music, Music, Music!” and crews competed for best-dressed boat, best-dressed crew and best-dressed interior. The winners were Busiris, Stormbird and Dunlin. Stormbird attracted particular attention with their theme of a pirate radio station “Radio Stormbird” which included on-pontoon interviews with attendees to the rally by a pirate. These interviews were being relayed “back to the station” via a “live” link. Busiris was decked out in the theme “A Night at the Opera” with the crew in full evening dress, the yacht complete with velvet curtains and the ‘Westerly Song’ lyrics and music displayed on the shore side.  There was a hint of bribery and corruption with the judge being offered champagne and caviar canapés during his visit to Busiris. The crew of Dunlin walked the pontoon dressed as characters from the Sound of Music with a suspicious looking manly nun!!!. The crew of Karis came as the group Village People and Nicara used their yacht name to develop the theme of a Nicara-odeon. Easy Go had also gone for the Sound of Music idea with pictures and music of “Doh, Re, Me” displayed on the shoreside rails.

Following themed pontoon nibbles including Bucks Fizz and Pizzacato we adjourned to be made very welcome by the Royal Solent Yacht Club for an excellent dinner in superb surroundings. The desserts cleverly reflected the rally theme.

We continued the music theme with a quiz and also held a raffle, which raised £102 for the Prostate Cancer Research Fund. Special thanks are due to our sponsors who generously donated significant prizes despite the pressures of the recession.

A glorious dawn broke on Sunday with winds and tide set fair for the seven yachts to sailaway home. After a successful circumnavigation of the Yarmouth Harbour pontoons Nicara returned to her Yar river berth closely followed by Easy Go.