SPECIAL PHOTOGRAPHY VOYAGE with expert -sail amongst the Classic SuperYachts racing for Pendennis Cup

photo by Kathy Mansfield

Photography tips from an expert on board & See Classic Yacht Racing Up Close

An amazing three day voyage where you can get to grips with sailing a gaff rigged pilot cutter whilst watching the race battles between some mighty classic yachts.  The voyage will also feature a digital photography workshop on board with photography expert and lecturer Tony Hopewell giving you some practical tips on how to get the best from your camera -between the action. More on Tony below.

The Pendennis Cup for the Big Classics 2012

We are lucky in Falmouth to have world renowned builders and Restorers 'Pendennis of Falmouth UK'  Shipyard on our doorstep. They specialise in the big super yachts and classics that are usually found in the South of France, Newport RI, Caribbean and other jet set locations. Often the sponsors of prestigious events overseas, Port Pendennis launched their first event last year for classic yachts over 12m in 2008.

This is the 3rd year of the Pendennis Cup, which is now established on the Super Yacht and Classics World calendar of events and will be a marine photographers dream.

In 2012 there is a J Class Regatta in Falmouth the week preceeding this event so there may well be a few 140ft J class yachts still around, before they head for the next J Class Regatta (18-20th July) and the Hundred Guinea Cup (21st July 2012) in the Solent

This 3 day voyage has just been added, so if you have a group who wants to charter Eve for the event, please ring us before we start to take individual bookings.

Photo: High level action on Elena by K Arrigo

 Plenty of Close Sailing Action for Us Too

Join us on local pilot cutter Eve of St Mawes for 3 days, and enjoy both the physical sailing and a close up view of the spectaclar racing. Block and tackle sailing on Eve is much the same strenuous style as a classic yacht, but on a much smaller scale. In Falmouth Harbour and Bay it is relatively easy to sail Eve  into good postions to take photos of racing events - something we have done many times, but as guest crew you will have to abandon your cameras from time to time to manuouvre Eve or trim sails.

 The world's marine photographers and good local amateurs will be out on the water with their big zoom lenses, so we want Eve to look spectacular too, even if she is not racing. 

At the end of the day we can sneak off to one of our favourite anchorages and enjoy a few glasses of wine and fresh cooked food as the sun sets.

Featuring Tony Hopewell - Marine Photographer

Like many great characters in Cornwall, Tony Hopewell wears many hats.  Independant Photographer and Filmaker, he also is the tutor for the MA Photography Course at University College Falmouth.  Our skippers also know him as professional boatman, often to be see on the waterfronts of St Mawes and Falmouth. Tony has produced popular Falmouth Working Boat Calendars and his candid photo of Prince Charles and Cameila launching the new St Mawes Ferry, became the Prince's chosen photo for his personal Christmas cards.  He also has more serious photographic exhibitions, but we like his on the water action photos...

All Star Cast of Classics

Last years line up was pretty high profile, but Port Pendennis are working hard with two other large classic yacht regatta events in Cowes to make sure 2012 is even better.

Pendennis are not revealling the all star cast yet but rumour has it that 14 classic yachts are potentially interested, which would double the fleet from 2011.

Past vessels attending include:

 Mariquita

Mariette

Altair

Adix - 65m and 460 ton

The Lady Anne

Elena - The new Herreshoff Schooner

Velacarina,

Atalante 

Lutine - a local favourite

For more information on the event itself and some great photos see www.thependenniscup.com 

or local photographer Tony Hopewell's gallery for last years event.

Local Pilot Cutter Welcomes the Fleet

We always like to fly the flag a bit in our home port when other beautiful boats or tall ships visit.

We paint our pilot cutter Eve of St Mawes dazzling blue to match the Cornish seascape. Artists have been drawn to the sea, rugged coastline and the famous light quality in the far west for centuries. Eves turquoise blue decks and hull seems to help get everybody in the holiday mood too. On the edge of the Atlantic Ocean we have our share of wild grey days, but they just seem to make the achingly beautiful blue sky / deep blue sea days extra special.

 Founders of Classic Sailing Adam and Debbie based the company in St Mawes because we felt Cornwall and the Scillies was the best cruising ground in the world. We now promote sailing holidays in many far flung destinations but a flat water blast along the South Cornwall coast in a crystal clear north westerly takes some beating.

Healthy Exercise & Environmentally Friendly

Traditional Sailing boats like Eve are powered by the wind, but to harness it requires quite a bit of satisfying physical effort and teamwork. There are no winches on board except the antique brass handled windlass, so you soon get to know your fellow guests as you haul on blocks and tackles. Sometimes we glide effortlessly through the water with 14 tons of oak and larch propelled by the wind or tide. If we get a lively force 5 after several tacking manoeuvres with all 3 jibs up,  trying to keep out the way of 460 tons of classic yacht like Adix bearing down us in a brisk summer gale you might begin to wish you had been to the gym more often. Its unlikely you’ll go home thinner (e.g. creme brulee, clotted cream, Lamb with camenbert, rosemary, flageolet bean and red wine) but we can guarentee you will leave looking a lot healthier and either sun tanned, or windswept and interesting. There is plenty of conversation, but even on a 38ft deck you can find a corner for quiet contemplation. For some strange reason, everyone seems to sleep very well on board cocooned safely amongst Eve’s timber curves.

World Class Racing in a Marine Nature Reserve

Falmouth is nothing like Cowes. This event is during Falmouth Classics Week so there will be plenty of boats out on the water, but we can still find places to get away from it all. The seals will still be back in their sea caves off St Anthony lighthouse at their peak breeding time, or out on Black Rock - watching the rich men's yachts with total indifference.

The remoteness of the Cornish coast this far west bring their own special reward to those who travel with us: Starry nights with no street lights; ocean sunsets, isolated lighthouses and tiny fishing harbours; cliffs sculptured by pounding winter gales; almost tropical white sands with sparkling mica sticking to your toes; woodlands stunted by the wind but with trees adorned with lichen (a sure sign of unpolluted air) and lush ferns and springs along the many coastal footpaths.

The Gulf Stream provides unexpected sightings of turtles, sunfish and more regular visits by dolphins (common, bottlenose and risso’s dolphin), porpoises, whales and giant basking sharks. Gales often bring in wheeling gannets, tiny storm petrels, guillemots, razorbills and even puffins.

The Fal and Helford Estuaries are designated as Special Areas of Marine Interest. Breeding seals hide in sea caves and deep zawns. The drowned river valleys (called rias) have dense oak woodlands with branches sweeping down to deep green waters. At low tide the mudflats are home to egrets, curlews, oystercatchers and leggy herons—all the birds that go screech. At night you hear owls hooting in the moonlight, and a few guests have seen elusive otters in the early morning mists.