Yawlba: 17th-19th June 2013
Written by Alex Tilleray (Captain of Manitou)
Photos courtesy of James Robinson Taylor
As we left the dock with a cloudy head after the final night of the Argentario Classic Regatta, there wasn’t a breathe of wind to be felt. Manitou, the 62ft S&S Yawl from 1937, along with her, slightly smaller, sister ships; Stormy Weather, Argyll, Comet and Tomahawk were heading into the unknown. This was the first edition of Yawlba, a concoction thought up by the masterful brain of Griff Rhys Jones, the well known TV personality and owner of Argyll. The plan was to get all the Med based S&S Yawls together, with the exception of Skylark which had prior commitments, and have a 3 day regatta in Elba, hence Yawlba!!!
The first day consisted of a gentle motor in the general direction of Elba, all together, until there was enough wind to start a race. This happened approaching half way through the 50nm trip. The start line was defined as ‘when the approaching fishing boat is alongside us’, at that point, with main sails and mizzens already raised, we were go…
The first boat to have the head sail hoisted was Manitou, who used her advantage in size to pull away and take an early lead. Stormy Weather then popped the kite and went haring away from the pack. It stayed this way for a few hours until Manitou fought back and ended up with line honours, with Tomahawk just a whisker behind.
We based the yachts in Portoferraio, the capital of the beautiful island of Elba, and were greeted with a cocktail party put on by the local yacht club.
THE SECOND DAY it was decided that we would do a 17nm course heading north from the port and then coming back again. The race started in light airs with Argyll pipping Manitou to the ‘best start prize’. The breeze dropped right off, to the advantage of the smaller lighter boats and at the half way stage Argyll and Tomahawk were battling it out at the front. It finished in the same order, with Stormy picking up the final podium spot. The evening’s entertainment was provided by Griff, who had a low key party at his rented water side villa.
DAY THREE looked more promising from a weather forecast perspective, with a 12-15kts forecast. The course was a similar distance to the previous day, but going south this time around an island and back. With a 15kt breeze on the aft quarter, all yachts popped kites and mizzen stay-sails over the start line with Manitou getting away first and building a healthy lead.
Rounding the island Manitou and Stormy were together some way in front of the others having a great battle. Manitou looked to have won the skirmish when she pulled away, only to sail into the biggest hole the Med has ever seen! It stretched about 4nm across, with the finish line, of course, the other side of it. One by one the others followed Manitou into this becalmed sweat pit. Then it was a question of eeking out every 0.1 of a knot to try and get through the black hole. There was still 15kts waiting the other side, but it kept getting further and further away.
The race finally finished in the same order as the previous day, with Argyll pipping Tomahawk over the line, and Stormy a few minutes behind.
So, to the prize giving and the microphone in Griff’s hand, which is always entertaining, and the presentation of the treasured Elba Cup.
“I feel like the kid who invites all his friends to his birthday party then wins all the prizes” said a jubilant Griff when he presented himself with the Elba Cup.
So at the end of the First Edition of a very entertaining ‘Yawlba’, the final results were:
1st Argyll
2nd Tomahawk
3rd Stormy Weather
4th Manitou
5th Comet
Let it be the first of many Yawlba’s…..
