Cornish Maritime Trusts celebrates past, present and future with call out for business support and Skippers, old and new!
Volunteers from Cornwall Maritime Trust (CMT) kicked off the sailing season with a day of maintenance in Newlyn’s Old Quay and a celebration of the recent win for their unique historic lugger, ‘Barnabas’ as Classic Boat Magazine’s ‘Centenarian of the Year’. It was a chance for those who work so hard to maintain and sail the 143 year old, St Ives Mackerel Driver, to see and hold the magnificent silver trophy sponsored by the Swiss, Gstaad Yacht Club. After a busy morning painting the hull, a hearty cheer went up, as Chairman Toby Floyer raised the dazzling trophy for all to see.
Perseverance and longevity were the theme for the day, with support from two historic businesses, who, like Barnabas, began their life in the second half of the 19th Century, and, like the 143 year old wooden boat, are still going strong. Warrens Bakery, founded in 1860, and the oldest pasty maker in the world, provided saffron buns, echoing the ancient Sunday School ‘Tea Treat’ tradition that Barnabas’ builder and faithful Methodist, Henry Trevorrow would have known so well. The last remaining family silversmiths in the world, German craftsmen, Robbe & Berking (founded 1871), which recently celebrated its 150 and is now led by the fifth generation of silversmiths, created the splendid trophy.
Celebrating the Past, Present and Future of Heritage Sailing
The CMT has much to celebrate this month, with Barnabas having also been crowned as one of National Historic Ships UK’s four ‘Flagships of the Year’ and five young CMT sailors qualifying as Royal Yachting Association ‘Day Skippers’ through the Trust’s education programme. This programme couples modern day sailing training, through the RYA, with regular Trust training sessions in its mission to keep heritage sailing skills alive for future generations to enjoy.
Calling for Local Business Support
CMT Trustee and Skipper Rob McDowell said, “The Cornish Maritime Trust stands not just for preservation but also education of the next generation and the fostering of community. These are really solid Cornish values and our vision now, is that local businesses who share those values, will come aboard to sponsor us with our exciting and valuable work.’
Calling Skippers, Old and New!
As well as welcoming five new RYA Day Skippers into starting their skippering career, the CMT is keen to welcome knowledgeable sailors who want to experience the unique dipping lug rig. CMT Chair Toby Floyer said, “Sailing our amazing vessels is the lifeblood of our work. As well as welcoming those new to sailing, we want to hear from sailors who might have a good few miles under their belt already, and who want to take on the challenge of skippering our vessels and bringing on the next generation”.
New Members Welcome for an Exciting Season’s Sailing
The Trust owns four historic boats (see below), two moored in Newlyn Old Harbour and two in Falmouth, with opportunities to sail out of both ports. Membership starts at £30 making heritage sailing truly accessible. This season’s programme will include day and overnight trips as well as voyages to the Isles of Scilly, up the Tamar to Cothele House and participation in Falmouth Classics and Looe Lugger Festival. To find out about membership or to support the Trust, please visit: https://cornishmaritimetrust.org/ or follow Cornish Maritime Trust on Facebook.
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About the Cornish Maritime Trust
The Cornish Maritime Trust is a charity which exists to preserve Cornwall’s maritime heritage by maintaining and sailing working vessels from the days of sail. Run by volunteers, it aims to educate people about Cornwall’s maritime heritage, trains people of all ages in the skills associated with traditional sailing, restoration and maintenance, and shares the enjoyment of sailing historic working boats with community. The Trust operates four unique boats: Barnabas (1881 dipping lugger, 40ft), Softwing (1900 Truro River oyster dredger, 24ft) and Ellen (1882 Gorran Haven crabber, 17ft) as well as one replica (1890’s dipping lugger, 22 ft), Silver Stream, used for training.
The Trust is always happy to welcome new members with an annual membership scheme from £30 which makes sailing and learning affordable. The charity relies on donations and sponsorship to continue its vital work. To find out about membership or to support the Trust, please visit: https://cornishmaritimetrust.org/ or follow Cornish Maritime Trust on Facebook.
About Gstaad Yacht Club and the Centenarian Trophy
The Gstaad Yacht Club was formed 1998 by a group of sailors with the vision to “create a unique global yacht club away from the water”. The Centenarian of the Year trophy ties in with the club’s annual Centenary Trophy race at the Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez attracting of the oldest yachts afloat. The Centenarian of the Year silver bowl and silver champagne flute are made and donated by German silversmiths Robbe & Berking.
About National Historic Ships UK and the ‘Flagship of the Year’ awards
NHS-UK is a government funded, independent organisation which gives objective advice to UK governments and local authorities, funding bodies, and the historic ships sector on all matters relating to historic vessels in the UK. It maintains the National Register of Historic Vessels, which lists over 1,500 historic craft. It also manages the Shipshape Network, which was set up to promote the regeneration of traditional maritime skills around the UK. www.nationalhistoricships.org.uk
NHS-UK’s annual Flagship Awards have been running since 2009. The Awards provide an opportunity to demonstrate and celebrate the value of historic vessels to the wider public. This can be through a variety of online activities, special events, open days, workshops and tours. Competition was particularly strong for the coveted accolade this year. Applications were received from a range of operational and static vessels on the National Registers based on their seasonal programmes and planned level of outreach. NHS-UK has awarded four very different craft the status of Flagship of the Year 2025; this year they are all operational vessels.
