Autumn Rally 2019 – Gin’s Farm, Beaulieu River

After some fantastic weather throughout the summer, everybody was looking forward to topping it off with the final rally of the year.

Unfortunately, the weather Gods had other ideas for us, the forecast started to look a little iffy during the week and by Thursday night the Rally WhatsApp group was filling up with crews threatening mutiny.

By Friday night the forecast was showing westerly force 9 over the weekend and Nick, as Rear Commodore Offshore, had called it and everyone agreed that driving to the venue would be the sensible way.

Tea and cakes were taken by 27, with numbers swelling to 38 members for the meal at the Royal Southampton Yacht Club’s Gins Farm club house. Special mention to the crew of Polly, who not only arrived by boat but had been out for a sail during the day!

As always, the food and service was great; there was even a cake to jointly celebrate a belated birthday for our Commodore and for the 56th wedding anniversary of Jo & Mike Bassett.

In heavy, driving rain, all but the crews of Polly and Navy Blues (via campervan) set out on a fun drive through the New Forest.

A big thank you to Nick for organising another great rally. We’re looking forward to keeping the theme going and having heavy snow for the Frostbite!

28-29th September 2019