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Mount's Bay Area

"Weekend of Sail in Newlyn", Use of Sweeps & Fish Festival 2011 - Painting on the Old Quay Newlyn - Reinactment Corbeau de Mer 2010 at Newlyn - "Sea Salts & Sail" - Trafalgar Celebrations - Sailing Club - Newlyn Fish Festival - Raft Race Day - Mullion - Day Sails - Golowan

"Weekend of Sail in Newlyn", Use of Sweeps & Newlyn Fish Festival 2011

There was a gathering of old sailing fishing luggers moored in the Old Harbour, Newlyn and sailing in Mounts Bay during Newlyn's Fish Festival 2011 weekend. They entered the Old Harbour on August 27th, Saturday evening, and the crews came ashore to enjoy a barbecue.

On Sunday the 28th, the luggers had a day’s sailing around Mounts Bay and returned to the accompaniment of music and dance from the traditional Cornish group Tros an Treys.

On Festival day the luggers moved into the new harbour when visitors could go on board and get a feel for what a working life on one of these unique boats must have been like.

In the afternoon, they took part in a strenuous rowing event. Few have seen these heavy boats being rowed, as the crews heaved on their heavy sweeps as in days gone by. Here are Rose of Argyll (now from France), Jono Brikhill and crew showing how it can be done on Guide Me and Barnabas with the engine running - just in case! The Happy Return is seen alongside the MBLA stand where members are busy cooking and selling Cornish Sardine Baps.

"Painting on the Pier" Day at the Old Quay Newlyn

Happy Return, Barnabas and Ripple were moored in Newlyn on March 12th 2011 as part of British Tourism Week to allow local and visiting artists a unique opportunity not seen for over a generation. There are hopes that this will be the first move to create an heritage harbour in Newlyn within the 500 year old harbour wall. Well know local Newlyn artist Bernard Evans can be seen on the bottom row second from the left.

Mousehole "Sea Salts and Sail"

Happy Return is a regular visitor to this event every other year at Mousehole.

Trafalgar Celebrations 2005

The Happy Return took part in the Penzance Trafalgar Celebrations on Saturday 22nd October 2005 during a sea re-enactment in Mounts Bay.  She relayed the first news of the Battle of Trafalgar and Nelson's death from HMS Pickle (played by SV Ruth) making her first landfall in October 1805. 

Penzance Sailing Club Nationals

The Happy Return standing off marshalling for various events at the Penzance Sailing Club.

Newlyn Raft Race & Newlyn Fish Festivals

On August Bank Holiday Mondays we have a stall at the Newlyn Fish Festival selling tasty freshly cooked hot Cornish sardine rolls. Happy Return is in Newlyn harbour giving tours and demonstrations. The Pendance  Band often plays on board and many people come along to chat with us and enjoy the fabulous day.

Pete Goss attended the 2008 Festival with the Spirit of Mystery prior to his voyage to Australia.

Raft Race Day, held in aid of the Newlyn Harbour Lights, is usually around the same time and the Happy Return stands off as a safety boat with the Penlee Lifeboat.

Mullion Day Sail

Mounts Bay Day and Evening Sails

Golowan Festivals and Quay Fair Day

The Happy Return is in Penzance wet dock with the stall on Quay Fair Day during the Golowan Festival in June. The Golowan Band often comes on board and plays to the crowd. These shots are from 2003 when the Happy Return was incomplete awaiting her masts and rigging and we were desperately raising funds from these and similar events to complete the restoration.