RNSA 90 Celebrations and Rally

Ardrossan: A Celebration of Sail and a Comedy of Errors

The last few days have been spent in a fantastic whirlwind of maritime mayhem, surrounded by a wonderful group of people. We’ve all come together from various organizations—the Royal Navy Sailing Association (RNSA), the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserves Yacht Club (RNVRYC), and the Royal Highland Yacht Club (RHYC) amongst others, to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the RNSA. This incredible four-day event was the vision of one person, Paul Williamson, who used his connections to pull off something truly special.

We started the party in Ardrossan, with just the two of us on Tuesday night. By Wednesday, we were joined by other attendees, some arriving on their own boats, others already based here. Dave, a long-standing friend of Nick’s whom he hadn't seen in about 10 years, popped down for a catch-up. Then, our boat became even more populated with the arrival of June, a key figure in the RNVRYC. We’d just found out that her charter had fallen through and she was joining us on Halcyon Sea. After the initial shock (on Tracey's part) and embarrassment (on June's part) wore off, we all made the best of it. With our gear already consuming most of the boat, a cabin was out of the question, so we decided the saloon would become her temporary bedroom, with her bags tucked wherever we could fit them. It was a true test of our ability to coexist in a confined space!

The chaos continued as June went off on a plumbing errand to find a part for our broken tap, and Tracey went to get her nails done. We didn’t have much time to chat with the other boats that arrived, but that all changed on Thursday, the first official day of the celebrations.

The Red Carpet and the Birthday Cake

Our first official event was a lunch at Mar Hall, and a coach was set to ferry us there at 11 am. Time seemed to vanish. As June and Tracey were sitting on deck, Tracey still in her pyjamas, Nick arrived back with Pepper after their walk and announced we had just one hour to get ready. The three of us, in our small, confined space, miraculously managed to emerge looking glamorous and on time. Pepper came with us, her crate placed securely on the coach, and she was an absolute angel. She sat quietly during the lunch, not making a sound, and was rewarded with treats and a little photoshoot of her own.

The hotel was stunning. As we walked the red carpeted entrance, we were led to a terrace with a welcome drink, where we reconnected with old friends. Phil Warwick of the RNSA gave an inspiring speech about getting more people on the water and highlighted the need for clubs to work together. His words resonated with everyone, and the buzz in the room was electric. The lunch was exquisite, a rare treat of excellent food and service that had been missing from our lives for a while. After a few drinks back on board with Sue and Stuart, whom we had met at Loch Aline, we got out of our finery and turned in for the night, ready to do it all again the next day.

Friday was Tracey's birthday, and it began with opening cards in bed and Nick bringing morning drinks. The day's events were a much less formal lunch at the Inverkip Hotel. Once again, the food and service were excellent. We returned to the marina, where Nick produced a birthday cake. Tracey had to blow out the candles three times because Nick forgot to press the record button on the first two attempts. Later that night, Sue, June, and Tracey went to Asda for snacks for the pontoon party. It was a wonderful evening, giving us the first real opportunity to chat with the other people in the marina.

Saturday was a free day, with only an organized BBQ at Cecchini’s in the evening. It was a much quieter day spent socialising and chilling out before another dinner out. We had a relatively early night because we were all sailing to Tarbert on Sunday.

The weather had turned by Sunday morning, and it was looking a little bleak. It was windy and foggy at times—the sort of weather we might have chosen not to move in if we weren't part of a rally. While we unfurled the Genoa a couple of times, it did nothing for our speed, so we motored on. We can't not mention June's amazing strength, though. While Tracey often has to use the winch to handle the sails, June was able to pull the sheet out with minimal effort. At 73, her strength and agility are truly impressive! Halcyon Sea was the first sailboat to arrive in Tarbert, and soon after, the rest of the fleet began to trickle in. Several of them came over for pre-dinner drinks on our boat. The evening's entertainment was another meal out, with 29 of us booked in. To keep things interesting during dinner, Tracey challenged the younger members to find a celebrity look-alike for each diner, which provided plenty of laughs! Afterward, the party continued back on the boat. It wasn't a late night, but a few sore heads were proof of a good time. That evening, we also created a WhatsApp group so we could all keep in touch, a fantastic result of the rally's goal of bringing people together.

Monday arrived, and most of the boats were heading back to their home ports. Only Halcyon Sea and Pegasus stayed for an extra night. Tom from Pegasus kindly invited us over for afternoon tea. We spent a few civilized hours on his boat over tea and scones, getting to know him and Calum better before signing their guest book.

Finally, Tuesday arrived. Nick was feeling really unwell, but we had to get back to Ardrossan. We knew it was going to be a lumpy journey, as the wind was on the nose (shocking, we know!). We left Tarbert around 11 am, and Pepper shivered and shook all the way back to Ardrossan, a clear sign of her dislike for the conditions. We arrived back at 6 pm, and it wasn't long before we retired for the evening so Nick could rest. After a fantastic but exhausting week, it felt good to be back at our home away from home.Read more