LOOE’s Lugger Regatta returns this July – and it promises to be bigger and better than ever before.

After the Covid-enforced hiatus, the 2023 reunion of famous old fishing boats attracted a slightly disappointing entry, partly because the most suitable tides were in May and that proved too early in the sailing season for many of the likely participants.

New lugger chairman David Darlington and his vice-chairman Jonathan Brice, who used to be secretary in the Looe-based Cornish Lugger Association’s early years, knew something had to change, especially since at least eight of the traditional lug-rigged fishing boats have been ‘lost’ (either retired or scraped) in the past decade.

Clearly without action the very future of the regatta was in doubt, since many of the remaining boats, several of them built in Looe, are now more than 100 years ago and the cost of their upkeep continues to rise year-on-year.

Hoping to swell numbers at July’s Looe Lugger Classics regatta will be a dozen or more of the East Devon Luggers from Beer. No longer fully-engaged in fishing – they were once employed in drift-netting, long-lining, crabbing and even smuggling! – these traditional clinker-built, chunky, beach boats now amuse themselves with weekend races
Hoping to swell numbers at July’s Looe Lugger Classics regatta will be a dozen or more of the East Devon Luggers from Beer. No longer fully-engaged in fishing – they were once employed in drift-netting, long-lining, crabbing and even smuggling! – these traditional clinker-built, chunky, beach boats now amuse themselves with weekend races (Submitted)

Armed with that disheartening situation, the new lugger committee has embarked on something of an event re-brand but it will still focus heavily on the old fishing boats whose town regattas can be traced back to 1911.

This year’s event, over the July 25-27 weekend, has been re-titled the Looe Lugger Classics with the entry no longer restricted to Cornish luggers. Those remaining grand old ladies of the sea will continue to take centre-stage, of course.

Their owners, skippers and crews fondly remember the days when huge fleets of sailing luggers – the wooden-built fishing boats take their name from their distinctive rig of lug sails which are peculiar to Cornish, Brittany, Isle of Man and Scottish fishing fleets – fished off the Cornish coast, working long lines, deep out in the English Channel, for conger, ray, turbot and the like, or shooting miles of drift nets to catch pilchards, once the mainstay of the country’s fishing industry.

But this year the lugger numbers will be buoyed by a varied fleet of other sailing boats, all of which also embrace the spirit of tradition.

Looe’s re-invigorated heritage reunion – which will also include the Made-in-Looe Regatta, championing the port’s rich boatbuilding history – will feature a series of events in the bay and on the river over the Saturday and Sunday, and will welcome modern replicas and old gaffers as well as the luggers.

The weekend will be followed by a ‘Rest Day’ in harbour on the Monday (July 28) after which the fleet will have an opportunity to feed into Fowey Classics rally on the Tuesday.

The Guide Me, now owned by Jon and Judy Brickhill at Gweek in West Cornwall, was built by Peter Ferris at Looe in 1911 for W Pengelly. Engine-less, she is 40-ft overall with a Cornish Dipping Lug rig and was once a pilchard driver and long-liner, fishing out of various South East Cornwall harbours until 1966 Picture: Dave Tuckett / www.greydogimages.co.uk
The Guide Me, now owned by Jon and Judy Brickhill at Gweek in West Cornwall, was built by Peter Ferris at Looe in 1911 for W Pengelly. Engine-less, she is 40-ft overall with a Cornish Dipping Lug rig and was once a pilchard driver and long-liner, fishing out of various South East Cornwall harbours until 1966 (Greydog Images)

Moorings and facilities have again been provided by the Looe Harbour Commissioners, whose continued generosity allows the regatta to thrive in the beautiful environs of the Cornish fishing port and holiday resort.

Plans for this year’s Lugger Classics are evolving and include an event village on West Looe Quay, with live music on two stages over three nights featuring sea shanties, rock bands, choirs and acoustic troubadours.

For the first time this year, the regatta will also be part of the West Country Classics Series, incorporating similar summer events in Dartmouth, Falmouth and Fowey.