The 1898-vintage Howth Yacht Club Howth Seventeens haven’t survived and thrived for 119 years without being crazy like foxes now and again writes W M Nixon. So when six of them set off for Rosslare yesterday on their way to La Semaine du Golfe du Morbihan with its fleet of 1400 other interesting boats, they were happy to let the world think that Irish Ferries’ generosity in providing then with free tickets for four of the boats and their towing vehicles meant they’d have to take the long route via Irish Ferries’ main French service, which is Rosslare–Cherbourg.
But hidden there in Irish ferries’ increasing crowded timetable to France, there are less frequent but very direct services from Rosslare to Roscoff in Brittany. And the Howth Seventeens were on it yesterday evening. But they liked having their “classic rivals” in the Dublin Bay Water Wags – fourteen of whom travel Cork to Roscoff later this afternoon – think their freebie involved having to go the long way via Cherbourg.
Maybe the secret of the Howth Seventeens’ longevity is they have never grown up. Schoolboy pranks and springing surprises like this have been part of their DNA since 1898. From Roscoff to Vannes on the Morbihan is but a hop, skip and jump, and the Howth boats had got there by lunchtime today, long before the Water Wags had even left Ireland. And though the Howth Seventeens won’t have a launch slot until until 2.0pm tomorrow (Sunday), even that hasn’t softened their cough. They now have plenty of time to go and see the new Howth Seventeen being built for Ian and Judith Malcolm at the famous Skol ar Mor, just far enough down the road to provide an agreeable scenic excursion without having to think about boats under tow behind.
