Twenty-four boats, among them six Duchy 27s and four Duchy 35s plus 11 Hardy motor yachts, cruised from Falmouth to Dartmouth and Yarmouth over three days at the Cockwells Owners’ Rally this month.
Cockwells ran its Owners’ Rally over the first weekend of July, Friday the 1st to Sunday the 3rd, and the turnout says something about where the yard is at: 24 boats, registered by their owners in advance, cruising in company from Falmouth along the south coast of England to Dartmouth and then on to Yarmouth on the Solent. For those of us selling Duchy Motor Launches as well as Hardy Motor Yachts on the other side of the world, it is a rare chance to see a large sample of both ranges used properly over three days, so here is a full account.
The fleet
Three of the 24 were brand new: a pair of Duchy 27s plus one Duchy 35, each on its maiden voyage out of Falmouth and bound for a berth on the Solent once the rally wrapped up. In all, Duchy 27s numbered six and Duchy 35s four, so ten of the boats were Duchys. Hardys accounted for another 11, spanning the range from a Hardy 32 up to a Hardy 50, and the balance was a custom motor yacht, a Hardy that the RNLI uses for crew training, and Raymarine UK’s own Hardy 42, Raymariner, which the electronics company keeps as a floating test bed for its products.
Friday: Flushing Sailing Club
The rally opened on Friday evening across the water from Falmouth at Flushing Sailing Club, with a hog roast and champagne, put on with the support of Mainbrace Rum. The club’s launch ferried guests between the clubhouse and the boats’ moorings at Falmouth Haven. Each boat went home with a limited-edition sailor’s ditty bag from The Mariners Supply Company carrying the Cockwells mark, a plaque engraved with the vessel’s name to mark the weekend, and a bottle of the sponsor’s Premium Golden Rum.
Saturday: Falmouth to Dartmouth
Saturday began under Cornish drizzle. Ten boats were booked on the leg from Falmouth to Dartmouth, and as they gathered in Carrick Roads the cloud lifted and the sun came through; the departure was filmed from the air by Aerial Cornwall. The passage took around four hours, and it was the kind of run that shows what these hulls are for: Cockwells reports that both the Duchys and the Hardys were easy to handle and comfortable in open water. The fleet tied up at the visitor pontoon in Dart Harbour, and Dartmouth Yacht Club hosted the evening’s drinks, with Nanni Energy in Blue putting its name to the occasion.
Sunday: Yarmouth and a cheque for the RNLI
The final leg brought the fleet into Yarmouth Harbour, where the yacht insurer Pantaenius had drinks waiting on the pontoons. Owners could step aboard Raymarine’s Hardy test boat to see the company’s newest electronics, and look over the Hardy that the RNLI uses to train its crews. Ocean Image took the group photograph, and then came the moment of the weekend: £1,080, raised by Cockwells and the owners, was handed over to the RNLI. The Terrace restaurant hosted the closing reception, with Raymarine UK and Pantaenius as sponsors.
Dave Cockwell’s view
Dave Cockwell, who owns and runs the yard, said the weather had been kind and the host harbours welcoming, and thanked the owners, the harbour teams at each of the three stops, the venues, the sponsors, the photographers and his own staff for the way the weekend ran.
We were proud to welcome old friends and new acquaintances to the Cockwells family to take part in this special occasion, and it was great fun to spend time with them, cruise on some of the best waters in the UK and take in the view, which even included a playful pod of dolphins.
Dave Cockwell, Owner & Managing Director, Cockwells
He also used the occasion to talk about where the business is heading, pointing to a full order book and ongoing investment in people and facilities.
With our strong forward order book, family ethos and continuous programme of investment in new facilities and staff, we are ideally placed to tap into new markets, both at home and across the world, and build even more of our bespoke leisure and commercial craft for a discerning clientele.
Dave Cockwell, Owner & Managing Director, Cockwells
What a rally like this tells an Australian owner
Davis Marine Brokerage is the exclusive Australian and New Zealand dealer for Duchy Motor Launches, Hardy Motor Yachts and Cockwells SuperYacht Tenders, based at Fergusons Marina on The Spit in Mosman, and we import Duchys to Australia and look after delivery and commissioning in Sydney. A rally is not a sea trial, but a fleet of ten Duchys and eleven Hardys cruising in company for three days, ten of them making the four-hour open-water passage from Falmouth to Dartmouth and three of the Duchys on their first voyage, is a better demonstration of real-world handling than any brochure. The leg from Falmouth to Dartmouth is comparable in character to a run from Sydney Harbour up the coast to Broken Bay, which is the passage most of our clients would make most often, and that is the context in which I read Cockwells’ comments about ease of handling and seakeeping.
The other point is cultural. A builder that gathers its owners each year, sends new boats off on their maiden voyages in the company of experienced ones, and raises money for the lifeboat service along the way is building a community as much as a product, and that approach is part of what sets Duchy apart. If you are considering a Duchy 27, a Duchy 35 or a Hardy for Australian waters, contact Sam Davis to discuss a build, and if you already own one, our vessel management service can keep it ready for its own rally. Cockwells’ full report of the weekend is on its news pages.
Frequently asked questions
How many Duchy Motor Launches took part in the Cockwells Owners’ Rally 2022?
Ten of the 24 boats were Duchys: six Duchy 27s and four Duchy 35s. Three of them were brand new, two 27s and a 35, making their first voyages out of Falmouth before continuing to their new berths on the Solent. The rest of the fleet was 11 Hardy motor yachts, a custom-built motor yacht, the RNLI’s Hardy training boat and Raymarine’s Hardy 42.
Where did the Owners’ Rally go?
The rally ran from Friday 1 to Sunday 3 July, starting at Flushing Sailing Club near Falmouth in Cornwall, cruising to Dartmouth on the Saturday and finishing at Yarmouth on the Solent on the Sunday. The Falmouth-to-Dartmouth passage took about four hours in improving weather after a damp start.
How did the Duchys handle the open-water passage?
Cockwells reports that both the Duchy Motor Launches and the Hardy motor yachts were easy to handle and showed strong seakeeping on the four-hour run from Falmouth to Dartmouth. For Australian buyers, that coastal leg is a useful reference for the kind of passage a Duchy 27 or 35 would make between Sydney Harbour and Broken Bay.
Can I buy a Duchy or Hardy in Australia?
Yes. Davis Marine Brokerage is the exclusive Australian and New Zealand dealer for Duchy Motor Launches, Hardy Motor Yachts and Cockwells SuperYacht Tenders. We import each boat, then handle delivery and commissioning in Sydney from Fergusons Marina at The Spit. Call Sam Davis on 0408 864 111 to discuss a new build.
Davis Marine Brokerage is the exclusive Australian and New Zealand dealer for Duchy Motor Launches, Hardy Motor Yachts and Cockwells SuperYacht Tenders. To talk about a new build, a demonstration on Sydney Harbour or a pre-owned Duchy, call Sam Davis on 0408 864 111 or send an enquiry.
About the author
Sam Davis is the Director and Lead Broker at Davis Marine Brokerage, Fergusons Marina, Mosman. Brokering on Sydney Harbour for over a decade, he is a NSW State Councillor of the Boating Industry Association and the Australian and New Zealand dealer for Duchy, Hardy and Cockwells SuperYacht Tenders.
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