Twelve Cockwells boats, seven of them Duchys, cruised from Poole to Dartmouth and on to Fowey for the 2023 Owners’ Rally, and the Duchy 35 ‘Ornella’ from Falmouth won the first Concours d’Élégance.
Cockwells has just run its annual Owners’ Rally, and this year’s edition worked its way west along the Channel coast: Poole on Friday 30 June, Dartmouth on the Saturday, Fowey on Sunday 2 July. Twelve boats took part. Seven were Duchys, two Duchy 27s and five Duchy 35s, and the other five were Hardy motor yachts ranging in size from the Hardy 32 up to the Hardy 62. I follow these weekends closely from Sydney because they show the boats being used in company, by their owners, in conditions that are not always kind.
Friday: Poole, a concours and a cheque
The rally opened with a champagne reception in Poole Quay Boat Haven, with Raymarine UK as sponsor. The guest judge was Harry Dwyer, the video director and YouTuber who is working his way round the UK coast in Goodwin, his RIB, which Cockwells recently gave a restorative refit, and his job was to choose the winner of the first Owners’ Rally Concours d’Élégance. The criteria covered presentation and how far the boat had travelled, among other things, and the glass plaque went to the Duchy 35 ‘Ornella’, which is kept at Port Pendennis, Falmouth. A group photograph followed, then a cheque for £750 to the Children’s Sailing Trust, donated by Cockwells and the rally participants; individual gifts lifted the total past £2,000. The trust gives young people in Cornwall affordable, accessible access to sailing and watersports. Dinner was at the RNLI College, where lifeboat crews and seasonal lifeguards are trained.
Saturday: five hours into a 20-knot headwind
Saturday morning was breezy, with 20 knots on the nose as six boats left Poole Harbour for the Dartmouth leg. The sun came out as they left and a drone recorded the departure. The passage took about five hours, and Cockwells reports that the Duchys and Hardys alike handled it with the ease and seakeeping the yard expects of them. The fleet tied up at Dartmouth Town Jetty, where Dartmouth Gin had set up a pop-up bar, and the evening, which Nanni Energy in Blue sponsored, moved on to the Embankment Restaurant on the harbourfront.
Sunday: Fowey
The final leg brought the fleet into Fowey Harbour for a champagne reception and dinner at Royal Fowey Yacht Club, with Howden Fastnet (Haven Knox Johnston Speciality) as sponsor. Every boat went home with a commemorative plaque and a Musto Genoa 25 holdall full of sponsors’ gifts.
It was a pleasure to welcome old friends and new to take part in this special annual occasion, and huge fun to sail with them in some of the best waters in the UK whilst enjoying the outstanding performance of our vessels in less than perfect conditions.
Dave Cockwell, Owner and Managing Director, Cockwells
He thanked the harbour staff at the three ports, the hospitality teams, the sponsors, Harry Dwyer and photographer Richard Langdon, and made a point of crediting the production team at the yard who build and customise each boat. The forward order book, he said, is strong, and the company intends to keep building both leisure and commercial boats for owners in the UK and overseas.
Why a Channel passage matters to a Sydney owner
Five hours into a 20-knot headwind is not a river cruise. It is the sort of leg a Sydney owner meets running up the coast to Pittwater or down to Port Hacking when the forecast was wrong, and the fact that a fleet of Duchys and Hardys did it in company, and then dressed up for a concours, is a better argument for the hull than anything in a brochure. Davis Marine Brokerage is the exclusive Australian and New Zealand dealer for Duchy Motor Launches and for Hardy. The first Duchy 35 for Australia was sold last December and arrived in Sydney in May; we import the boats and handle delivery and commissioning here, and we can take you out on Sydney Harbour to see for yourself. Get in touch to arrange it, and if you have not seen the 35 up close, Aquaholic’s review is worth watching.
Cockwells’ full report is on cockwells.co.uk.
Frequently asked questions
Which boat won the 2023 Cockwells Concours d’Élégance?
The Duchy 35 ‘Ornella’, berthed at Port Pendennis in Falmouth. It was the first time the Owners’ Rally had held a concours; YouTuber Harry Dwyer judged it against criteria that included presentation and distance travelled, and the winner received a glass award plaque at the Friday reception in Poole.
What route did the 2023 Owners’ Rally take?
Poole, then Dartmouth, then Fowey, over the weekend of 30 June to 2 July 2023. Friday evening centred on Poole Quay Boat Haven, Saturday’s passage of roughly five hours ran into 20-knot headwinds to Dartmouth Town Jetty, and Sunday finished in Fowey Harbour with dinner at Royal Fowey Yacht Club.
Which charity did the rally support?
The Children’s Sailing Trust, which makes sailing and watersports affordable and accessible for Cornwall’s young people. Cockwells and the rally participants presented a cheque for £750 at the Friday reception in Poole, and further donations from individuals pushed the total beyond £2,000.
Can I see a Duchy 35 in Australia?
Yes. The first Duchy 35 for Australia was sold in December 2022 and arrived in Sydney in May 2023. Davis Marine Brokerage, the exclusive Australian and New Zealand dealer, imports Duchy launches and handles delivery and commissioning in Sydney, and can arrange a demonstration on Sydney Harbour. Call Sam Davis on 0408 864 111.
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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