Looe Lugger Classics returns

The Looe-built Cornish luggers, the I.R.I.S and the Our Daddy racing at a previous Looe Lugger regatta © Neil Richardson

Traditional wooden-built 100 year old fishing boats returning to their spiritual home

All eyes will be on the weather and the horizon as the Looe Lugger Classics returns to port over the 31st July to 2nd August weekend.

The weather will be so important in allowing the various fishing boats and yachts, many of them now more than 100 years old, to arrive back in their spiritual home while the horizon is where eagle eyes will start spotting the early arrivals.

The South East Cornwall port its bracing itself for an invasion of baggywrinkles, bumpkins, carlins, gudgeons and ratlines... but it's something that needs neither pest control nor another weather warning.

The boating world's varied, unusual and sometimes colourful lexicon is likely to fill the air around the quays of East and West Looe for an event, organised as usual by the Looe-based Cornish Lugger Association.

The lugger committee is keen that Looe's maritime history should not be allowed to drift away on the oceans of time and its members are buoyed by the knowledge that the people of Looe and district and, especially authorities like the Looe Harbour Commissioners, West and East Looe Town Trusts, the Looe Town Council, Looe Sailing Club and the RNLI share those ideals; indeed, without the support of local organisations, especially the harbour's owners and custodians, the popular regatta would not be possible.

This year's event will build on the outstanding success of the 2025 edition with sailing races in the bay and a Regatta Village at Mally's Shed (the West Looe Quayside Centre) full of music, food, pictorial memories, heritage talks and demonstrations.

Because of the size of the old luggers (their name comes from their distinctive 'lug' sail rig), the regatta has to be held on some of the highest tides of the year and that is the reason why this year's event has shifted slightly from its regular slot.

It also means that the classic Old Gaffers sailing yachts and some of the luggers will 'feed' into the event from Fowey Classics, rather than the other way around which was the case 12 months ago.

Unfortunately, though, the event now clashes with the Lions' Looe Carnival parade and the start of the National Scorpion dinghy sailing championships, organised by Looe Sailing Club.

And the sting in the tail there is that long-standing lugger race officer Brian Bowdler will be unavailable as he is on duty for the Scorpions, whose title races at Mount's Bay last summer attracted more than 50 boats and were won by Tom Gillard and his crew Rachael Gray.

The fact that Gillard is a professional sailmaker with the prestigious North Sails company, and has won 37 major championships in ten different types of boats, tells you much about these high-ranking UK championships.

Bowdler's expertise will be much missed by the luggers but, fortunately, another experienced local sailor, David Juleff, is stepping in to oversee the regatta's three races over the weekend.

The regatta's two music stages have been given their own names this year. The main arena will be known as The Blue Shark stage, recalling the 60th anniversary of the opening of Looe's original nightclub.

It was on the site of the old Regent Cinema just over Looe Bridge; an area now occupied by the Amusement Arcade and which, coincidentally and fittingly, was once the home of Peter Ferris and Dick Pearce's boatbuilding yard - Dick Pearce being responsible for launching at least 17 of the famous old fishing luggers, including the Our Daddy, I.R.I.S and the Our Boys, while Peter Ferris built more than 12 luggers, including the Guide Me.

The other music area is the one situated within the Looe Sailing Club's bar area and is now known as the Redwing stage in honour of the 14-ft clinker-built sailing dinghies that were specifically designed for Looe Bay in 1938 by the legendary Uffa Fox.

Some 20 acts have been lined up to share those two stages over the three days.