Owners of Falmouth's traditional working boats have threatened to pull out of the all important Henri Lloyd Falmouth Week unless their vessels are allowed to race within the harbour and finish on the club lines of Flushing, St Mawes, Royal Cornwall Yacht Club, Falmouth Town, Mylor and Restronguet.

If the threat is carried out it will mean a huge loss to Falmouth's traditional sailing regatta and hundreds of supporters of the old vessels are expected to be angry.

A meeting is due to take place this morning, Wednesday, at Flushing Sailing Club at which representatives of all sailing clubs involved and PoFSA, organisers of Falmouth Week, will be present in an attempt to resolve the problem.

Members of the Falmouth Working Boats Association had found themselves involved in a row with PoFSA over the finishing lines, said association press officer Arthur Williams. Working boat races meant a lot to Falmouth and to Falmouth Week and they had done much to highlight the importance of the event over the years.

"We are now making a stand. The working boats are one of the biggest classes in the harbour with the exception of the Sunbeams if they all turn out. The door has now been left open for PoFSA to compromise."

Working boat skippers have already held an extraordinary general meeting to discuss the situation.

Mr Williams who co-owns the Winnie, said association chairman Phil Slater had been fighting for changes in race finishes for some time but without success. At one stage there were suggestions that working boat races would have to take place in the bay during Falmouth Week. A move which would take away much of the fun for spectators and crews.

Owners and crews of the working boats wanted to preserve and encourage the unique tradition of racing their boats, added Mr Williams in a statement issued on behalf of the FWBA. Many had become increasingly concerned that sailing in Falmouth week was rapidly loosing its traditional values and opposed any restrictions limiting sailing inside the harbour, St Mawes and the Carrick Roads where for years racing has been a spectacle for locals and visitors to enjoy. The traditions of regatta week were being ignored.

The association had sent a strong proposal to PoFSA saying: "The FWBA are not going to sail in Falmouth Week unless they receive confirmation within a month that both classes of vessels can finish on club lines."

8:37am Wednesday 14th May 2008

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