This in from Wightlink, in their own words. Ed
Cornish Shrimper 21 foot mini-cruisers are a UK marine success story. They can be found in all Solent Harbours.
Their brightly coloured hulls and their gaff-rigged, generally tan sails are easily spotted despite their diminutive size.
50 Shrimpers visiting the Island
There are over 1100 Shrimpers spread all over the UK and Europe. This week around 50 of them and their 100 crew are visiting a port near you when their international owners association annual meet comes to the Solent sponsored by Wightlink and a variety of local marine businesses.
Last year’s event was in Falmouth, in 2011 it was in the Netherlands, in 2010 Western Scotland and, in 2009, in Denmark. Shrimper crews are a sociable lot. Perhaps the tiny cabins make them that way.
They come from Denmark, Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands as well as all over the UK and every night is a party night: at least in part.
An impressive sight
Sailing as a fleet they are an impressive sight.
They’ll be in Cowes by the end of Saturday 8th June; in Lymington Yacht Haven on Sunday 9th June for their cooking competition (it’s extraordinary what they do with a one burner stove); in Yarmouth after their race day on Monday 10th June; in Beaulieu on 11th June where they’ll be entertained by the Portsmouth Shantymen, in Hamble’s Mercury Marina on Wednesday 12th June, in Gosport’s Haslar Marina on Thursday 13th June and in Chichester Marina for the prize-giving, final night supper on the 14th. Look out for fleets of them flying their rally flags.
