The countdown is on for one of the best Falmouth Classics events ever with more than 100 boats taking part.

Falmouth Classics now in its 35th year will take place from June 17 to 19 with vessels arriving on the 16th. The event will include racing on Friday and Saturday, public access to the pontoons on Saturday, a rowing and sculling competition at the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club from 4.30pm on Saturday, two parades on Sunday and from 17th to 19th a Maritime Village on Custom House Quay.

The Classics takes place at the same time as the Falmouth International Shanty Festival with its 71 groups.

Teamac, the brand name of one of the leading British producers of marine paints and coatings, will be sponsoring the Saturday race in the Atkins Ferrie Wealth Management’s 2022 Falmouth Classics. The Saturday race to be held on June 18 is to be known as the Teamac Race.

Geoff Mackrill said “Teal and Mackrill Ltd, based in Hull, is a family business which was established in 1908. We are very proud to be sponsoring the Falmouth Classics Saturday Race where all of the vessels will be using marine paints, varnishes and antifouls to keep them in tip top condition”.

The first of thirteen classes will start at 11.30 in the Carrick Roads. It is expected that over a hundred boats will participate. The fleet will include luggers, pilot cutters, Falmouth Working Boats (with their distinctive topsails) and gaff and Bermudan rigged cruisers and dayboats. At least a third are likely to have been built before 1950, with the oldest dating from 1881. Most classes, including the Falmouth Working Boats will sail in the Carrick Roads, but the larger craft, including the pilot cutters, are expected to sail a course that will take them out in into Falmouth Bay. The winner of each class will, in addition to the day prizes of ceramic mugs, win a £100 voucher for varnish, antifoul or marine paint. Day prizes for Friday and Saturday will be presented at the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club from 18.30 by Lieutenant W.A. De La Mare R.N, commanding officer of HMS Puncher (P291) and a representative of Teamac.

Falmouth Working Boats will also have the opportunity to win a £500 voucher towards spars presented by Noble Masts of Bristol.

Falmouth Classic’s Vice Chairman Don Garman said “Teamac has been a loyal supporter of the Classic for several years, both as a partner sponsor and advertiser. We very much value their continued support and are delighted to welcome them this year as a sponsor of the Saturday race, the Teamac Race. We are also grateful to Noble Masts for their generous support.

The Cornish Maritime Trust (CMT) has entered all four of its fleet this year and all will be participating in the racing. Barnabas, the St Ives lugger, is a regular participant and is often our oldest having been built in 1881. She will be joined by the Truro Oyster Dredger Soft Wings built by Frank Hitchens at Point in 1900. In the 1950s she was used for shark fishing in the summer and oyster dredging in the winter. Ellen, another of the fleet is an original Gorran Haven Crabber she will be both racing and entering the small boat parade. She was built by Dick Pill in 1882 and later was moved to Flushing. Silver Stream is looked after by CMT and used for training. She was built by the Falmouth Marine School in 2004 and is a replica of Sennen Cove Crabber built in 1892.

Keep a weather eye open for Lilian, a period built powered sailing yacht from 1916 which is taking part in the Classics. Designed by Carl Gustav Pettersson, an accomplished Swedish designer, for a Danish banker as a support boat for his racing yachts she was built in Stockholm. Built of steel she was one of the first twin screwed diesel yachts and possibly the only one remaining of this period. By 1924 she was berthed in Poole and in 1934 she was in Quimper, France. She returned to the UK in 1938, this time at Kingston-on Thames. and in 1965 she was berthed at Windsor and was used by the Sea Cadets and renamed TS Windsor Castle. Lilian is a rare survivor of the pleasure yacht tradition in the transition from steam to diesel and is on the National Historic Ships Register UK.