By Stephen Ivall

FURIOUS yacht crews in Falmouth were still fuming this week over the decision to allow a flotilla of valuable yachts taking part in the famous Falmouth Classics rally on Saturday.

Three tugs towing a ship blasted on their whistles as yacht crews struggled to get out of the way.

The untimely arrival for dry docking of the EW Everest, a Liberian registered refrigerated cargo vessel, brought an angry response from race organisers and spectators.

"The view to St Mawes was almost blocked by sail. It was a spectacular sight as the boats searched for a breeze. Then this big ship arrived. I could not believe it," said one eye-witness.

"It just came in among all the small boats, the tugs blasting away all the time."

The incident has also raised once again the conflict between commercial supporters of the port and the sailing and leisure fraternity.

Port officials regarded Saturday's operation as routine. They brought the Everest in on a rising tide.

"Falmouth is a commercial port. The wheels of industry keep on turning regardless of the Classics," said dockmaster Captain Paul Fuller.

He said part of the problem was there being little wind. But nothing got in the way. "The movement passed off without incident as it happened," he said.

But the yacht fraternity were criticising the manoeuvre as a "blunder" which could have had serious consequences.

The harbour office knew the docking was to take place and had been told on Friday. But no-one told race officials.

"We ordered a pilot through the harbour master and they had their boat out. We normally leave it to them to tell anyone else," said Capt Fuller.

The Everest came in at the beginning of the tide and many critics felt it could have been delayed until racing had finished or the yachts moved out of the way. "It was always going to be 3pm," said the dockmaster.

Vandals wreck maritime museum

THE newly-revamped Cornwall Maritime Museum has suffered a setback at the hands of burglars who damaged exhibits and trashed the shop area, but made off with only a few pounds in cash.

The museum, based at Bells Court off Falmouth's main street, was broken into some time overnight last Tuesday. It is believed the culprits were only youngsters as they got in through the centre pane of a front window.

One of the intruders is thought to have cut himself when breaking in as blood was found inside the museum.

"It was a nuisance, but luckily there was not a vast amount of damage done," said museum trustee Pat Webster of the break-in.

The main damage was done to the model of the tug St Denys which was climbed over as the offenders clambered in through the window. It is not yet known how much it will cost to repair the model.

In addition to the damage to the St Denys, other exhibits were pulled out and items from the shop area were thrown about.

"What they were doing was looking for money," Pat added. "They got the donations box, but that had been emptied on Sunday so they may have got a couple of pounds or £5 – not much."

Pat is keen to stress money is not kept on the museum premises overnight, so the young thieves had embarked upon a pointless search. "They did their best to find money, but there was none to find," she explained.

Falmouth man saves boy, 12 in pool drama

A BOY who nearly drowned in a swimming pool on Friday was brought back to life by a Falmouth ambulanceman, helped by his Helston colleague.

Paramedics Dave Pascoe, from Helston, and Chris Goodwin, from Falmouth, were on duty when they were called to Newquay Tourist Park.

The 12-year-old boy apparently had little or no pulse and had stopped breathing.

The two medics got to work and injected the youngster with drugs, at the same time as carrying out heart massage and artificial respiration at the poolside.

The boy was then flown to hospital in Truro where doctors were waiting to take over. The boy, on holiday from Cheshire, was rushed to intensive care.