I ATTENDED the extraordinary general meeting of the Falmouth working boats association at the Falmouth rugby club when the working boat skippers decided unanimously not to partake in Falmouth Week or the Falmouth classics regatta.

This was a very sad occasion for me as I personally have been involved with PoFSA for many years as a race officer and have sailed Falmouth Week with my son and friends for over 40 years.

I have listened to all the arguments for and against and I feel the working boats were left with no alternative but to withdraw from Falmouth Week as so many approaches have been made to the clubs and management committee to sit down and try and get a compromise that would be advantageous to both parties. The response has been negative.

The clubs' unanimously agreed at another meeting I attended, to support the working boats in their request to finish on club lines, however PoFSA remained adamant there would no change in their position and in the end the clubs had to fall in line with PoFSA or else they would have to run the week themselves as the management committee were threatening to resign if they were not supported.

PoFSA was formed for all clubs in the area to nominate a representative to coordinate regattas and sailing events to avoid clashes in fixtures. It appears the management committee, having made a decision earlier in the year, will not change their decision despite all the clubs voting for a change (a severe case of the tail wagging the dog).

This is a very sad state of affairs, which I feel could (and still could) be talked over amicably and, with very little change in the sailing instructions could see the problem resolved.

It has been said the working boats feel they should be treated differently from the other classes, well they are very different boats which are unique to Falmouth and they require great skill to sail, tremendous amount of work to keep them in superb condition and loads of money to keep their sails, rigging winches, etc in tip top condition.

Many hours of loving care are put into these craft by their owners and crews over the winter months in preparation for their main events of the sailing year, working boat championships, which have just recently been held, Falmouth Week followed by Fowey Week.

The working boats are manned by ordinary working chaps and ladies who love the sailing and camaraderie of the fleet.

The working boats are treated like gods at Fowey and when they arrive from the passage race Falmouth-Fowey, the banks of the Fowey river are lined with spectators watching and cheering as the boats sail up the harbour to the finish line at RFYC.

They are treated as very special at Fowey and the working boats respond by putting a lot of money in the local economy of the town's bars and clubs.

The working boats do not expect the same treatment in their home port, but a little more effort in showing the town how fortunate they are to have such a spectacle as the boats sail up the harbour to finish on the club lines, a spectacular sight, free of charge, would solve the working boats needs.

If agreement cannot be reached this year, then for pity's sake, both sides sit around a table and thrash out the problems without hiding behind committees and clubs, with countless emails flying around, passing the buck.

PoFSA, you need the working boats and the working boats need PoFSA's Regatta Week. Falmouth Week will be a disaster without them, so wipe the slate clean everyone, and get together for the future of Falmouth Week and for the working boat fleet.

It is still not too late to achieve this in 2008.

Ron Medlyn, national race officer, Falmouth.