Folly Rally June 2026
Published 11:12 on 29 Jun 2026
Our latest rally saw a cheerful flotilla head for the Folly Inn on the River Medina, where the fleet spent one or two nights on the mid-river pontoons. With favourable conditions and plenty of enthusiasm Bonito, Nemo, Minalto and Blue Moon of Haslar, arrived throughout the afternoon and soon settled into their berths. Fortunately, all arrived safely, and no one was heard uttering the phrase, "That wasn't quite what I intended".
The mid-river pontoons provided a peaceful and sheltered overnight stop in one of the quieter reaches of the Medina. Access ashore was by water taxi, giving crews an opportunity to enjoy the river surroundings. The pontoons are located directly opposite the Folly Inn and are a popular destination for cruising rallies.
Following arrival, crews gathered for pre-dinner drinks on Nemo before making their way ashore for the evening meal. The Folly Inn offered a warm welcome, good food and a relaxed atmosphere, providing an excellent venue for the social side of the rally.
The overnight stay was calm and comfortable, with boats securely berthed on the pontoons. The following morning crews enjoyed a leisurely start before Bonito and Minalto departed.
These guys hadn't booked but were made welcome anyway!
Those who stayed behind had a choice of what to do and how to do it. The crew of Nemo decided to head to Newport so got the water taxi to the shore and then walked to the main road to catch the bus. The rally took place in the few days just before the Isle of Wight Festival so vast areas were being set up for the various stages and camping fields. Newport is a lovely town with many coffee shops, some lovely restaurants and a quaint little arts centre.
The crew of Blue Moon decided to visit the Classic Boat Museum in West Cowes so used their own tender and outboard to get to the shore, walked to the main road and caught the bus to East Cowes and then the chain ferry to West Cowes.
Both crews returned to The Folly Moorings to find that Magenta had joined the rally. All 3 crews got together in Magentas cockpit that evening for a few drinks and a very enjoyable Bring & Share supper where everyone contributed a nice plate or bowl of cold food.
No-one was in a hurry to leave the following morning but one by one they departed, some enjoying a cracking sail back to Haslar with the gentle wind and a following tide.
Overall, the rally was a great success, combining enjoyable sailing, excellent company and a memorable overnight stay on the Medina. Thanks are due to the rally organisers and all participants for helping to make the event both safe and enjoyable.
Fun Fact
One point of interest arose when we discussed the yacht name Nemo. According to Google, Point Nemo (which was only officially mapped in 1992 using a geospatial computer programme) is the oceanic pole of inaccessibility, making it the most isolated remote location on Earth in the South Pacific Ocean sitting roughly 1,670 miles away from the nearest stretches of land.
Due to its immense remoteness the closest living humans to Point Nemo are frequently the astronauts aboard the International Space Station who orbit roughly 250 miles above the Earths surface.
Report by Anne Sword-Daniels and Jem Nicholls
Last updated 11:33 on 29 June 2026