Horning Regatta 2016

[TheQ]

As it's coming up to that time again, that Time again  I thought I had better put out our annual plea and warning of chaos, to those not involved.
This is mostly a repeat of last years plea for those who have not experienced the Chaos.....

I'll be motoring around the regatta as usual, trying to rescue boats (more often than not, non competitors).

 Anyway here we go HORNING SAILNG CLUB REGATTA 2016

There will, if previous years are anything to go by, be up to 150 competitors, this could include up to 50 or 60 children, some of which are on their first regatta and will be in the smallest boats.

Please do not,  berate small children who get in the way, when we have asked you to stay close to the bank, many of the smaller children are beginners and may make mistakes at their first regatta.

This years Regatta starts on Saturday 30th July 2016 which will be in the afternoon on Black Horse Broad, so there will be a fleet of boats sailing up there around 1 till 2PM and returning around 4pm depending on wind etc.

On Sunday the 31st of July, we will sail up to the broad at around 9  till 10 AM returning for lunch about 12 and back to the broad before 2pm
So if you are timid about being around sailing boats those are the times to avoid, you are welcome to come and watch the sailing on the Broad, we ASK that you keep to the edges as it's safer for you not to have up to 100 boats sailing all around you!.

And now the real Chaos,
From Monday the 1st of August until and including Friday the 5th of August, we will be sailing from Horning Sailing Club up as far as Dydlers Mill for the majority of boats, but the big cruisers, will, if the wind is right, go as far as Woodcutters dyke.( the end of the long straight to the Mill)

The First race starts at 09:30 at the club house and the last race each day will finish at anything up till 18:00.
For the timid ones who wish to pass through with no sailing boats around, then you would need to go through outside of thos hours, though there is a lull between 1 and 2 pm when the majority stop for lunch. That is the numbers will drop from around 100+ to about 20 boats.

There about 5 or 6  Race starts at five minute intervals, if you see a large group of up to 20 boats milling around at the start line outside the club we ask that you hold on till it goes, and then slip through before the next start. Each race lasts about an hour so there are lulls in traffic

ALL COMPETITORS ARE TOLD THAT IF A NON-COMPETITOR IS ON THE BANK, THEY ARE TO TREAT THAT BOAT AS THE BANK AND TURN WAY. Swearing by competitors to anyone is ungentlemanly / womanly conduct and will cause disqualification from that race.

Now by being on the Bank We mean within 6ft of the Bank. Why 6ft? Well about that is about the width of most sailing boats and therefore you won't get sailing boats down both sides of you. We'd prefer it if you were a bit closer maybe 3 or 4ft of the bank as it makes it more definite there is not room between the bank and you.

Please remember sailing craft have a 3ft keel hanging down below, and we sail within a few inches  of the bank from the club to the Mill and it's rare there is a problem with draft.

Now we are used to sailing on the broads, sailing within a couple of inches of each other is not unusual. So if a boat come what seems to be very close to you,
DO NOT PANIC, DO NOT PUT YOURSELF IN THE BUSHES,
They are sailing their pride and joy, that's their hard earned money, that is expensive to repair and they can't compete for the trophy if their boat is broken. Unless there is some mistake (very rare) you will not be hit, they can turn on a sixpence.  This does not mean you may not have to slow down or stop, IF there is open water in front of you, they will use it..

It is a common mistake of those new to the broads, that they move in to the bank correctly when they see a sailing boat, which when  it gets close they move in more, so the sailing boat uses more river, and repeat,,,,, Don't do it, once you are less than 6ft preferably 3 or 4ft from the bank that is all we ask.

SO WE RESPECTFULLY ASK,  that if you are going through the regatta,  go slowly and keep to the bank, if there is a gap in front of you keep motoring slowly. If not please slow or stop till the obstruction has cleared, always pass behind sailing boat just after it has just tacked away from your bank.
If they Are running away from you just follow until they turn at their next buoy, if they are running towards you, please slow and when they get to you they will move over, eventually (they can't go through you!).


P   Please enjoy your view of the chaos, it's all part of the broads
    

Thank You for your Assistance.....

[riyadhcrew]

Hi Q,

25 minutes ago, TheQ said:

On Sunday the 2nd of August, we will sail up to the broad at around 9  till 10 AM returning for lunch about 12 and back to the broad before 2pm

Shouldn't that be Sunday 31st July? Please correct me if I am wrong.

[JennyMorgan]

Q wrote, and I quote, ' Swearing by competitors to anyone is ungentlemanly / womanly conduct and will cause disqualification from that race. 

Womanly conduct to swear, must be a Horning thing!! Down at Oulton Regatta our ladies are most refined, at least when sailing! 

[MauriceMynah]

I'll be down on southern waters (thank heavens) but Thanks for the warning.

[TheQ]

36 minutes ago, JennyMorgan said:

Q wrote, and I quote, ' Swearing by competitors to anyone is ungentlemanly / womanly conduct and will cause disqualification from that race. 

Womanly conduct to swear, must be a Horning thing!! Down at Oulton Regatta our ladies are most refined, at least when sailing! 

I must admit I have never heared a lady swear during racing, but if I hadn't included them in the comment and only put ungentlemanly conduct they would have been swearing at me for being sexist.....

[TheQ]

38 minutes ago, riyadhcrew said:

Hi Q,

Shouldn't that be Sunday 31st July? Please correct me if I am wrong.

You are entirely correct, I missed that while updating last years notes, Please can a Mod change that for me I'm out of time........

[riyadhcrew]

Done.

[JennyMorgan]

1 hour ago, TheQ said:

I must admit I have never heared a lady swear during racing, but if I hadn't included them in the comment and only put ungentlemanly conduct they would have been swearing at me for being sexist.....

I have, and she is a Lady although I've never known her use the title. Sails at Horning too. Mind you, her comments are normally reserved for fellow competitors and rescue boat crews that get in her way!

[JennyMorgan]

For those who don't know what the fuss is about, be warned, it's bank to bank sailing boats and the little ones are the least sympathetic to inept motor boaters, indeed it's several extra points and hero status if they manage to sink one!

[Gracie]

On lordy, not that I'm a mouse or anything but I've had a panic attack just looking at that picture  Womanly conduct is good and proper but if I was cruising through that lot, I'd be cowering in my cabin and swearing like a trooper

Grace

[LizG]

I'm in that picture!!!

 

[TheQ]

I'm Not in the picture, I was (and will be) up around the corner sheparding boats, like that day boat that appears to be looking to overtake, though he may have just cut swan corner and ended up further out than I would have liked..

[Regulo]

And I'll be either up on Barton Broad or through Yarmouth!

[BroadAmbition]

I can better than one easily - I'll be in Donny!

Griff

[TheQ]

This is just a bump to keep the original post in the public eye until the event. But since I've the time I thought I'd let you know what my routine is during regatta week.

At between  07:00 to 07:30 I'll get to the rescue boat and load up with the bouys, radio, first aid kit, paddles, boat hook, and then fill and fit a fuel tank.

08:00 I'll help pull up the club flags as the cannon fires, then with someone with me, it's off up the river putting the bouys.

Bouy 5 is near Southern Comfort outside the club house.

Bouy X is near the dyke to Southgates / SouthQuays yard.

Bouy 1 is is just short of the first corner up river from the club and is as far as the little dinghy beginners class sails.

Bouy 2 is at the entrance to Hoveton Little Broad / Black Horse Broad.

Bouy 3 is by a bay in the river just short of the trees.

Bouy 4 is around Dydlers mill. 

Bouy Y is somewhere round the corner, on a light wind day it may be a hundred yards up, on a strong wind day, it May be all the way up at Woodcutters, the far end of the straight. Normally this bouy is used only  by the broads cruisers for their long mid day race.

After that it's back for a bacon butty, a coffee and chat to to Officer Of the Day (OOD) with a wind report for the course.

09:30 head up ahead of the bigger dinghies, normally to bouy 2, starting to wave incoming non competitors towards the bank, and giving my speech..often shouted due to engine noise. 

"Hello, Please keep close to the right hand bank, there are many dinghies up ahead, if you keep to the bank and don't weave around, they will turn away from you, they will get very close, you may have to slow or stop some of them are beginners, get your cameras out!!"

Later the "many dinghies" gets replaced by "up to 100 yachts" I don't bother trying to say dinghies keelboats and yachts.

The only year a more forceful message was given out, was the year I had a Broads ranger on board for the entire week,  he gave the message as an order. His critisisums of my approach were, for not being more forceful, not blocking directly hire boats with the safety boat, and our safety boats are too slow.

10: 30 follow the last dinghies back to the club, grab a coffee, straight back on the rescue boat with the coffee for the next series, which is a full fleet of boats, up to 8 starts at five  minute intervals starting at 10:30.

This race will go to bouy 3 or 4 depending on wind, note that races will include going back as far as the club house bouy 5 or to any of the other bouys and back to 3 or 4 up to three times. Boats in all directions !!!

During this series, we get the morning rush of boats from Wroxham, up to 4 abreast coming round Dydlers Mill corner, the odd hire cruiser surrounded by speeding day boats. The speech gets abreviated, trying to get it in between boats, with difficulty trying to keep up with speeding day boats as some are faster than the rescue boat!!!

12:00 back to the club house for lunch, during this the big cruisers race without rescue boats they can help each other if there is a major problem

14:00 out for the next full series, same routine as 11:00 as we get the afternoon rush from Wroxham.

15:00 grab another coffee as we start another full series

16:00 - 16:30 start of normally two special races, for trophies that you may qualify for, be, servicemen and ex-servicemens, or minors in fixed keelboats.

17:00 - 18:00 end of racing, collect the bouys return to the club and put all the gear away.

19:30 - 22:00 join in evening social event which often includes the evening meal.

Bed.

Next day go to the beginning of this post and start again total 5 days....

Next bump should include the odd story of the few rescues I've had to do over the year.s

[ranworthbreeze]

Hello Q.

Thank you for your update.

Regards

Alan

[TheQ]

Thanks for your response I've just noticed I've missed something rather important 

Normally the crew sit in the front looking back and the helm is looking forward.... we are supposed to be keeping an eye out should anyone get into trouble / capsizes etc!!!

[BroadScot]

Let's hope all goes well for you. These races take a lot of organisation.

Iain

[TheQ]

On a regatta day

there are 3 to 5 rescue boats out, so 10 people at any one time,

The galley has two people in all day maybe 6 in all to spread the load.

The start finish line has the officer of the day, his/ her assistant, and a time keeper, plus replacements for lunch  6 people.

There are 2 to 3  people Normally the Fields family,  taking entries  a huge 50p per boat per  race I think.

So around 20 people on duty each day.

 There will be some organising the evening events every day, running the bar and evening meal

Then there is the entertainments committee, the race committee and the club committee all organising it 

Then there is the Commodore. Vice Commodore,  and rear Commodore who do a heck of work all year culminating in being on duty practically all week for the regatta.

Then there is the Honourary secretary, Honourary treasurer, and the membership secretary keeping tags on us all year.

I've no doubt missed out some just for the week

Then there is for each weekend for the rest of the year, 3 people for the start line and a minimum of 4 people for the rescue boat. Several people running a function at least once a month.

The three river race has a commitee, start line crew,  race entry organisation, 40+ people out on the water and the magnificent galley crew operating for around 36 hours. We need those breakfasts!!!

The Sailing school which has a register of around 80 under instruction mostly children but we have some adults under instruction and have keelboats as well as dinghies, so you need a committee, instructors and rescue boat drivers for each Thursday evening.

The maintenance group who do everything from painting the clubhouse, to clearing the undergrowth back on the riverbanks ( with BA / Landowner permission)

I've again missed out some more.

And out of the lot how many are paid?

TWO the cleaners who come into the club the morning after each race.

 

[LizG]

Well said The Q but also on the Broad on Saturday and Sunday if you want to add that as well. I shall be there as will daughter 1 - can't miss it!

[TheQ]

As requested by W-Album.

The Monday to Friday are an Open Event, which means anyone can come and compete and many do especially on the Thursday the original regatta day.

For club members the Regatta  starts Saturday 30th July 2016  in the afternoon on Black Horse Broad, so there will be a fleet of boats sailing up there around 1 till 2PM and returning around 4pm depending on wind etc. for this we need galley crew  2 people, start line people 2 or 3  people and two rescue Boats 4 people.

Earlier If it hasn't already been done, I'll head up river and down to place the please keep right signs for the regatta, on the river banks with one or two other people.  Then it will on to the broad and pull the pontoon out into the broad from it's mooring to a suitable place for the racing. The buoys are then put out, there are Nine, 4 are roughly near the corners of the broad and then X and Y marks are placed to make for a more interesting course.

Then there are 3 on the start line, an orange inner mark, which you DO NOT sail inside , mostly because you'll catch on the pontoon mooring ropes. Then a green buoy and then a green buoy with a triangle on it. To start a race you must go between the two Greenbuoys. Then it's back to the club for a coffee and wait for anyone need a tow up to the  broad leaving at 13:30.

 Once the tow has been done a quick adjust of the buoys if the wind has shifted.  After two races on the Saturday it's time to put it all away. Back to the club house get changed in  to something slightly more respectable, and  get ready for the social event.

The following morning its the same routine  go up about 08:00 and set up, Return for a bacon butty and coffee tow up  at 10:00. then two races  Go back to the club about 12:30 for some thing to eat, tow back 13:30, two races Pack up.  Back to the club house get changed in  to something slightly more respectable, and  get ready for the social event

 So to see what madness we get up to in the evenings See http://www.horningsc.co.uk/ and then look at regatta week / entertainments.

If anyone wishes to watch the racing, please do, we Ask that you find somewhere around the edges to watch from, the up wind end is often a good choice as you can sit in your stern to watch the sailing in ever decreasing circles easily.

 

 

 

 

[TheQ]

Another bump to keep this notice in view till we cause chaos on the river.

Rescue boat duties have been going a long time and in my early days of sailing I was a regular user of them. In Fact, one Year I borrowed a RAF Sailing Association Enterprise for Regatta Week and we won the Wet Wellie Trophy during the week. The problem was the trophy was for the most Capsizes in a season!!!

 The Trophy, as you may guess, is a pair of tiny childs wellie boots mounted as a trophy.

The most serious rescue I have seen, I was not involved with, some years ago a Whiteboat caught it's mainsheet on the rear cleet of a passing Hire boat. Whos' fault that was I'm not sure, but  it dragged the White boat and caused it to take water on board and sink.  The crew of the Hire boat promptly drove off leaving the White boats' crew in the water. By chance a River inspector was passing and chased and stopped the hire boat, while the rescue boat fished the White boat out of the water. Luckily there was no damage to the boat or the soggy crew.

Rescues I have been involved in

On Black Horse Broad we noticed at the other end of the broad a lot of waving so we chased up the other end to find a lady in the water she had fallen in when transfering from one boat to another and they were unable to get her up the high sides of the motor cruiser or the fairly highside sailing boat.

Another on Black Horse Broad, the club pontoon was approched by a lady in a bath tub Motor cruiser, her daughter had disappeared into the bushes in a hire boat lugsail.

We were radioed and came down and found she had sailed up the little stream in the North east corner of the broad that goes on to Burnt Fen Broad (via Bewilderwood). After getting her drop the sails, lift the centre board and rudder we were able to tow her back to her mother. Later on we heared shouting onboard about sailing!!! .....

We came the round the corner one year ahead of a fleet of White boats  filling the river to find a hire boat moored just by it's bows, stern sticking fully out into the river blocking over half of it. So we came and pushed the stern in with the bows of the rescue boat just before the White Boats arrived. We found out they had broken down and managed to get the bowline on shore, but the stern line was too short to reach and they were trying to pull the hire boat parallel to the bank by pulling on one side of the bows against the wind!!

Outside the sailing club, a Hire craft coming up river had just rounded the corner (on the wrong side) to see a fleet of boats  charging down towards him they were still a good 100 yards away but he slammed the boat into reverse  and damaged the gearbox therefore having no drive at all. Luckily We were in the boat just setting off after a grabbed cup of coffee. So we went over and as he had boat lines led fore and aft we grabbed tham and tie on along side, trouble was we couldn't steer and turn the boat against the wind, so the best I was able to do was a falling leaf motion and with going forward and back got round our buoy  and drop him in front of Southern Comfort. 

 

You may notice that I've mostly mentioned Hire boats, but over the years that is mostly what I've rescued. Racing Sailing boats wish to continue the race and so generally get back in or sort themselves out to continue.

The most common  sailing boat rescue is they, having had a problem,  get stuffed into the reeds on the leeward bank and can't get out against the wind.

[LizG]

"The most serious rescue I have seen, I was not involved with, some years ago a Whiteboat caught it's mainsheet on the rear cleet of a passing Hire boat. Whos' fault that was I'm not sure, but  it dragged the White boat and caused it to take water on board and sink.  The crew of the Hire boat promptly drove off leaving the White boats' crew in the water. By chance a River inspector was passing and chased and stopped the hire boat, while the rescue boat fished the White boat out of the water. Luckily there was no damage to the boat or the soggy crew. "

I was there I saw it but this was in my phase of not sailing but just appearing occasionally due to child rearing responsibilities, I crewed my brother in what was then his white boat and it all happened in front of us.  I know who the helm and boat was but shan't say ..............

[TheQ]

After all these years, and not being directly involved, I can't remember who's White boat it was!!!

[JanetAnne]

8 hours ago, w-album said:

"caught it's mainsheet on the rear cleet of a passing Hire boat...

I once caught the mainsheet of my Brown Boat round the end mooring post of WOBYC's jetty trying to be clever round the outside of a mark. 

Never knew you could stop so suddenly! I can still hear the cheer from the bar 30 years later