3 Rivers Race 2019

[KaptinKev]

41 minutes ago, Maxwellian said:

Not a user of the flappy things but really enjoying tHIs thread. Might have to try it.

It's nice to know I am not alone with this feeling!

[Poppy]

On 05/06/2019 at 10:57, EastCoastIPA said:

If you look carefully, somewhere in this melee you will see one sail boat on top of another. If you look carefully at the second picture, at sail number 37 you will see some Blue gaffer tape over the hole in the hull to keep the water out. With that many boats in such close proximity it was virtually impossible to avoid contact.

Was nobody handy with a bucket of water then ?

[JackOfAllTrades]

Thanks to all for the commentary and fabulous pics. I have to say they almost had me breaking out in a cold sweat - someone said they saw 10 collisions in an hour   I'm not surprised, looking at the number of boats and lack of room to manoeuvre. It all looked like great fun, but rather them than me! It seems this is one race where the spectating can be almost as exciting as taking part

Assuming I end up owning a Broads cruiser the first thing I'll do is make a note of the three rivers race date and ensure my boat is safely tucked into her marina berth. Call me chicken!

On a more serious note, if the hire companies are saying nowt about the race then that seems pretty poor. Many of the Skippers on hire boats will have little or no prior boat handling experience and might not be very confident on the water, so I can imagine a newbie being quite intimidated when suddenly confronted by a wall of sails heading towards them, all shouting Starboard! or Water! or something else they don't understand.  Stress, pressure, a mistake, and someone goes overboard. Perhaps, as is often the case, it might take a Coroner's report before hire companies are compelled to inform hirers of known race dates. Apologies if this seems like grumpy old man territory but I've seen enough to know that accidents can and do happen, and can often be avoided.

Thanks again for the fab pics. I know where I'll be spectating next year

 

[TheQ]

Good job the race was't this weekend , forecast of gusting 40+mph .. it would have been cancelled.

 Most River sailers on the broads are used to this sort of argy bargy close quarter sailing. occasionally you get a newbie from wide open spaces who comes and joins in.. They get often get very uptight about the knocks and bangs and then go away .. they can't cope with it.

It's very rare a broads sailor calls on their insurance or the other parties insurance in these matters. it would have to be something really major like a dismasting, or the other competitor deliberately ramming..

[Coryton]

On 06/06/2019 at 15:10, JackOfAllTrades said:

On a more serious note, if the hire companies are saying nowt about the race then that seems pretty poor. Many of the Skippers on hire boats will have little or no prior boat handling experience and might not be very confident on the water, so I can imagine a newbie being quite intimidated when suddenly confronted by a wall of sails heading towards them, all shouting Starboard! or Water! or something else they don't understand. 

As someone who is planning to be on a hire boat with little prior boat handling experience this summer (and none on the Broads), could I ask what I should do when someone in a sailing boat shouts something at me?

Starboard could mean either I should go to starboard or that they're planning on going starboard and I suppose either way if I go starboard it should work out - if they're coming towards me anyway. But what do I do if they should "Water"?

The "Skippers' Manual" doesn't seem to have anything on the topic, though it has a whole page on how to make a sailing dinghy work.

I was once out walking when someone came up behind me and shouted "Track!", which apparently meant that he was in some kind of race and therefore expected me to jump out of his way. Unfortunately his meaning didn't get through. He just got a bit annoyed but I would imagine an interaction with a sailing boat could be a worse.

 

[Wussername]

Corydon. Regretfully you will be ill prepared in meeting up with the sailing fraternity. You will not be alone. Especially during their mass migration up a river or down a river. Some like yourself will be well-advised to seek refuge in a reed bed. Or scurry up some ones private dyke. Ignore the owners protestations. Just be nice to each other. It will work itself out.

As for the sailing folk, they are as nervous of you as you are of them. They speak a different language as to you and I. Water, Starboard, and their Chinese friend Lee Ho come to mind. Certain expletives are well used. Frowned upon by the Ladies Who Lunch in the local parishes surrounding Broadband but nevertheless a passport to exceptance amongst the good and just of the sail and rivers and those who frequent such delights and habitat's.

[Vaughan]

Words like starboard or water would be shouted at other sailing boats, not motor cruisers. A sailing boat may give you an indication of what he wants you to do, but not always. Sometimes, they are beginners as well!

I think a good general rule is that you should always pass under the stern of a sailing boat. Never try to pass in front as the yacht may get a gust of wind and suddenly speed up.

[TheQ]

Starboard and water calls only apply between sailing boats. It's highly unlikely you would hear a call from a sailing boat to a motorboat because you won't hear it over the engine.  Normally they will just point in the direction they would like you to go or point at you first then point at where they want you to go. 

If you come across a sailing boat tacking from side of the river to the other whether towards you or away,  stick to the right hand bank  adjust your speed and as they tack away from your bank pass behind them to go forward.

If they have the wind behind them going in a straight line in your way only move across the river for them or you to pass, if there is room. 

If there are a lot of boats doing one or the other,  slow down,  stick to your bank let them tack past you. If they have the wind behind them only cross the river to pass or let them through,  if you are certain they are not going to go that way. 

[TheQ]

And back to the 3RR. The things brought up by people in this thread. With answers from the committee. 

Ludham bridge, 

The turning point was sited where it was because the boat yard could and kindly did, move moored boats on both banks to give the biggest turning circle.  They don't own the bank further down and couldnt do that there. 

All the competitors had been told where the turning point was some obviously didn't listen. 

Richardson's said they would put a notice on every boat about the race,  also the club put warning notices up the other side of the bridge,  some people obviously didn't bother to read. 

For both ludham and South walsham, the club will look at some thing like a flag pole and flag to give a better warning of the turning point. 

The south Walsham turning point was sited where a motor boat could be moored and get a site line to check boats had cleared the turning point. 

Another thing that came up.  Lifejackets are not carried on ambulances,  ambulance crew have been therefore  told not to get onto  boats.  They must call the humber Coast Guard,  who will call Hemsby lifeboat crew and the fire brigade and only with their presence and assistance are they allowed to go to and remove a casualty from a boat... 

Every guard ship has first aid crew,  and luckily the club rescue boat attending the 999 casualty at the incident at Acle bridge had as one of its crew... A GP on board. Our people removed the casualty from the boat to dry land for the ambulance to take away.