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On The Broads 5th And Sixth June 2021?

TheQ

By TheQ
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TheQ

TheQ

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Please, if you're on a motorboat , or sailing or canoeing or paddle boarding 5th-6th June read this. It will either make your day :default_biggrin: or frighten you to death..:default_badday:

There will be 105 + sailing boats leaving Horning sailing club by the Swan Inn from 11:00 on the 5th in roughly 10 boat groups every 5minutes.

They can chose to go round the course in any order, but must go to,

Ludham bridge without going under it and turn round.

South walsham broad.

Some where below Acle bridge , Normally the Strachey Arms aka a Hindu meeting house.

And to the top of Hickling Broad..

 

Places I'd advise avoiding if afloat, you have the total right to use them, but even I as an experienced competitor would avoid them at these times on 5th June if not competing.

Horning, the start line 10:45 to 13:00 

The river Ant, from where it joins the River Bure to Ludham bridge, the first boats should get there about 12:00 normally there will be vast hoards and it's a small river, should be ok after 15:00.

The dyke down to South Walsham broad, also narrow, again give it a miss from 12:00 to 15:00.

Potter Heigham bridge, especially if you want to go under it, from 14:00 onwards, I can't predict when the main rush of boats will be but it is chaos when they arrive.

 

Places to watch the race,

Anywhere down river of the club in Horning if you can find a mooring, 

Cockshoot broad entrance, moorings limited,

St Benet's straight, plenty of moorings,

South Walsham dyke, some moorings 

Just down or up river of Potter Hiegham bridge, limited moorings.

Up river of Acle Bridge some moorings.

If on foot, the grass between the club and Swan Inn,  the pubs in Horning, the river bank in ludham , Potter Heigham and Acle bridges.

 

Advice afloat at Horning during the starts,

Going up river Keep Right, go forward if there is a gap.

Going down river, the starts are every 5minutes follow a fleet through, Keep Right, the fleets almost always tend to go left after the corner, then you'll have a gap to go through.

 

Advice if you meet the fleet or a single boat coming at you,

Slow down as much as you can , preferably stop, that's within 6 ft of the right hand bank as you face forward in the boat. That way you won't get boats all round you.

Let them go round you, their boats are much more fragile than a motor boat, they won't hit you if they have a choice, they will get very close maybe less than 6inches away.

Only if it's a single  boat or a few coming steadily down your side, only then  go to the other side of the river.. only if it is clear..

 

Advice if they are overtaking you,

Keep steady  to the right hand bank within six foot,  let them do their thing.

 

Advice if you are overtaking them, 

Keep right, if they are tacking side to side on the when a boat leaves to go the left hand bank , go forward, always pass  behind them.

If they are sailing down the river with you behind them, keep right and go forward when there is a gap. Only go to the other side of the river to pass, if it is clear and nothing coming the other way. Do not speed, it will cause the sailing boats to rock and roll all over the p!ace.

If it's a log jam of boats, sorry there's not a lot they can do, we can only apologise, and ask you to wait for a gap to appear and then slowly go through it..

 

Notes,

it is unlikely, but if you are involved in an accident with one of the racing boats.

Our boats have a red and white tape flying from the back of the boat, no tape, it's not one of ours.

Each boat has its own insurance, it's them not the club you have to deal with. 

Make a note of the number and symbol on the sail and its name on the back of the boat. Some boats will have temporarily board on the side saying X or H followed by a number make a note of the number and letter.

If you got that and the boat hasn't stopped to confer with you ( they may not have noticed or are too intent on their race) then pass the information to the boat yard if you are a hire craft. If you are a private boat, then contact the club they will then try to put you in contact with the competitor. It may take time, they are from all over the country and in a normal year some from abroad.

 

Please enjoy the boats sailing by, you'll only be inconvenienced for a short time.

Any questions? I'd be pleased to answer them..

 

 

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TheQ

TheQ

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Oh the above times are dependent on the wind, 

if there is no wind but there is wind forecast later the start may be delayed.

If there is too much wind but less forecast later, the start may be delayed.

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PAULG

PAULG

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We pick the boat up on the 5th from Herbert Woods was hoping to get under the bridge Low water 5pm (Evening light 2 6'10" air draught) do they go under the bridge as TheQ mentioned Hickling broad. If not may just have to stay put on the Saturday :407_beer: :409_wine_glass:, what will it be like on the Sunday !

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grendel

grendel

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6 ' 10" is possible, but rarely, you would usually rely on a few weeks of good weather and a lot of luck, to be honest you will get a good view of the shenannigans at the bridge at herbert woods yard, as well as avoid all of the flappy things that will be filling the rivers.

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TheQ

TheQ

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2 hours ago, PAULG said:

We pick the boat up on the 5th from Herbert Woods was hoping to get under the bridge Low water 5pm (Evening light 2 6'10" air draught) do they go under the bridge as TheQ mentioned Hickling broad. If not may just have to stay put on the Saturday :407_beer: :409_wine_glass:, what will it be like on the Sunday !

Low water Potter is when THEY DON'T want to get to the bridge,  it means they have fought the tide to get there and will be fighting the tide to get back . So you'll be safe if you go to Horsey, Catfield, or are out in the broad itself. 

A few will get to potter bridges by about 14:00 on the Saturday at the earliest, there's always some who choose an odd course.  Unless some A Rater decides to go  there first, they could do it by 13:00 if they are first start and the conditions are right.

I suspect the majority of boats will go down to Acle first with the tide, hoping to hit the lower Bure mark at low tide around 16:20,  then come up to Hickling, so not likely to be at Potter before, 20:00 On the Saturday.

So this year the bridge watchers will not see much until maybe  19:00 then lots  through till midnight. 

Low water Potter is about 05:00 on Sunday, so really if they've timed it right that's when they should be at Thurne mouth heading up to Horning,  

By Sunday it should be mostly quiet, most boats need to be back at Horning before 12:00 on the Sunday, with the tides as they are, anyone left after say 07:00 at Potter  is unlikely to make it.

Yes the boats go into Hickling broad, if the wind is good, I'll be up the top by the Hickling sailing club , with the buoy . If there's not much wind, I could be not far inside the entrance to the broad..

 

Outside of those legs, the early fast boats will do the short legs to Ludham bridge  and south Walsham before Acle, the slow boats will do those legs on the way back.

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