42nd Navigators Three Rivers Race at Horning Sailing Club

GREAT COMPETITION IN NAVIGATORS THREE RIVERS RACE

Near idyllic conditions for the 42nd, 2002 Navigators Three Rivers Race promised for a quick and enjoyable race for competitors, a complete contrast to last year’s race where strong winds caused the race to be abandoned for the first time in its history.

A 10 to 15 knot southerly breeze got competitors off to a swift start, reaching across the start line at Horning SC and then heading up on to a beat for the first leg of the race.

Some of the larger yachts struggled to tack up the first stretch of narrow broad which made for some very interesting and lively spectating, often too close for comfort. At one point 5 boats were all overlapped without any steerage, all shouting ‘water’ and ‘starboard’ at each other as they ricocheted their way up the first leg. The highlight of the start was probably the Navigators Claims Manager colliding with the Navigators hospitality boat moored against the shore on the first tack of the race.

With the good conditions the majority of competitors opted to get the two dog-legs to South Walsham Broad and Ludham out of the way first before the wind dropped, then head south to Acle Bridge where large numbers of boats made for interesting mast dropping and bridge shooting antics.

From there a brisk a run with the tide all of the way up to Potter Higham Bridge and Hickling Broad for the last leg of the race.

The faster dinghies made it back before the wind died completely, slower dinghies, keel boats and cruisers spent a relatively windless night on Hickling Broad before picking up the morning’s breeze to come into the finish back at Horning.

The 2002 Navigators Three Rivers Race enjoyed a record percentage of finishers and a very quick time set by the leading Norfolk Punt, only 2 minutes off the 8hr 19 min record set some years ago.

Peter Bainbridge was first home in his Norfolk Punt “Whooper” at 8.19pm. Peter and his father Dickie Bainbridge were second in the first ever Three Rivers Race in 1960. This year Peter’s crew was his son Alex, a fitting legacy.

Second home was Chris Bunn in the Norfolk Punt “Kookaburra”at 8.34pm. Third home David Frary in the Slipstream at 8.44pm. Navigators Norwich manager David Long was the third punt in at 11.34pm, a good result considering she’d only been launched the day before following a major refit by David.

First Rebel home was Richard Page at 1.05am. Richard enjoyed more than the usual support from sponsors Navigators & General who replaced his mast only a week before the race. The mast was stepped by Chris Dugdale who finished only seconds behind him on handicap in his Reedling “Onyx”, obviously wishing he hadn’t done such a good job adjusting his rigging.

One of the largest one-design classes in the Navigators Three Rivers Race is the Yare and Bure Class, also known as the White Boats. Many of these classic yachts are nearly 100 years old and surprisingly the racing is extremely close.

The first white boat home was “Painted Jezebel” skippered by David Means at 8.12am, only a minute behind him was “Thecla” skippered by Ali Clabburn. After splitting tactics on the course right at the beginning these two closely matched boats surprised each other by meeting at the entrance to South Walsham Broad and a close match race followed all the way to the finish. In the end it was the 1985 GRP boat which beat the 1928 wooden “Thecla” more as a result of crowding with other craft than anything else.

“Grizzled Skipper”, skippered by Anthony Lister was the third white boat home at 8.18am.

Following the white boats were the popular and competitive Yeoman Class. After a windless night on Hickling Broad the Yeomans had a close race back to the finish. The sponsors Yeoman appropriately named “Golden Jubilee” skippered by Dennis Mossman just pipped second place “Mistral”, skippered by Rodney Lake by one second as they rolled him on the finish line both boats finishing at 8.29am.

P Clarke was third in the Yeoman Class on “2 Suns” finishing 14 seconds behind them.

There is a great deal of history to this race, with some competitors having competed in almost all races since the first one in 1960. Often competing boats are passed through many generations of one family and kept in immaculate condition throughout.

Malcolm Bishop, who has been competing in the Navigators Three Rivers Race for 35 years, was the first Wayfarer home in “Brer Rabbit Again” finishing at 8.30.

All finishers got a good round of applause as they crossed the finishing line from other competitors in the Club House through the night and day. Everyone mucked in to help get boats ashore and the highlight of the race was the famous Club breakfast which the partners and wives of Club members stayed up all night preparing to provide to finishers as they came in.

The Navigators Three Rivers Race will be taking place again in June next year and with a limit of 130 boats it is important to get your entry in early.