EAORA Week 2022 in Southern Holland
by Claire Scott, Chairman of EAORA 20 Jul 2022 16:14 BST
9-15 July 2022
EAORA Week 2022 © Claire Scott
East Anglian Offshore Racing Association triumphantly resumed the old favourite East Anglian Week in Southern Holland from July 9 until 15.
The lucky boats who entered had lots of fun on and off the water, enjoying light winds and clear skies while the UK sweltered in record temperatures. The week started on Saturday 9 July with the Royal Burnham YC/RORC East Coast race from Burnham to Ostend won by Paul Scott, from Haven Ports YC, with his Sigma 38, Spirit.
On Sunday 10 July the winds were light for the Medway YC's Cannon Ball trophy from Ostend to Vlissingen. The shortened race was won by Stephen Hendry, from Medway YC, with his First 41.7 Flying Fish.
Inland racing started on the Monday 11 July on the picturesque non-tidal Veersemeer, with a course set to finish just outside Kortgene. The course again had to be shortened to give everyone a chance to exit the lock and motor up through the Oosterschelde to enjoy the beautiful town and restaurants in Zierikzee.
The next day the fleet raced to Sint Annaland, conditions were better, except for the hot slow spinnaker leg, the wind filled in and the fleet had a cracking race. There was a very special evening with the Chairmans pontoon party followed by a few crews enjoying a BBQ on the sea wall with Tom from Crikey (X322) entertaining the fleet on his guitar well into the night, everyone singing their hearts out.
Over the remaining days of the week were also visits to Wemeldinge and Kortgene before a prize-giving at Breskens on the Friday night.
The customs in Ostend went smoothly, as did all the bookings with the relevant harbour masters, who all made us very welcome. Checking out in Breskens with our passports was painless, as Immigration came to us once an appointment had been made the previous day.
EAORA had been absent from Southern Holland for a number of years, but following two years of Covid restrictions, the committee's decision to reinstate this event went down very well with some newcomers as well as some veteran EAORA sailors.
It now looks as if EAORA week will remain a regular fixture of the annual programme, perhaps biannually in non-Fastnet years.
Thanks are due to Mike and Lorraine Wallis (Medway YC) for providing Absolute Diamond as committee boat. Mike was helped in race management by Paul Wood. Mike and Paul have combined experience of EAORA of more than 50 years - which undoubtedly contributed to the great success of the week.
Many thanks to DXB Pump & Power for their sponsorship of the event.
Overall Results:
Long Week
Class 3
3rd Woozel Hunter, P Hammond/ D Harrington-Lynn/ A Pentelow / A Thomas
2nd Magic Moments, Pelham Etherington
1st X-Ray, Andrew Baker
Class 2
1st Spirit, Paul Scott
Class 1
1st Flying Fish, Stephen Hendry
Overall
5th Flying Fish, Stephen Hendry
4th Woozel Hunter, P Hammond/ D Harrington-Lynn/ A Pentelow / A Thomas
3rd Spirit, Paul Scott
2nd Magic Moments, Pelham Etherington
1st X- Ray, Andrew Baker
Short Week
Class 3
1st X-Ray, Andrew Baker
2nd Magic Moments, Pelham Etherington
3rd Woozel Hunter, P Hammond/ D Harrington-Lynn/ A Pentelow / A Thomas
Class 2
3rd Spirit, Paul Scott
2nd Red Macaw, J & J Edwards
1st Crikey, Geoff Parker and Tom Blake
Class 1
1st Flying fish, Stephen Hendry
Overall
3rd Magic Moments, Pelham Etherington
2nd X-Ray, Andrew Baker
1st Crikey, Geoff Parker and Tom Blake