Champion-of-Champions Inter-Club Racing for Ramuz Trophy at Norfolk & Suffolk Boating Association

Chris Bunn and Chris Tuckett, Lady YC Winners of the Ramuz Trophy © Ben Falat

Ramuz Trophy © Ben Falat

The Norfolk & Suffolk Sailing Association (NSBA) invited all its affiliate organisations to the 2023 'Ramuz' event, kindly hosted this year by Coldham Hall Sailing Club on the River Yare, Norfolk, and sailed in Yeoman Class keelboats. Eleven teams arrived early on Saturday 16th September and while autumn mist initially hung low, a gentle NE breeze appeared at 9 o'clock briefing time.

The basis of competition was for racing in two flights with promotions and demotions across successive rounds, with every team involved in four races; no discards and total points score defining. For subsequent rounds top-flight winners were rewarded with selecting their next boat, all others were then randomly drawn.

The first round of two flights was sailed in randomly allocated boats; flt-1 saw some confusion at mark-1 for which hand it should be taken, and some teams learned early where weedy (i.e. slow!) spots lay. Whereas Lady Yacht Club set out their store with an emphatic win, flt-2 was more closely contested between Rollesby Broad SC, Waveney & Oulton Broad YC and Horning SC eventually finishing in that order. Rollesby and WOBYC gained promotion while Beccles and Norfolk Broads (weed-related retirement) were demoted.

Lady YC continued a dominance with further wins in the next two rounds while the remaining field were much more level on points. WOBYC appeared the main challenger overall though suffered round-3 miscalculation by being over the start-line and needing to return behind the fleet; WOBYC recovered to 3rd during the race but finally dropped to 5th and hence a demotion.

The final two races therefore threw up an interesting conundrum where WOBYC easily secured a win in the lower flight, such that their total points score would mean that they should gain second place overall. With a blank sheet of wins to Lady YC's benefit this team went into the final without the challenge of WOBYC and were already almost the assured winners; all they needed was to keep a check on Beccles Amateur SC who could perhaps threaten only if BASC won this last race.

By the final start the river (tidal-) current had changed and following WOBYC's earlier penalising jump-start on a following current, with the current now holding boats back the whole fleet started very shy. However Lady YC played the current best and established yet another early lead never to be challenged; BASC came home next ahead of Horning, Rollesby, Hickling & Coldham in that order.

Lady YC is a very special club without a clubhouse base, but with an esteemed membership only by invitation of the existing members. At prize-giving Chris Bunn commented that both Chris's were very proud to represent LYC and that after the prize-giving they would be heading with the good news straight to Alan Lee's home; Alan having been their Commodore for 33 years, and who is grandson of the late Herbert Woods who originated this club through linking to his erstwhile Lady Class of craftsman built wooden broads sailing cruisers, which even today remain highly desirable.

Chair of NSBA upon presenting prizes thanked Coldham Hall SC for hosting, also boat-owners for lending their craft as well as the Coldham Hall public house for permissions of access.

Results:

1st - Lady YC (Chris Bunn & Chris Tuckett) - 4pts
2nd - Waveney & Oulton Broad YC (Chris & Gill Jordan) - 10pts
3rd - Beccles Amateur SC (Jack Sisley & Hugh Braidwood) - 11pts
4th - Rollesby Broad SC - 12pts
5th - Horning SC - 13pts
6th - Hickling Broad SC - 14pts
7th - Coldham Hall SC - 15pts
8th - Snowflake SC - 15pts
9th - Norwich Frostbite SC - 16pts
10th - Waveney Sailability - 16pts
11th - Norfolk Broads YC - 20pts