Please select your home edition
Edition
A+T Instruments 2024 Leaderboard

Single Handed Regatta at Big River Sailing Club

by Hariet Woodrow 1 Nov 2024 07:50 GMT 26-27 October 2024
Single Handed Regatta at Big River Sailing Club © Big River Sailing Club

Tucked away in the cane fields on the northern bank of the Clarence River at Harwood, Northern NSW, lies the beautifully groomed parkland and grounds of the Big River Sailing Club.

The river is wide and clear, easy to rig and launch, camping and catering on site, it's an easy destination event where the "after sailing" is a big part of the story.

As the secret seeps out the club regattas are becoming increasingly popular. The Single Handed regatta on 26/27 October, (for monohulls with a yardstick over 105) attracted 62 entrants.

Dominant classes of Impulse, Finn, ILCA 6, and Sabre, plus 2 miscellaneous divisions including ILCA 7 and 4.7, Scow Moth, RS100, and OK dinghy rounded out the senior fleet. Encouragingly, five Sabots from the Northern Zone (Coffs Harbour) also completed the races on a smaller inner course. Great to see the Coffs folks fostering the next generation into the sport!

Competitors travelled in from Sydney, Lake Macquarie, Tweed heads, Brisbane and Sunshine Coast.

An unseasonably cold SE'er greeted the early arrivals on Friday, with everyone scrambling for jackets and warm gear, and that continued into Saturday.

Racing kicked off at 1.30 in 8 - 10 knots with gusts above, but while wind strength was ideal, it was shifty! The race track was busy and the competition lively. Lots of hero to zero and back again tales recounted around the tables over the "club dinner".

The start and finish and most of the course can be watched from the clubhouse deck, so family and friends get to see all the action at close quarters.

Sunday's forecast looked fairly sketchy so the race committee got 4 races away on Saturday to constitute a series. Just as well as it turned out that the wind disappeared with the cold weather, no sailing was to be had on Sunday.

The club holds its next event, the Bridge to Breakers Regatta on the 9th/10th November with the 70 boat limit fully subscribed. This is an "all boats" event with a river passage marathon race on Saturday and 2 or 3 shorter "long course" races Sunday.

The Clarence River will again be spectacular sight with the colour of Trailer Sailer, Sports boats, and Skiffs kites, the raw speed of A class cats, and everything in between on display.

Visiting sailors and spectators are always welcome, with club sailing every Saturday August to April. Check us out!

Results for all divisions, and loads of photos here

Related Articles

Autumn Series 2025 at Medway Yacht Club Preview
Finish the Season in Style Finish the Season in Style! The Medway Yacht Club looks forward to hosting the 2025 Autumn Series, a five-race series. Posted today at 1:46 pm
Uncertainty reigns across Biscay in Défi Azimut
A cracking start for Charal, leading the fleet off the Glénans archipelago Doubt lingers this Thursday regarding the intentions of the wind gods off the coast of Lorient, Brittany. Will the fleet have enough breeze to fill their sails throughout the rectangular course concocted by Race Management? Posted today at 12:41 pm
Tom Dolan at Solitaire du Figaro Leg 2 Day 4
For the Irish skipper there's good news and bad news Day four of leg two started in light airs for most of the fleet. The leading bunch have passed Cape Finisterre, funneling through a mandatory checkpoint gate added by the race committee, and are closing in Vigo, around 40 miles to the south east. Posted today at 12:18 pm
Sweden enters SailGP for 2026 Season
Artemis Racing returns to global stage Announced today ahead of SailGP's Geneva debut, Artemis Racing, Sweden's internationally acclaimed sailing team, proudly confirmed its return - entering the Rolex SailGP Championship's 2026 Season as Artemis SailGP Team. Posted today at 10:27 am
The latest clothes and accessories this Autumn
New launches from the world of sailing clothing With summer's sunshine a distant memory, there's plenty of new kit to keep you warm and dry at sea. Here's our pick of the latest sailing clothing and accessories. Posted today at 9:00 am
The Ocean Race Europe is heading towards its final
All to play for in the final weekend of racing in Boka Bay, Montenegro The Ocean Race Europe 2025 is heading towards its Finale in Boka Bay, Montenegro. With the last points still in play, the final coastal race on Saturday will decide the remaining positions. Posted today at 8:52 am
2025 Dutch Water Week day 2
Some fleets are testing new race formats and scoring systems Day two of Dutch Water Week once again delivered classic Dutch autumn conditions: strong gusty winds, grey skies and occasional rain showers. Posted today at 7:28 am
Sixteen Teams to fight for BKL Crown in Cowes
British Keelboat League Finals will be hosted by Royal Thames YC Following an intense series of qualifying events, sixteen of the best keelboat racing clubs will fight it out for the next three days in the Solent at the British Keelboat League Finals hosted by the Royal Thames Yacht Club. Posted today at 5:46 am
Women's Match Racing Worlds in Chicago Day 2
Teams battle challenging conditions As racing runs into sunset in Chicago The second day of racing at the 2025 World Sailing Women's Match Racing World Championship on Lake Michigan presented challenging conditions for the twelve competing teams as a gradual easterly breeze created a sloppy short swell on the course. Posted today at 5:27 am
Womens America's Cup opportunities expand
the pathway for female athletes has never been stronger than in the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup 2024 and the inaugural Puig Women's America's Cup was announced following the publication of the Protocol for the Louis Vuitton 37th America's Cup in Barcelona. It was a moment not only for women's sport and equality but showed that the America's Cup was Posted today at 1:30 am