3 Rivers Race 2022

[The Q]

50 miles in 24 hours sound easy?
Should I add there are three bridges, which means taking your mast down 4 times (two bridges are close to each other you paddle between).
Should I also add the narrowest parts of the rivers are only about 50ft wide and the race is open to boats from 14ft to 40ft.
That sounds a little more difficult..

The is the 3 Rivers Race, on the Norfolk Broads, this year will be the 61st running of the event, 28th /29th May (start times normally from 11:00 to about 12:30) a week earlier than usual due to the Queens anniversary, the record of the fastest passage is about 8 hours , the worst only 13 or so boats finished. up to 150 entries normally just over the 100.

The Course is from Horning Sailing Club , you have to go these turning points in any order then return to the club.
Just before Ludham bridge without going under the bridge.
Into South Walsham Broad going round a mark.
To Below Acle bridge , in a normal year that means to the Stracey Arms Mill, this leg may be shortened if there is light wind.
To the top of Hickling Broad where normally I'll be counting you all past..
You choose the way to go round the rivers are tidal, getting the tides right is everything..

So if you have a boat of less than 4ft draft ( or lifting in use) and fancy racing in the third toughest mass participation event in the UK (according to a newspaper) .

Entry forms and further details are here... Home (3rr.uk)

Any questions please ask..

 

[seivadnehpets]

Anyone looking for crew, message me!

 

[ridgy]

Hi Q, from your other posts I assume that you are part of the race organization.
A couple of tips as a competitor from last year:

1. It would be helpful if the race website listed the charter companies that are willing to hire boats out for the race. We took our own last year but from speaking to other entrants it was clear that many had hired boats but from where?

2. For those taking their own boats, it should be stated that there are car and trailer parking and also launching facilities FOC at Horning SC. I spent a lot of time last year researching options before discovering this from the race committee.

Hope to see you in May.

 

[The Q]

Not something that's come up before, I'll let those know on the actual race committee, I'm just a during the race official. Also although the committee now run a Facebook page on which I've just placed your suggestions.
I've been notifying broads forums about the race, since long before the club had an online presence, So they've left the forums to me. Having just joined this forum I thought I'd put up a notice here.

There are very few sailing boat hire places on the broads now.
Those I know of are.

Martham boats , Norfolk Broads Yacht Hire | Martham Boats which do hire boats for the race and in fact loan us ,(for free) a sailing or motorboat as the guardship on Hickling broad.

Oliver's boats also at Martham Norfolk Broads Sailing Boat Hire - Oliver's Sailing Holidays UK I don't know if they'll hire for the race.

The Hunters Yard, Welcome to Hunter's Yard - Hunter's Yard I believe they will hire for the race.

Ernest Whelpton, Eastwood Whelpton | Sailing On The Norfolk Broads not 100 % sure but I think they'll hire for the race.

With all the boat yards if you hire a sailing cruiser rather than an open sailing dayboat, you may be required to hire for the week.

 

[The Q]

OK folks
Comb your hair polish you shoes and be on your best behaviour.

The 3RR is being filmed this year, so you could be in shot on bank or river..

What form this film will take I have no idea..

Entries are still open on Home (3rr.uk)

 

[The Q]

Not really the 3RR, but it's based in Horning..

Saturday 30th APR 2022, Horning Boat show, free, open to the public, based at the the village and Swan Pub greens by the river plus up on the recreation ground..

Horning Sailing club, are having an open day.
You may come just for a cup of tea, cheaper than anywhere else we have no paid staff it's all run by volunteers and have a break watching from the river front.

Or you may go for a 20 minute - 30 minute trip in our sailing boats, Most are of the won't fall over kind, cos there's a big lump of lead hanging below.. (qualified helmsperson supplied)
Under 16's free, £5 for those over, we need to pay for insurance.

For those experienced and fit there are likely to be dinghies available.
life jackets supplied, we prefer flat shoes, High heels and varnished woodwork are not a good idea..

Welcome to the Horning Boat Show website

Me I'll probably be of Car Park duty..

 

[The Q]

3 Rivers Race entries, close 24th April.

 

[The Q]

A bump up reminder of Horning boat show today mentioned above.

 

[Taliesin]

Did anyone here attend the Horning Boat Show? Was it a success ? I was sorely tempted but as I’m going to North Norfolk next weekend I gave it a miss.

 

[The Q]

It was very much a success, perfect weather, large crowds,.

Sadly I didn't get the chance to go round the show, as I was on car park duty at Horning sailing club, which once the exhibitors are sorted out, is mostly inviting people over to the sailing club for a trial boat sail or to use our Tea bar, they had some very nice cake, plus sandwiches etc.
Quite a few asked about the history of the club and several about learning to sail. The club has a sailing school, and that section of the club was running the try sailing day so it was easy to point them to someone with full details.

 

[The Q]

There are 101 entries in this years race..
Only 17 days to go... time to get ready..

 

[The Q]

12 days to go and the long range forecast is in, Easterly 10mph for the whole race, with a maximum temperature of 13C.

Not that good on either count, an easterly is over the houses on the left of the first straight and you'd need to tack occasionally.. Very little tide for the start though. I could see 100+ boats tacking in the first half mile of river if the forecast doesn't change..

 

[The Q]

 

[The Q]

The race starts at 11:00, to 12:30 webcams on here..
Horning Sailing Club
From around 08:00 I'll be at Hickling broad sailing club, and by 09:00 you'll see me at the end of the pier getting stuff ready including putting the buoy out, which with any luck will be in sight of the camera, around 10::00, the guardship should turn up. And we'll finish getting ready..

Hickling broad first boats from 14:00 but peak traffic not till maybe 10:00- midnight.
Potter Heigham camera an hour before the above.
Martham is between the two above.
Acle bridge camera, first boats maybe 14:00 but peak traffic from 16:00 to 19:00

We'll be on station till around 09:00 Sunday morning, the last possible time for anyone to finish from that point..
Time to make my breakfast and get the food out of the fridge...

 

[The Q]

Provisional results.
Horning Sailing Club

Lots of pictures of the race..
The Three Rivers Race | Facebook

 

[The Q]

Wind much stronger than expected, boats very rapid round the course, 14 miles from Hickling broad to the lower Bure buoy, including lowering the mast twice. In 2.5 hours for the fastest boats!!!
My 24hours.

My race notes.. plus added bits..

08:00, at club,

Unloaded, got rescue boat out, pulled boat to end of pier, (don't start outboard in muddy shallows) put buoy out decided pier wasn’t long enough, so added 2 pontoons floating to bring the guard ship closer to the buoy.


09:15 all gear sat waiting at end of pier..,

BA weed cutter turned up, did various dykes and sides of the deep water channel, then took a couple of turns round our mark...

Paddle board course going on in shallows near the Pleasure Boat Inn.


10:15, guardship turns up. After a bit of manoeuvering, mud weight positioning, we got set up. I took an old 23ft aluminium mast , pushed that into the mud and water, so about 5ft of height was lost with that, but the radio aerial was on an 8ft Batten, with overlap, to tie it on, that put the aerial back at 23ft up getting a much better signal. A couple of bits of string to the pontoons stopped it falling in the wind.

11:00, first start.

12:30 first 6 boats at Ludham

Couple of Hickling lasers out, one of them keeps falling over.

Many boats now through Ludham, wayfarers seem to be doing well.

13:08 early boats that avoided Ludham now past Thurne mouth heading up here.

We’ve just shut up all our north facing windows, that wind is getting chilly...

The soggy laser has given up..



13:40 it’s raining, not forecast, and we’ve blue skies..



A surprising amount of boats have gone for it and headed this way first , many more than last year...



14:15:28 first boat, punt 102 round Hickling buoy...

First retirement also a punt... Gentleman helm said punt is let's say, extremely experienced, it takes many years to gain that, sadly the wind strength was just too much for him.



Punt 49 rounded buoy, went a few yards.. then capsized, righted ok but lost one position..

Reports of a white boat ( Yare and Bure one Design) sinking, rescue boat sent, they hadn’t sunk but were soggy, eventually sorted, but they retired.



And enterprise capsized shortly after rounding the mark, they sorted themselves out, and were seen sailing soggily in the direction of Potter Heigham bailing furiously.

The enterprise retired at Potter.



Had a very mad two hours while the rescue boat was attending the white boat...



17:00 48 boats seen so far many more than I expected, but the higher winds encouraged them this way.

The fastest boats are only taking 2.5 hours to get from the top of Hickling broad to the lower Bure buoy. That's 14 miles and includes taking the mast down twice..



18:00 first boat at Thurne mouth on its way back to Horning...



18:15 paramedic called to Acle bridge, injured hand,



19:00ish lead boat past Ant mouth on the way back to Horning

Large amounts of boats heading up from Acle many have already done the Hickling leg.



20:15 only 7 boats not seen at Acle and just seven between there and the lower Bure buoy. Here at Hickling we still await 32 boats.



About 21:00 small shower of rain,

We await 23 boats Acle awaits 2 boats



22:00 we await 16 boats..



23:00 a sailfish has lost its mast just up river of Martham, we await 9 boats.

It’s getting cold out there occasional short showers of rain.



00:20, all boats left have been to the lower Bure buoy,



We still await, 5 boats.



00:35 down to awaiting 3 boats of which 2 are between here and Martham, the third is between Acle and Thurne proceeding in what was called a” stately fashion.”.



05:10 we await one boat.... It’s raining again...

19 boats have RTD so far, 5 DNS



06:19 A search party has set out for .. a search party has found the missing boat, they are being advised they have no chance of finishing would they like to retire...



I'd gone to get the Landrover, from car park to quay heading, but when I returned, the OOD, had declared the errant boat OOT.



Time to pack away, radio aerial down first, the mast really didn't want to come out of the mud. At this time it started drizzling...

Once the guardship had gone I could get the pontoons moved back, a bit more difficult against the wind..

I'd just put the rescue boat away when the Hickling OOD turned up for their racing today.. to get a rescue boat out....

Then to Horning Sailing Club for breakfast, unload the gear, boats were still finishing when I left at around 09:30..



As I suspected the provisional results show 3 wayfarers in the top half dozen Boats. The fastest passage trophy to a punt and it can't be far off a record time

 

[ridgy]

We weren't able to compete this year but hope to again next year. Thanks to all for continuing to organise this iconic race.

 

[The Q]

Thanks,
This year there were 10 guardships plus a roving support boat. A guardship is a motor boat 25 to 40ft. They have 4 people on board, each has at least

1 first aid trained person and emergency kit ,

Rescue boat crew, as each Guardship has a rescue boat.

Base Radio with aerial. Hand held for the rescue boat with its kit,

Time board with all the boats on it. And various other bits of paper work, including emergency numbers for club official assistance.

The turning bouy /Mark which has a light on it,

the flashing light, flags, Guardship boards, and the one that has only been used once "Race Abandoned" board.



Back at the club there are,

The OOD, and assistant OOD

Time keepers and assistants, who update boat positions on computer, as well as recording finishing time.

Radio crew

Race entry officials who issue the Race Pack, a recording sheet for times at points of the course red white tape to fly from backstay / back of boom, numbered plastic tags to be dropped into baskets at certain turning points, emergency club phone numbers, entry lists and start times, . They then collect paper work at the end of the race, issue the plastic plate for each boat which this year says " Yachtmaster Insurance, 3 Rivers Race 28-29 May 2022, Horning Sailing Club" the colour of the plate changes each year, many boats have many of these plates screwed to a bulkhead, each Guardship gets one too.

Also issued breakfast tickets, on return of the recording sheet.

The breakfast is famous, cereal, fruit juice, sausage, bacon, beans, toast, coffee tea, all very welcome after a long race in a small boat.

The galley crew start at 08:00, Saturday, selling tea coffee , bacon / egg/ sausage rolls, and all the cans of coke etc. Breakfasts start from the first boat home this year that was at about 20:00 Saturday, through to about 14:00 on the Sunday.

In all there are over 100, volunteer unpaid crew who help run the race, the only paid person is the cleaner who comes in Monday morning...

There will be more videos which when posted I'll link to one here, This year a professional videographer has volunteered to make "official" video of the race. Once that's completed, I'll post that too

 

[dunedin]

Though not involved personally (too far away), big thanks to you and all the other dedicated volunteers who allow these events to happen. And the interesting background insights

 

[The Q]

We've had teams from Canada and individuals fly in from Hong Kong for the race. I've travelled from the outer Hebrides for the event. We have club members near Aberdeen. You would be welcome to bring a suitable boat, or hire one locally. A warning, sailing in the confines of tight rivers is very different. Sailing a 40ft cruiser up a 50ft wide river takes a different skill to the wide open spaces of the Clyde...