3 Rivers Race 2025

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The Q

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Why have I posted this already?
Because bookings for hire boats for the 2025 have already occurred!!
The expected date is the 31st May- 1st June 2025.
The race? 50 miles under 3 bridges twice, boats from 14ft to 40ft, the record is now 7 hours 31 minutes, 27 seconds!!! Could you do better?
Entries open early next year.. here Home


If you haven't got your own suitable boat these 3 companies will be brave enough to hire out a boat to experienced yachters for the race.

Martham Boats - Norfolk Broads Cruiser & Yacht Boat Hire

https://huntersyard.co.uk/

Eastwood Whelpton | Sailing On The Norfolk Broads

Some of the starts Saturday..
 
Any news on where the leaders are in the light wind? - Any videos of short tacking - Haven't reached Potter Higham yet.
 
Sorry i was out out on the water unable to reply.
There are various videos and pictures on Facebook broads forums, particularly the "Three Rivers Race" and " The Three Rivers Race Norfolk for Enthusiasts"
Also I'm sure videos will appear on youtube over the next few days.

The overall winner was Chris Bunn in Yare and Bure 142 "Fox"
65 boats finished from the original 119 entries.
There were 6 different classes of boat in the top 10 places.

On the enthusiasts pages is a full result list.
 
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Assumed you were racing but thought other people on the forum might be watching from the river banks and report -

Impressed with the skill of sailing such narrow waterways, both ways, so windward one way all around, some shooting the bridges without stopping, the ones that judged the tide just right to carry the flood to Hickling and the ebb back, how fast the tide seemed to be running at Potter Heigham, both ways, even though the water doesn't seem to go up and down far - would like to see a video of tacking on one of the narrowest parts - found some on Q post in thread 'Narrow Channels'

- and that so many of the boats are vintage, wooden, in incredibly good condition - so they got the design right then and haven't been bettered for the broads - even the Wayfarers are a 68 year old design and haven't changed much - didn't see many modern design boats at all.

Shame that the wind dropped completely overnight.

Looking forward to watching next year now.
 
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Not racing, I've done that too many times..
There are 10 to 12 Guardships round the course, each crewed by a minimum of 4 people, who are first aiders , and rescue boat crew, each of Guardships has an accompanying rescue boat.
Other duties include noting boats as they go past, then radioing times and next destination to control back in Horning Sailing club.
Ive been one of the crew occupying the Hickling Guardship for some years, we are greatful to Martham boats for loaning a boat for that duty each year.
This year
Jocelyn 4 very nice their boats are too, they would be my choice of motorboat to hire.

We are also greatful to:

Martham boats, Martham Boats - Norfolk Broads Cruiser & Yacht Boat Hire
The Hunters yard historic fleet Traditional Norfolk Broads Sailing - Hunter's Yard
Eastwood Whelpton, Sail On The Norfolk and Suffolk Broads With Eastwood Whelpton

For hiring out sailing boats for the event, lending thousand of pounds worth of boats out for such an event is very trusting... There were over 20 out this year..

You can always hire one for next year..

Next year's race is likely to be 30th, 31st May 2026, entries normally open very early January and close the end of April.
Full details here.
Home
 
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The Q said:
Not racing, I've done that too many times..
There are 10 to 12 Guardships round the course, each crewed by a minimum of 4 people, who are first aiders , and rescue boat crew, each of Guardships has an accompanying rescue boat.
Other duties include noting boats as they go past, then radioing times and next destination to control back in Horning Sailing club.
Ive been one of the crew occupying the Hickling Guardship for some years, we are greatful to Martham boats for loaning a boat for that duty each year.
This year
Jocelyn 4 very nice their boats are too, they would be my choice of motorboat to hire.

We are also greatful to:

Martham boats, Martham Boats - Norfolk Broads Cruiser & Yacht Boat Hire
The Hunters yard historic fleet Traditional Norfolk Broads Sailing - Hunter's Yard
Eastwood Whelpton, Sail On The Norfolk and Suffolk Broads With Eastwood Whelpton

For hiring out sailing boats for the event, lending thousand of pounds worth of boats out for such an event is very trusting... There were over 20 out this year..

You can always hire one for next year..

Next year's race is likely to be 30th, 31st May 2026, entries normally open very early January and close the end of April.
Full details here.
Home
Click to expand...
The race looks fantastic.

I did a fair bit of river sailing as a boy but we didn’t have bridges to contend with. Biggest challenges were overhanging trees and getting stuck on the mud if you were sufficiently determined to cheat the current by sailing on the shore side of any grazing cattle.

Maybe that’s the future of the America’s Cup. Certainly more relatable than the current format.
 
creeks said:
Impressive skill on display here:

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=4063709220552631
Click to expand...
That's Chris Bunn in Yare and Bure one design, "Fox" , the winner of the overall trophy for the race.
What you don't see is he then raises the sail and sails the 800 ft to the next bridge, dropping it for that before sailing on, the second bridge is modern concrete has 10ft airdraft and 80 ft wide.. most others having shot the first bridge paddle to the next.
When I was sailing the race, I found shooting the bridges saved about an hour in race time in total. That's a big number to improve your results.

The race matrix is here. Home
The most left hand number is the number allocated to each boat in the race, the most right hand number is the resulting position on handicap.

It'll be a few days before the trophy winners list comes out, we're all volunteers running the race, and Toby who processes the results, was back at school teaching maths on Monday morning.
 
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