Ed Weiss
New member
Any advice, cautionary tales, wisdom etc relating to a novice crew looking to do the Broads three rivers race in 2025. 17 foot trailor sailor, so best launch site for trailer storage etc please, thanks, Ed
Broads three rivers race
- Thread starter Ed Weiss
- Start date
The Q
Well-known member
You can launch from the club car park. Preferably on the Friday or up to several days early, the car park is very busy on a Saturday, the club allows the trailer to be left on the Club grounds or the Swan Green that adjoins it. You can moor the boat at the club. Just find a space..
If for some reason you couldn't use the club slipway, just the other side of the swan green is the parish slipway. Iirc that's £16 to get the key to the slipway gate, half of which is returned when you return the key. ( Key at newsagents / post office 100 yards away).
I've done the race about 25 times, of which half a dozen were in a Lysander 17..
Study tide times that's really important..
My favourite site..
Norfolk-Broads.org Tide Table
Hitting the lower Bure on time makes a big difference, though +- 1 hour is ok. Remember the fresh water on the surface keeps going out after the tide has turned to come in.
Getting to Heigham bridge with the tide coming in hopefully, and returning with the tide going out would also be perfect, it's a darned hard paddle through the against the tide.. we actually made a quant pole that joined in the middle it's easier than paddling. The water is 3 to 4 feet deep at the bridge. So your quant pole should be 8 to 10 ft long if you want one.
Practice dropping the mast, if you've an A frame so much the better. Stopping, tying up, to drop the mast, will cost you an hour to two hours of race time against dropping it quickly in the middle of the river.
First Race start at almost high tide next year, but you are in what HSC class as a "Production Cruiser" which normally start a fair way down the list , maybe an hour later.
Wind,
strong wind and you could do ludham bridge and South Walsham broad first, then go to the lower bure mark. Then back with the tide to Heigham bridge.
Light wind and you might have to do one or both short legs on the way back from Hickling Broad.
Until you get to ant mouth you can't really make the decision which way to go.. just plan alternatives
Hickling Broad, keep within the deep water channel marked by red and green telegraph poles. Outside that it's shallow and weed infested.. you might see someone go way off that but they either have local knowledge or are about to run aground.
Don't be surprised if you have to stop at some point overnight when the wind stops, just hold onto / tie onto the bank and wait. Take warm clothing you can get into easily into, you can go from sunburn during the day to drizzly fog and very chilly overnight. Don't all fall asleep and wake up to find the rest have sailed off without you.
Never give up, we reached the down river end of the village with half an hour to go.. we made it in 23:57 and a few seconds on handicap finished halfway up the fleet..
If for some reason you couldn't use the club slipway, just the other side of the swan green is the parish slipway. Iirc that's £16 to get the key to the slipway gate, half of which is returned when you return the key. ( Key at newsagents / post office 100 yards away).
I've done the race about 25 times, of which half a dozen were in a Lysander 17..
Study tide times that's really important..
My favourite site..
Norfolk-Broads.org Tide Table
Hitting the lower Bure on time makes a big difference, though +- 1 hour is ok. Remember the fresh water on the surface keeps going out after the tide has turned to come in.
Getting to Heigham bridge with the tide coming in hopefully, and returning with the tide going out would also be perfect, it's a darned hard paddle through the against the tide.. we actually made a quant pole that joined in the middle it's easier than paddling. The water is 3 to 4 feet deep at the bridge. So your quant pole should be 8 to 10 ft long if you want one.
Practice dropping the mast, if you've an A frame so much the better. Stopping, tying up, to drop the mast, will cost you an hour to two hours of race time against dropping it quickly in the middle of the river.
First Race start at almost high tide next year, but you are in what HSC class as a "Production Cruiser" which normally start a fair way down the list , maybe an hour later.
Wind,
strong wind and you could do ludham bridge and South Walsham broad first, then go to the lower bure mark. Then back with the tide to Heigham bridge.
Light wind and you might have to do one or both short legs on the way back from Hickling Broad.
Until you get to ant mouth you can't really make the decision which way to go.. just plan alternatives
Hickling Broad, keep within the deep water channel marked by red and green telegraph poles. Outside that it's shallow and weed infested.. you might see someone go way off that but they either have local knowledge or are about to run aground.
Don't be surprised if you have to stop at some point overnight when the wind stops, just hold onto / tie onto the bank and wait. Take warm clothing you can get into easily into, you can go from sunburn during the day to drizzly fog and very chilly overnight. Don't all fall asleep and wake up to find the rest have sailed off without you.
Never give up, we reached the down river end of the village with half an hour to go.. we made it in 23:57 and a few seconds on handicap finished halfway up the fleet..
Last edited:
The Q
Well-known member
Oh entries open normally early January, closing some time in April..
Remember to call your RACE number out as you pass each guardship along with your next destination.
I should be on Hickling Broad outside the clubhouse counting you all past.. and reporting times back to control.
Remember to call your RACE number out as you pass each guardship along with your next destination.
I should be on Hickling Broad outside the clubhouse counting you all past.. and reporting times back to control.
The Q
Well-known member
Question I assume you have a lifting keel but what is your keel down rudder down draft?
Ed Weiss
New member
Hi, all superb, and I mean superb information thanks. Yes lifting keel. It'll float in a puddle with the keel up. I'll read and re-read the above. Many thanks, Ed
The Q
Well-known member
In that case you'll be able to use the club slipway, , once launched the water depth actually at the slipway and round the back of the island is normally just over 3 ft..
Ed Weiss
New member
Thanks
Nimrod18
Member
I entered my first 3 Rivers this year (2024) in my Westerly Nimrod 18 footer.
In line with comments above, launched on Friday at sailing club and moored up to the W of the club’s island. Trailer parked with others on the grass just to the east of the car park entrance. My first time ‘deploying’ my trailer sailer from Rutland, but easy ramp and all were incredibly welcoming.
Our mast up-and-down used a gin pole and the mainsheet as a block and tackle. Worked well, simple.
Paddle board paddles were really useful for bridges and recovering from reeds. Next year I will definitely take a punting pole to help too.
Do take heed of the potential to just pull in and have a kip. We fought an adverse current for 2 hours for nil gain. Could have slept whilst tied up.
Three colours of bike lights seems to be the norm for nav lights. We did have a confusing beak-to-beak encounter at 0300 with a broads yacht who had their port and starboard the wrong way around. All part of the fun.
A note of caution. In places the broads are very narrow and there are trees and houses that throw some unkind wind shadows. With the relatively stubby cruiser masts, and (I’d guess) small lateral underwater area of a trailer sailer, it is really easy to go nowhere / sideways when short tacking. Frustrating! Ahead of next year I’m going to practice roll tacking and shifting quickly to low gear sailing; we spent a lot of time in the reeds. Like, a lot of time…
We didn’t complete the course. Retired around 0700 about 4ish miles from the end when the wind died. Annoyingly it came back later (see ‘pull in and have a kip’). 3 of us on board; all reflected that it was definitely challenging, but all were banging away on wattsapp about the 2025 race within 2 days…! Great scenes.
In line with comments above, launched on Friday at sailing club and moored up to the W of the club’s island. Trailer parked with others on the grass just to the east of the car park entrance. My first time ‘deploying’ my trailer sailer from Rutland, but easy ramp and all were incredibly welcoming.
Our mast up-and-down used a gin pole and the mainsheet as a block and tackle. Worked well, simple.
Paddle board paddles were really useful for bridges and recovering from reeds. Next year I will definitely take a punting pole to help too.
Do take heed of the potential to just pull in and have a kip. We fought an adverse current for 2 hours for nil gain. Could have slept whilst tied up.
Three colours of bike lights seems to be the norm for nav lights. We did have a confusing beak-to-beak encounter at 0300 with a broads yacht who had their port and starboard the wrong way around. All part of the fun.
A note of caution. In places the broads are very narrow and there are trees and houses that throw some unkind wind shadows. With the relatively stubby cruiser masts, and (I’d guess) small lateral underwater area of a trailer sailer, it is really easy to go nowhere / sideways when short tacking. Frustrating! Ahead of next year I’m going to practice roll tacking and shifting quickly to low gear sailing; we spent a lot of time in the reeds. Like, a lot of time…
We didn’t complete the course. Retired around 0700 about 4ish miles from the end when the wind died. Annoyingly it came back later (see ‘pull in and have a kip’). 3 of us on board; all reflected that it was definitely challenging, but all were banging away on wattsapp about the 2025 race within 2 days…! Great scenes.
The Q
Well-known member
Learning when to hold a long curve along the bank when against the tide, or tack earlier when with the tide. Plus hiding behind the curve of the river bank when the tide is against you for as long as possible , is all part of river sailing.
Tacking up the River Ant which can be a little as 50ft wide, in a 20ft trailer sailer is fun, some competitors are doing it in a 40ft broads cruisers.
Unfortunately you don't have nearly 45years of sailing in circles to know what's coming up next, that only comes with practice.
Tacking up the River Ant which can be a little as 50ft wide, in a 20ft trailer sailer is fun, some competitors are doing it in a 40ft broads cruisers.
Unfortunately you don't have nearly 45years of sailing in circles to know what's coming up next, that only comes with practice.