Harwich powerboats

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peterb

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Does anyone have any details of the powerboat races to be held at Harwich over the 30 July to 1 August weekend?

In particular, any details of courses and timings?
 
peterb said:
But no details about timing or courses. I have little interest in these events; how can I best avoid them?
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Stay at home ?

Seriously, i can't see any problems avoiding them. I doubt they'll go anywhere near the shipping lane. If you want to get out without getting close, follow the red cans. (unless i'm wrong and they are racing up the lane lol )
 
PaulGooch said:
Stay at home ?

Seriously, i can't see any problems avoiding them. I doubt they'll go anywhere near the shipping lane. If you want to get out without getting close, follow the red cans. (unless i'm wrong and they are racing up the lane lol )
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That sounds like good advice.
Might I refer you to your earlier question?





Stand on, or give way ?

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Saturday, approx 1500hrs, entering Harwich from seaward, we thought that someone had built a new marina in the harbour and all the berths were full lol. Never seen so many boats in the harbour, they seemed to be going in all directions, actually, they were going in all directions. Methinks it might not be a good idea to try to find a way through at 16 knots

The pictures below don't truly do the scene justice, there were many more boats than there appears to be in the picss and we'd already weaved through a lot of them. As we approached the harbour there were a lot of boats tacking back and forth across the harbour. Easiest solution seemed to be to give way to them all and just zig-zag in, passing across their sterns. As we approached the lot in the first picture, there wasn't a clear route through, so we stopped. The small blue and white mobo in that pic actually gave up and in the pic he is in the process of turning around, dunno where he went.
 
Page 22 would suggest there won't be a NM issued from Harwich. Certainly no mention there at the moment.

You'd expect some form of notification that this is going on would be made though. I think it would be nice to be advised of the course and times, along with any areas they would like us to keep clear of and any areas they would prefer watching boats to anchor. They obviously can't make the whole place an exclusion zone, but i'm sure if everyone knew the score, most of us would be happy to oblige.
 
I've had a reply from the organiser, who is having meetings in Harwich over the next day or two. A NTM will be issued shortly. I have suggested that it might be useful for us to know of any areas they'd like local boats to avoid and at what times (obviously will depend on the various course and race times, but i think i t would be nice for a condensed version of the previously posted pdf file, as it relates to us). I also suggested it might be useful to know of any areas they think would be best to anchor and watch the racing, without being "in the way". Perhaps much of which will be covered in the NTM.
 
Top stuff Paul!

I personally have no desire to constrain their activities... indeed it sounds like a lot of fun... and will no doubt make a great spectator sport....

I just want to know what the times/restrictions are so that I can plan to, for example, dive out Friday evening, and night sail round to North Foreland rather than leave Sat am with the next tide...
 
There should be a NTM issued shortly. But in the meantime i had this in an email :

A large volume of spectator craft is expected to congregate to watch the racing, so we will be discussing tomorrow, how we can inform local water users of the effects on their normal weekend water use.

We will be recommending that the transit line between Pye End and Mark 7 be used if it is absolutely necessary to cross the race course while racing is in progress, but we don't recommend this during the first two laps of each race. when the boats could be bunched together at high (90mph) speed.

We are getting a few thousand A5 flyers printed showing the each race course and the times that they are being used. These will be distributed by course marshals in RIBs prior to the commencement of the racing.

My suggestion for spectating would be west of Pye End.
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Likewise, i wouldn't want to get in their way. I'm planning to anchor and watch the racing on one of the day and maybe head over to Harwich and investigate the beer tents and vodka bars in the evening :) During the other day we'll most likely go fishing.

Hope it proves a great success for them. I suspect anyone planning to visit the local marinas during that weekend might be well advised to book early.
 
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