What’s Happened to Burnham Week?

[The Q]

Princess Anne is still involved with sailing , but not racing.. She has turned up at the odd club when there is something to open or the like..

Gone are the days when papers tried to encourage sailing for the masses.. they just now say it's something for the rich..

 

[Frayed Knot]

Gone are the days when papers tried to encourage sailing for the masses.. they just now say it's something for the rich..

Funny that, innit? If you own an average sailing cruiser you’ll be seen as a privileged “toff” but own a caravan of similar value & you’re an everyman.

Mind you, I’d rather pay the maintenance costs on a caravan!

 

[johnalison]

Princess Anne is still involved with sailing , but not racing.. She has turned up at the odd club when there is something to open or the like..

Gone are the days when papers tried to encourage sailing for the masses.. they just now say it's something for the rich..

The Mirror dinghies and Offshore were examples of an encouragement for self-improvement. It's a bit of a drift, but the Daily Mirror was anything but a toff's paper in the '50s and '60s but they also sponsored national children's art competitions and had shows in London. I went to a couple and they were very well done. The Mirror also started the National Youth Orchestra. I can't see the Mirror or Sun doing anything remotely like this today.

 

[Tomahawk]

Funny that, innit? If you own an average sailing cruiser you’ll be seen as a privileged “toff” but own a caravan of similar value & you’re an everyman.
...

Even though a mobey or caravan will often cost more than a modest old yacht..

Then look at the peeps who are involved in motor racing. Those cars cost serious dosh. Although they may be sponsored, you still have to have a deep pocket to start in the sport. Yet they are obviously OK geezers and not rich yotting bstards..

 

[Capt Popeye]

That’s an interesting point. I suppose that you could add The Princess Royal and Edward Heath to the list of notables, and yachtsmen such as Laurie Smith were prominent. Although I don’t follow racing these days, Ben Ainslie is really the only name that comes to mind as someone in the public eye.

Well Bob Fisher was a very longstanding Yachting Correspondent , covering many Newspapers in his time ; also covering TV etc ; as well being a most competant Sailor , or Crewing for the Great and Good ; Bob originated from the East Coast rivers and clubs ; Burnham etc ; there are now Names that have their early history associated with them Essex Rivers ; Musto (Keith Musto) , Reg White (Catarmaran design) , Pearce dinghy Racing , plus a world fastest sailng boat record ; many East Coasters moved to Cowes /Solent area as the World of GB Sailng went down that way ; Suppost that resulted in the decline of Burnham as a Centre for Dinghy Racing , eventually

Amended as Reg White see post below by Dee Bee thank ylou CP

 

[Dee Bee]

Reg White - Olympic Gold Medallist is who you mean

 

[john_q]

They still have evening racing on Wednesdays at Burnham, but like all the other racing, much fewer boats

 

[nigelm]

They still have evening racing on Wednesdays at Burnham, but like all the other racing, much fewer boats

yup , BSC , shame it’s not open to non members , I might be up for that next year, found out they do Saturday & Sunday cruiser racing plus the Wednesday evening ?

 

[fifer]

I live in Suffolk, so about an hour further... Of our crew, only 2 regulars live within an hour's drive of Hamble.

I grew up sailing on the east coast, but only cruising, and got into racing later. Which prompted a move to Southampton.
Circumstances have dragged me back to Suffolk, and whilst I've looked into east coast yacht racing, I've decided it's not for me. The 3 hour drive down is the better option...

The reality is that if you want competitive racing within a not completely absurd travel time, the Solent is really the place to be.

If you want to give racing a try, drop me a PM. If I don't have a spot I'll probably be able to find you one on a friendly crew.

Thats a very kind offer thankyou. I suspect it'd be next spring before I'd be able to commit but may well drop you a message in the new year to enquire.

 

[PeterWright]

yup , BSC , shame it’s not open to non members , I might be up for that next year, found out they do Saturday & Sunday cruiser racing plus the Wednesday evening ?

Hi,

I'm a member of BSC, having first joined in my racing days when I was already a member of the now defunct CYC next door just so I could enter the Wed evening series.If you do most ofvthe series, their membership fee is hardly enough to deter you, even at today's prices - £98 single or £134 for a couple, reduced if you're under 30 or over 65. This club also has a very successful junior section with first class training facilities and instructors - it's so poular that they had to close it to new members part way through this season because they couldn't handle any further trainees.

When at the Crouch Yacht Club, I tried to persuade fellow committee members that our club would die if we did not offer dinghy training, not that it would have been easy as the club had no dinghy park, but could not get any enthusiasm for the idea. Sadly my prophecy was realised within a decade. It seemed ibvious to me that no young family wanting to take up sailing in Burnham, with a choice of 4 clubs, would chose the one which offered nothing for the children.

Peter.

 

[Tomahawk]

Hi,

I'm a member of BSC, having first joined in my racing days when I was already a member of the now defunct CYC next door just so I could enter the Wed evening series.If you do most ofvthe series, their membership fee is hardly enough to deter you, even at today's prices - £98 single or £134 for a couple, reduced if you're under 30 or over 65. This club also has a very successful junior section with first class training facilities and instructors - it's so poular that they had to close it to new members part way through this season because they couldn't handle any further trainees.

When at the Crouch Yacht Club, I tried to persuade fellow committee members that our club would die if we did not offer dinghy training, not that it would have been easy as the club had no dinghy park, but could not get any enthusiasm for the idea. Sadly my prophecy was realised within a decade. It seemed ibvious to me that no young family wanting to take up sailing in Burnham, with a choice of 4 clubs, would chose the one which offered nothing for the children.

Peter.

To clarify.. BSC in your context is Burnham Sailing Club?
CYC is the now defiunct Crouch Yacht Club

There are of course another pair of CYC and BSC.. Colne YC and Brightlingsea SC

 

[ex-Gladys]

Are you surprised when at SIBS when I last went (2019?) a racing Wayfarer was north of £20,000??? Goodness knows what a competitive 505 must cost!

 

[PeterWright]

To clarify.. BSC in your context is Burnham Sailing Club?
CYC is the now defiunct Crouch Yacht Club

There are of course another pair of CYC and BSC.. Colne YC and Brightlingsea SC

In the context of a thread on Burnham Week, the initials do, indeed refer to the two clubs you name in full and I think most folk can work that out.

 

[Daydream believer]

Secondly, yachts have got bigger. Short tacking a Stella over the tide on the Crouch mudflats is great fun, but in a Dufour 40 it's just tedious. T

Been there , done that, had the "T" shirt. great fun for 10 years nearly every weekend in my Stella. In the 70s. However when I went up a gear to a Ufo 34 it became hard work. Then on a 45 ft boat it was just plain awful, sailing in a ditch.

One also has to realise that the Crouch is silting up. The Pile house line is no more for bigger boats-- Or so i am told, due to the Horse shoal getting worse. Is that true? I have only sailed in the Crouch a couple of times in the last 18 years in spite of being based in the Blackwater. Sailing round the Swallowtail is not the most exciting experience. I cannot nip across the Ray sand as I could in my Stella, whilst dipping the water with my bamboo cane.

But if anyone wants to race in the Blackwater then the BJRC racing is fairly well supported, due to the really hard work of the organisers. I keep threatening to participate, but whilst I can still cruise SH to the Channel Islands etc. there is no competition between the two. One has to be set up for racing or cruising. It is no good trying to race a boat with 4 barrowloads of cruising gear aboard. So even the occassional race is out. Some time ago, I did do a race &they disqualified me for using my Aeries,( because I was single handed). Kind of put me off.

 

[DanTribe]

Quote, "Been there , done that, had the "T" shirt. great fun for 10 years nearly every weekend in my Stella. In the 70s. However when I went up a gear to a Ufo 34 it became hard work. Then on a 45 ft boat it was just plain awful, sailing in a ditch."

I guess we must have raced each other, We had *32 from 1978 to 1999. It was good fun but we were younger and times were different. No marina for much of those times, so swinging moorings and use the launch service. Much socialising started on the launches.
Resolution; "I'm not drinking this afternoon, going straight home for a nap"
The launch dropped us off at CYC.
"coming for a quick half?"
"Oh, OK, just a quick one then"
The day was lost!

 

[Daydream believer]

Yes I was a CYC member for 10 year or more. ( Stella 104- Tucker Brown mooring) But I spent a lot of my time in the Royal Burnham & the Steward knew me by name You are right about the punditry in the launch ?
But I Joined Stone SC in 1963 & have been a member ever since. That is where my true loyalty lies.
However, If the CYC still existed, I might also have a reason to take my cruiser there sometimes.
As well as SSC my son is a member of the dinghy sailing club to the west where he often races his Phantom

 

[Marmalade]

BJRC (Blackwater Joint Racing Committee) seems to be still quite active - open to all clubs on the Blackwater - not sure if it's an all-comers thing though. BJRC – Blackwater Joint Racing Committee

 

[johnalison]

BJRC (Blackwater Joint Racing Committee) seems to be still quite active - open to all clubs on the Blackwater - not sure if it's an all-comers thing though. BJRC – Blackwater Joint Racing Committee

I'm glad to hear that. We used to have a lot of fun with them in the '70s-'80s. The turnout was usually anything from a dozen to about forty boats and we would race whenever my work allowed with a 1:3 rota. I'm not sure why we weren't racing in this picture from around '75/76 but the range of boats is fairly typical. The Pioneer 10 on the left was Terry Swann's 'Achievement'.

 

[DownWest]

Sorry to hear about the decline on the Crouch. We used to 'do' Burnam Week in the late 50's & early 60's. C class cruisers, just behind the Stellas. Many happy memories.
The dinghys back then were a white cloud behind us, very large numbers. Living at Broxbourne, not so far.

 

[DoubleEnder]

Thread revival

I’m not much of a racer but have been involved in some classic yacht events.

Burnham must have been brilliant in the past with the waterfront bustling, race boats on the trots, crews filling clubs and pubs, bands playing. Kim Holman designing a killer boat on a beer mat, all that groovy 60s vibe, Rothmans King Size, sunbeam Alpines in the car park, Twiggy in the colour supplement…

I was there recently and it has changed yes. Everything else has changed too. It’s a long time ago.

But I think there is a Stella fleet on the Orwell and at least some well resourced owners. Maybe it’s time for the east coast to get in on the nostalgia for 20th century glamour. A bit like the Goodwood Festival of Speed…. Especially the speed