Hi everyone,
We are into June already (where is the year going?) and our main event this weekend is the 62nd Yachtmaster Insurance Three Rivers Race. There is already a buzz building in Horning, and all the action starts from the Club at 11am on Saturday morning. If you're watching the Race - please do share your pictures with us using the hashtag #3RR2023 or, if you cannot make it down, don't forget that the webcams provide a view of the race. We'd also like to wish all competitors the very best of luck - and a great sail!
Looking back to last weekend, we were racing on Hoveton Little Broad and, thankfully, despite worries about the weed growth, we were largely able to race without difficulty (please note that this is an issue we are continuing to pursue) - you can read our race report here. We've got plenty more news below - including a great report from Steven Middleditch on the recent Yeoman Kinsman Association trip to Lough Erne in Northern Ireland.
Commodore’s Update
Welcome to this week’s edition of Jibsheet, as we fast approach this weekend where we see our 62nd 3 Rivers Race. A very warm welcome to all our competitors, several of whom will have travelled some distance to take part. We must also give a big thank you to all our volunteers - without you it wouldn’t be possible to stage this flagship race. It is still not too late to come and help in the galley, also sell programmes.
Last weekend saw racing on the Broad; it was good to see the cruiser fleet out, with a mix from the other fleets. The day had good wind and some nice sunshine. It is somewhat concerning that this early in the season the weed is back covering large areas, we will be monitoring this.
Well done to all who took part in the Thurne Regatta, with congratulations to Chris Bolton coming 2nd in his class.
Last Saturday we had a work party to get ready for the 3 Rivers Race. It was disappointing that so few attended. Thankyou to those who came & helped, but my big thanks to Brian Levy who worked with me in the heat to cut down and tidy up the whole area across the river.
Keep a space free in your diary for Friday 7th July between 6-8pm for the Strawberries & Champagne charity event in support of the Benjamin Foundation, a very worthwhile cause. Tickets are available from Mandi Goshawk, further details will follow.
I look forward to seeing you at the weekend - I shall be going round to our guardships after the race starts have finished, then will be on duty at the Martham guardship until the race finishes.
Have a great weekend
Regards
Will – Commodore HSC
commodore@horning-sailing.club
Vice Commodore’s Clew
Well, the only show in town this week is obviously the Three Rivers Race this weekend. There will be lots to do at the Club over the next couple of days so if you have some time do come and lend a hand where you can. The atmosphere of anticipation is exciting and you will feel part of the greatest inland waterborne event of the year. If you are a competitor, good luck, and if you are a spectator have a great day out.
Thank you to all who helped out with the working party last weekend.The Club surrounds are looking better for it and we just need to try and keep it that way.
Now, some important information about the car park gate. We have had problems recently with the lock going missing so we have now acquired a new, easy to use, bicycle lock which fits the hole in the gate and has nice big numbers to set the code, which remains unchanged. When the gate is open and unlocked there is a docking piece which holds the lock, just like on a bike. Look after it, please.
Club tenders. Those of you who use the tenders to get across to the over river moorings may have noticed that the oars and seats have been refurbished and are now much more robust. This is thanks to Ron Sergeant, who has worked on these and made improvements which should ensure they last longer and work better for you.
Pontoon. The Club pontoon which usually sits on the Broad has also had some much needed renovation, mainly carried out by our Committee Member, David Gibbs. He has done some nice woodwork on the pontoon shed, which was in a bad state of repair, but now has a new lease of life.
These are both excellent examples of members who have contributed their time and skill to the Club and we are are extremely grateful to them. If you have a skill which you think could be useful (and there are many) come along and see what you can do.
Peter
Vice-commodore@horning-sailing.club
Rear Commodore’s Update
This weekend has been very busy. On Saturday morning we had a working party and thank you to everyone who helped. Izzy and I appreciate your time and effort. Afterwards we left the comfort of H.S.C to attend the Thurne Mouth Open Regatta. We were represented by Lily and Jasmine Herring winning several races and trophies in Toppers as well as Chris Bolton who also left with an armful of trophies. I can honestly say that I was very proud to be from H. S.C. The bank holiday Monday racing was run by the Fields family, who kindly agreed to teach me the ropes of running the line and races. We laughed and learnt. Which is exactly what I believe this club is all about. Perfect team work.
Lorraine & Izzy
rear-commodore@horning-sailing.club
Galley News
Firstly, many thanks to Trudy and Sue for their help in the galley last Sunday, always very much appreciated! The galley is also pleased to announce that Ann Clarke has now become part of our main team and will continue to add valuable support over the course of the season.
Our loyalty card system has now got underway and the little boat stamp has been in action. Don’t forget that each time you purchase a lunch you get a stamp and then the 8th lunch will be on us! We will then be drawing 5 completed cards for the chance to win a free 2 course meal at the end of season regatta.
Thursday
Next Thursday the galley will be open to provide drinks, snacks and a hot food option available from 8pm. Please remember to order when you arrive. If any of you from the first and second early groups wish to order food for when the groups finish, then please just ask because if we’ve got it, we’ll make it!
Next Thursdays hot option: Lemon & thyme chicken with roasted new potatoes and green beans
Thursday 15th June: Chicken curry & rice
Thursday draw winners: Alistair Mackenzie, Rose Herring, Robert Plumridge, John Gould and Christine Anderson
Congratulations and remember to come and get your free hot drink next week!
Next draw: will be for something from our large sweet basket
Sunday
As the 3 Rivers Race returns this Sunday, the goodies the galley will be offering will be slightly different. We will be serving bacon rolls and bacon and egg rolls only for breakfast. We will have our usual selection of hot drinks, cans and snacks until the last boats have begun the race, so pop and see us!
Follow us on Instagram @hscgalley
The Three Rivers Race video and a plea for Galley help
From Karen Fields:
We have done well with our amazing volunteers but still need a couple of people to cover the 2-5 shift on Sunday morning. Ideal for insomniacs!!
If you can help, please sign up in the Clubhouse.
You may also remember that last year Keith Palmer made 3RR the Movie 2022 which included clips from the public. This year, he is seeking more footage – see how you can get involved here
Yeoman Kinsman Association trip to Lough Erne by Steven Middleditch
Lough Erne is a large inland fresh water lake in Northern Ireland, with the town of Enniskillen on its Southern end, which the locals call the narrow Lough. The Lough then widens as it moves North towards the Atlantic Coast and the Border with the Irish Republic. About a third of the way up the Lough from Enniskillen is the Lough Erne Sailing Club. This club was built on the remains of a World War 2 Seaplane base which used to operate the Catalina type aircraft. Not much remains of the base except a launch ramp, and a single hanger. The Club uses this to store its sailing dinghies, masts up ready to sail, and all in exceptional condition!
Lough Erne Sailing club has a growing fleet of Yeomans. This started quite early on when Cdr P. M. Crichton (RN) acquired Y22 Crista from new, and sailed her on the Lough for many years. The story goes that Cdr. Crichton taught Prince Philip how to sail, and as a thank you was brought Crista. Much later in the club history there were several attempts to start a fleet of smaller boats to complement the J24 fleet established at the Club, this involved GP14’s, then moved to Squibs. While racing in light airs, Cdr Crichton kept leaving the Squibs behind, thus persuading club member John Mcrea to purchase his own Yeoman, and then another 3 boats to ‘start things off’. From this there are now 20 Yeomans in Loch Erne Sailing Club.
There has always been a desire to link the Yeoman fleets in England with the Irish fleet. However, it took the enthusiasm and drive of their new fleet captain, Gerry O’Daly, contacting myself as Secretary of the Yeoman Kinsman Association to start this off. He asked for 8 people, 2 from each fleet, to fly over to Belfast, and they would sort the rest. 8 Yeoman sailors were found from NBYC, Coldham Hall SC and of course Allan Dornan and myself from Horning Sailing Club. A date was set for Friday 19th of May, and before we knew it, we were on Easy Jet flights from the UK heading for Ireland.
Friday was not a sailing day, but a gentle introduction onto the Lough on 3 motor cruisers, touring the lower Lough, into Enniskillen and onto an Island on which an abandoned Abbey lay. Not quite like St Bennet's Abbey, but the comparison was made..
Saturday was more serious, with a series of 4 races. Not quite Ireland versus Norfolk, but the vibes were there. The morning races saw 9 boats, 6 of which contained Norfolk sailors. The Course was a simple two marks beating/running course in the middle Lough area, which was a couple miles in length in a Lough that was a couple of miles wide. There are several Islands funnelling wind causing some interesting wind shifts. Spinnakers were used by most boats which gave for colourful scenes, and dominance in the racing for those boats using them. David Taitt sailing with local Raymond Morrison (helming) took the first race in Y177 Lady Rose. Raymond is the man to beat in LESC. I managed a 3rd place, being given the honour of helming Y22 Crista with Ian Forsthye (owner) as crew. Allan Dornan came in a respectable 5th place crewing Declan Dooley in Y167 Honeybee. The second race wasn’t far off on the results except Ben Adams from Coldham Hall finished ahead of his Coldham Hall Rival David. I’d like to say this pushed me into my 4th place, but unfortunately this was entirely my fault as , thinking I was on my second lap, I took an advantageous wide tack across the Lough only to hear the first boat take the bell across the line. I reached back to the line to go across 4th placed, second behind Y177 Lady Rose and Y81 Nelly Kelly sailed by local Brendan Gallagher. For me this was like hooking a giant fish and dropping it from the side of the boat. I was harassing the first placed boat on the last mark, well ahead of third place.
The afternoon racing saw me change boat because of a parted Jib Halyard. The club boat Y29 Amber was kindly provided. Unfortunately, no Spinnaker, so I joined Andrew and Daphne Musgrave; and Michael and Francis Holmes from NBYC, who also had less interesting runs. Race 3 saw a change in the weather. The fleet was running, when the wind changed 180 degrees in a matter of seconds and the rain started. This created chaos in the Spinnaker flying boats. David Taitt recovered quickly and managed to cross the line first, Michael and Frances took full advantage of the change in conditions and came in second with Andrew and Daphne pulling a third place. Second and third places to NBYC. The final race saw consistent wind and equally consistent rain giving David Taitt his second win of the day, ensuring first place overall in the series. Local Michael Brines in Y60 Growler took second place and our own Allan Dornan took 3rd place. Second place overall was split between 3 helms, I shared second place on helming overall, but as I changed boats, this was not shown on the result sheet, so real second place went to Y60 Growler helmed by Michael Brines and Y81 helmed by local Brendan Gallagher. Allan Dornan had a solid third place overall. Not a bad showing for HSC really.
Saturday evening was a haze of food and drink. The hospitality shown by our hosts was both warm and naturally given. It was clear that our presence was as well enjoyed by the club members as it was received by us.
Sunday came and the sailing changed down a gear. A cruise had been arranged to the Northern end of the Lough and to a gin distillery. This was almost as enjoyable as the sail there and back, but truly the joy of the day was in the journey. Further North the Lough widened out and the islands fell behind us. Our small boats looked both lost in the landscape of the Lough, but also at home. The fleet at Lough Erne has grown and made this another dwelling of the Yeoman class. Their boats have evolved slightly differently than the Broads boats. They all have bulkheads under the forward deck, sealed rear lockers and, where no seat tanks are fitted, buoyancy bags are attached under the seats. The Lough can swallow these crafts whole if they can’t float when swamped. There has been no obsession with centre winches. Short tacking doesn’t happen, 2 side winches work well.
There was one more surprise of the weekend. A BBQ in the evening with speeches and a presentation of LESC pennants for each of the represented clubs. The club historian stood up and told the story of the yeoman fleet. Stories seem to be the local currency, the story of this weekend will surely be told many times on both sides of the Irish sea, but I think it will be told with more flair, and frequency, in this special place on the shores of Lough Erne.
Helm & Crew Opportunities
Don’t forget that I am coordinating helms & crews who wish to get on the water... so, if you are a helm looking for a crew, or a crew looking to get on the water now, please contact me (Holly) on holly.hancock@me.com with your requirements and contact details, I will do my best to coordinate these requests. At the moment we have more helms looking for crews, than crews looking for opportunities – so if you are keen to get on the water, it’s a great time to do so!
Could you contribute to Jibsheet?
We are looking for members both young and old to make occasional or regular contributions to Jibsheet – whether it be your sailing journey so far, achievements or experiences, thoughts on your sailing activities, suggestions for what you’d like to see – or simply information you’d like to share with others – please contact Holly if you would like to know more - news@horning-sailing.club
Easy Fundraising
If you haven’t signed up yet to support the Club through online shopping, you can do so here at https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/horningsc/ - a huge thank you to everyone who has supported us in this way!
Follow us on social media
Please do keep in touch and follow us on social media for our latest news and updates. We’re on Facebook (page here, group here), Twitter and Instagram. HSC’s Galley Instagram account is @HSCGalley.