Spring Open Regatta

Published 07:12 on 19 May 2026

Gentle but fickle winds greeted the sailors taking part in our Spring Open Regatta. Alongside occasional holes in the breeze, huge wind shifts kept competitors constantly on their toes around the expansive course set by PRO Tom Riviere, making full use of a weed-free broad.

In the first race, Jane Pye showed she had no need for crew aboard her Wayfarer, skilfully navigating the tricky conditions to take victory.

The second race brought something of a first for the club — or at least the first in many years — as four half-decker keelboats joined the fleet. Racing was divided into All Comers A, All Comers B, and Half-Deckers.

Two of the half-deckers, Isis and Windrush, were Hickling boats, while Oriel and Bright Wave had travelled from further afield. As the visiting boats had fixed keels, the half-deckers sailed a separate course that took them down the channel to the end of the broad.

Meanwhile, competitors in All Comers A were confronted by a sudden calm just before their start, leaving many struggling simply to reach the line before the All Comers B fleet, due to start three minutes later.

Once the wind returned, however, the race quickly came to life, with the two punts soon pulling clear of the fleet. In All Comers B, a close battle developed between the three Solos, but it was Mike Gower who eventually triumphed in his Solution.

After an excellent lunch provided by Ros and Nigel, attention turned to the ever-popular pursuit race — always a favourite with sailors, if not quite so much with the race box team!

With the half-deckers taking part, the entire fleet sailed the longer course down the channel to the end of the broad and back. The half-deckers started first, with the remaining fleets joining at staggered intervals. Thirteen minutes after the initial start, the punts set off in pursuit of the rest of the fleet.

Despite the freshening breeze, the punts were unable to catch the leaders. Bright Wave claimed victory ahead of Oriel, with the first punt, Peregrine, finishing third.

A huge thank you goes to all the volunteers who made the event possible, especially Tom Riviere and his team in the race box for handling the challenges of new handicaps and staggered starts so smoothly.

Last updated 07:12 on 19 May 2026