AGMs are boring aren’t they?
Normally the only way to get club members to attend an AGM is to catch them off-guard with a comment like “well I’ll see you at the
AGM then” before they’ve had time to think up a plausible excuse for not attending....
So how were we to encourage a reasonable attendance at our first proper AGM since before the Covid pandemic?
The Merchant Navy Association Boat Club has some two hundred plus members scattered throughout the UK so the first obstacle
is the question of a venue that suits at least a sizeable slice of the membership and then devise a format for the event that might be
of interest, hopefully enjoyable and ,dare I say it, even good fun!
If one has to travel two hours to and from a meeting it means, effectively, that it’s taking up a whole day. If you have to travel even
further it probably means an overnight stay. Frankly who would want to spend the time and money for a two-day round trip simply
to attend a formal meeting? Hence, our plan for the Boat Club’s 2022 AGM morphed into one for a two-day potentially interesting
and enjoyable “event” with less than one hour of the two days dedicated to the
formal Annual General Meeting.
Given that the MNA Boat Club has quite a high proportion of its membership living
in
or near to East Anglia and that we also have a very worthwhile “partnership” with
the Norfolk & Suffolk Boating Association (NSBA) to promote our “WaterWatch”
safety & surveillance initiative, we decided that a series of events on the Norfolk
Broads would be an attractive proposition and so it proved to be, with the bonus of
all-time record AGM attendance!
After much deliberation the following
events were agreed:
a visit to the fascinating
Museum of the Broads
a half-day cruise on the famous
Norfolk Wherry the “Albion”
a further half-day cruise on several of our own local members boats
We obviously needed to make sure that there would be enough accommodation
available near the venue at what, in early September, would still be a busy time with
many holidaymakers around.
We were very fortunate in making contact with three very pleasant and comfortable
guest houses withing 50 metres of the venue for the AGM in the village of Neatishead,
where we had booked the mezzanine floor of the White Horse Inn for the meeting and
an evening meal afterwards
Our programme kicked off at 11.00 am on the morning of Tuesday 6th September with
the visit to the Museum of the Broads which
proved hugely interesting and enjoyable
especially thanks to our being given a
fascinating tour conducted by Bob a very
knowledgeable and enthusiastic member of
the museum volunteer team.
Given that many of our members attending
are former professional seafarers, we were
particularly interested in the old WW2 airborne lifeboat on display (one of the very few still
in existence). One of our members was even able to provide a hitherto unrecorded local
story about one of them. (see separate report)
Moving on to the late afternoon and
evening, having got through the AGM in good time, our members and guests
proceeded to enjoy some excellent food from the White Horse’s extensive menu,
including their own local “pie of the day”.
The following morning dawned fine but storms were forecast for the afternoon.
Most of the members had elected to spend the morning (or in a few cases the
whole day) on the wherry “Albion” sailing from her base at Womack Water on the
River Thurne to Horning on the River Bure.
The afternoon was to be spent on one
of
our local members’ boats exploring the
River Ant and Barton Broad. Hence,
everyone was aboard either the
“Albion” or Richard Card’s “Ness
Nomad” or Clive Edwards’ “Elsa II” by 09.00 at the start of what was to be an enjoyable
and for some a surprisingly eventful day on the water!
Those aboard Ness Nomad and Elsa II were able to get a good view of Barton Broad
and the River Ant as well as a short side-trip to Malthouse Broad with views of Ranworth
Church known locally as the “Cathedral of The Broads”
We had planned to all rendezvous at the Swan Hotel at Horning but unfortunately the
mooring for the Albion was already occupied so she had to moor alongside the opposite bank whilst Ness Nomad and Elsa II were
able to moor at Horning Sailing Club where Clive is a member. With the aid of Albion’s tender, we then had to ferry members back
and forth during a brief break for a sandwich lunch so that those who had spent the morning on Ness Nomad and Elsa II, including
MNA President Vivien Foster OBE, were able to make the homeward passage on the Albion whilst some of those who’d been on
the Albion during the morning transferred to Ness Nomad and Elsa II for the homeward leg via the River Ant and Barton Broad.
So far so good, although sadly our Vice Commodore Paul and his wife Tracey had to depart by taxi and car to attend a medical
emergency back in Essex (happily turning out not to be as serious as first thought).
Up to now the weather had been perfect and seemed set fair for the afternoon despite the previous warning of storms . Everyone
set off from Horning in ideal conditions for what was mostly a leisurely and peaceful sail home - I say “mostly” because two-thirds of
the way into the return journey all three vessels (and Paul & Tracey’s open-top car!) were hit by a series of seriously violent squalls,
thunder and lightning and absolutely torrential rain that reduced visibility to about 50 metres!
As both Ness Nomad and Elsa II are motor cruisers all we had to do was reduce speed for about fifteen minutes until the storm
had gone through but the situation on the Albion was significantly more dramatic and is the subject of a separate report by one of
our members, David Cornes, who was on-board at the time, along with others including our President Vivien
AGM - Commodore’s Report
The internationally famous Three Rivers Race, organised by
Horning Sailing Club, takes place on the Norfolk Broads,
usually during the first week-end of June.
Background
The Three Rivers Race is one of the oldest remaining on the
Broads sailing calendar. Running every year since 1961, it is
also one of the largest inland yachting races in Europe,
encompassing three rivers and two lakes or broads in rural
Norfolk. Originally, the plan was to have boats crossing the
estuary at Breydon Water with the three rivers being the Bure,
Yare and Waveney. However, from a safety and tide aspect
this proved impractical so the northern Broadland Rivers of
the Bure, Thurne and Ant were used instead, and remain the
Three Rivers of the Race to this day.
The current challenge sees helms negotiate a course in the order of 45-50 miles, depending on conditions, rounding four buoys
located at Ludham Bridge on the Ant, on South Walsham Broad or Fleet Dyke, on Hickling Broad at the top end of the River Thurne
and downstream on the River Bure somewhere between Stokesby and Six Mile House heading towards Great Yarmouth, starting
and finishing at Horning Sailing Club on the upper Bure. The time limit for this is 24 hours from each boat's start time. There are
also 4 mast lowerings required on the course to negotiate the pair of bridges at Potter Heigham and also the bridge at Acle both
ways. Despite all of these obstacles and sometimes complex rigs, the fastest boats such as Norfolk Punts and visiting Thames A
Raters can complete the race in as little as 7 hours given favourable conditions. For those boats which cannot get back in time for a
swift pint in the Swan, a cooked breakfast is provided at the finish in the clubhouse to revive weary sailors.
All the boats are tracked at Horning Sailing Club for safety
purposes. A team of 10 fixed motor cruiser guardships plus a
range of other safety vessels keep an eye out for any problems
and report back to base via radio. The efficiency of this system
was underlined in 2001 when, for the only time so far in the
race's history, strong winds caused abandonment of the race.
Having issued the command from base at 6pm, all crews and the
vast majority of boats were either at their home moorings or back
at Horning Sailing Club by 11pm, despite being up to 15 miles
away by river, thanks to the safety network. Progress around the
course is tracked using computer software which allows the
Race Controller to see in an instant on which stretch of water
each competitor was last reported by a guardship.
The start of the race is the time for spectators to view the fleet
in one concentrated mass, waiting to be started in groups of
around 10 boats upstream of the start line at Horning Sailing
Club. The first start is usually at 11am and it takes over an hour
to get the whole fleet started. Once the fleet has reached
Thurne Mouth, yachts can usually be seen heading off in both
directions, and this decision is probably the most critical one of
the whole race, dependant as it is on wind, tide and boat
performance. The Three Rivers Race really is a test of
seamanship over a long period and covering a wide variety of
areas from close-quarters boat handling at the start to light airs sailing overnight and control at the bridge zones. Crews have
travelled to Horning from all over the World to take part in a variety of craft, including the impressive Thames A Raters, Norfolk
Punts, Half-Deckers, Yeomans, Yare and Bure ODs (White Boats), Reedlings, Rebels, Wayfarers, Enterprises and other dinghies,
traditional Broads River Cruisers and Production Cruisers. No single-handed craft are allowed.
Leaving from Horning, competitors make their way through
the street at Horning, before sailing on the more open waters
of the Bure once out of the trees. Then it becomes a matter
of tactics - ensuring that the tides and winds work in their
favour, choosing which order to sail the remainder of the
route, which includes Fleet Dyke to South Walsham Broad,
the River Ant to Ludham Bridge, under Acle Bridge to
Stokesby (or further, dependent on wind conditions on the
day) and under Potter Heigham Bridge to Hickling Broad.
As part of this course, it requires the raising and lowering of masts to get under the bridges - always a great spectator sport, with
popular viewing points including Potter Heigham and Acle, where the crowds can enjoy the excitement.
Today safety is at the forefront of the race organisers' minds, and the Three Rivers Committee, headed up by Kevin Saunders, has
been planning the 2023 race since last year.
2023 Race
Hosted by Horning Sailing Club, in the heart of the Norfolk Broads, the race is a true spectacle not to be missed, as the myriad of
boats set sail - where small dinghies such as the Norfolk Dinghy and Wayfarer can be seen sailing against the visiting Thames A
Raters, with their tall masts standing at over 40 foot high!.
This year a total of 103 boats took part, starting from Horning
Sailing Club from 11.00 am on Saturday 3
rd
June They set sail
in groups of around 10 boats at a time, starting with the Yeoman
fleet. These were followed by the Wayfarer dinghies, then
traditional Broads boats including Yares & Bures, Waveney One
Designs and mixed dinghies. More traditional Broads boats
including Reedlings, Rebels and Broads One Designs followed,
then halfdeckers and production cruisers. The faster dinghies,
including Norfolk Punts and the Thames A Raters, started after
a short gap.
With a fair wind behind them they all made their way down the
River Bure before making their individual decision as to which
route to take in order to visit all the ten marks, each of which is
watched over by a “guardship” with a rescue boat alongside able
to respond to any emergency or search for any missing or long-
overdue competitor.
Other marks which had to be rounded were those at Ludham
Bridge on the River Ant, near Stokesby on the River Bure, the
Stracey Arms Windpump and in Hickling Broad above Potter
Heigham bridges.
Some 50 river cruisers and hire cruisers make up the remainder of
the fleet, from the highly competitive to those who just want the
achievement of finishing the race. This is one of the things that makes the Three Rivers Race so special - it means something
different to each entrant. It's fantastic that after over 60 years the race is still going strong and attracting competitors from all over
the country (and even some from abroad) to take part. This year, 2023, the race included both previous winners and a number of
sailors participating for the first time.
The overall winner was a Yare & Bure One Design “Dinghy Skipper” which completed the course in 8 hours 24 minutes followed by
a Yeoman “Firefly” and a Wayfarer “Compleat Fiasco”
The MNA Boat Club Guardship “ELSA II” and her accompanying
rescue dory were crewed by Club members Clive & Lois
Edwards, RNLI Lifeboat crew members Malcolm & Jill Wright
and Steven (Rocky) Woolford. They were stationed in South
Walsham Broad at the end of the Fleet Dyke alongside the
Marine Tech fuelling jetty who’s owners were very supportive and
allowed us to use their facilities throughout the whole 24 hours.
Thank you Rod and Nina!
EVENTS
AGM - Chris Overton’s Pictorial Report
Swan Hotel, Horning
Chris Woods, Tim Brant & Paul Battagliola
Vivien, Clive, Paul Richard & Tim at the AGM
President Vivien, Becomes New Boat Club Rear Commodore
Crossing Barton Broad in Elsa II
Clive at the Helm of Elsa II
Elsa II Ships Year Old Cockerpoo Fudge
Lois on Lookout Duty through Ludham Bridge
The Calm on Albion Before Hitting the Storm
Vivien, Tim & Chris (Albion’s Skipper)
MNA Boat Club Members Aboard Albion
Wherry Albion Crewed by Boat Club Members
A Harnser (Norfolk for Heron)
Gentlemen’s Wherry Hathor
Tripping Boat Southern Comfort
The Three Rivers Race - Commodore’s Report
As regards our contribution of “ELSA ll” as a Guardship we had a fairly frantic 18 hour period even before the race started because,
on our way south down the River Ant from our mooring at Barton Turf, we suddenly started to experience a weird “surging” of our
engine which we thought might be a fuel filter. However, when checked, it was in fact perfectly clear. We were then led to believe it
might be weed round our prop and/or rudder resulting in us spending £200 on a diver, only to find that there was no significant
amount of weed affecting us!
So at 22.00 hours on 2
nd
June, less than 12 hours before we were due to lay our mark at South Walsham we had an engineer, Rob
Fearson, from Sutton Staithe Boatyard who very kindly turned out and finally diagnosed the problem which was a wholly
unexpected lack of oil in the gearbox – the cause being a leak in the gearbox cooler allowing all the oil to mix with the cooling water
and them pumped out through the exhaust!
Re-filling the gearbox enabled us at least to get to our mark at South Walsham, on time the following morning, and to get most of
the way home on the morning after the race had finished without further trouble – needless to say a new gearbox cooler is now
being installed!
Very fortunately we had some much appreciated support from Richard and Rachel Card in their handsome motor cruise “Ness
Nomad” who escorted us down the Bure and Fleet Dyke to lay our mark on the Saturday morning and then remained anchored in
South Walsham Broad throughout the day in order to ferry Jill and Nikki back to Horning before we commenced our “night watch”
Having “Ness Nomad” and Richard and Rachel’s sailing dinghy available on stand-by to relieve us if we had any further trouble
during the race was a huge relief in addition to which they were great company and help with recording the bunches of competitors
rounding the mark so a huge “thank you” to them is due.
Merchant Navy Association
Boat Club
