Sunshine and breeze made for a fantastic weekend at Horning Sailing Club, it being the penultimate weekend of the 2022 season. With Saturday being Commodore’s Day, informal races were the main aim – with dinghies revelling in the warm and blustery conditions, enjoying fun races and challenges.
Sunday saw the second year of the Club’s newly introduced annual Autumn Regatta. It was the first time all craft had returned to Hoveton Little Broad and, thankfully, the weed problems experienced earlier in the season appeared to have abated, causing only a few difficulties. All three races were a ‘bloodbath’ format – meaning that all the keelboats started together, as did the dinghies – making for a busy start line. With Yeomans, Rebels, a Yare & Bure and Reedling all sailing at once, it was extremely close at the first few buoys, before the fleet started to spread out. The first race saw Geoff Stubbs (Yeoman – Tara) lead from the start, to eventually finish first, with Kevin Edwards (Rebel Maid) second, and Kevin Saunders (Reedling – Cockatrice) third. Both the second and third races were led by Toby Fields (Yeoman – Tanskey) before being overhauled by Geoff in Tara, who would go on to win all three races, with Tanskey coming second in races two and three, third places going to Chris Bolton (Yeoman – Folly) in the second race, and Paul Clarke (Yeoman – Two C Sons) in the third race. Overall, in the Allcomers A fleet, the Black Horse Cup for first place was won by Geoff Stubbs, with the Bloodbath Trophy for Second Overall going to Toby Fields.
In the Allcomers B dinghy fleet, two wins by Hamish Harmer in his Splash were enough to secure him the Peter Pan Trophy, whilst William Woolston - with a first, second and third - won the Club Challenge Cup B for Second Overall in his Laser. The Ladies Trophy went to Anya Gittins sailing her Topper, with a second and two thirds.
Next weekend sees Horning Sailing Club’s End of Season Regatta, with racing on Hoveton Little Broad on Saturday afternoon, and on the river Sunday.