3 Rivers Race 2023.

[The Q]

The Entries for the 3 Rivers Race 3rd 4th June 2023, are now open. On https://www.3rr.uk/
Are you up to the challenge?
The Race, from Horning , Norfolk UK.
50 miles ,
Under 3 bridges, (twice) one of which has only 6 ft air draft.
Rivers from 200ft wide down to 50ft wide.
You have 24 hours to complete the course,
Boats from 14ft to 40ft.
The record is about 8 hours,
The worst 13 boats finished,
In excess of 100 boats enter each year.

A video of last year's race,

 

[nolatom]

Might be fun to watch from one of those bridges if weather is good for a picnic. You get to see masts un-stepped and stepped again. Is that a true test of sailing skills? Seamanship, maybe yes, you have to have the design and the strength to do it, must be a pain in the ass if you have a lot of standing rigging. How to make the boat go fast and react to windshifts? Maybe no so much, don't the easy-down, easy-up, probably much smaller rigs, have a huge advantage?

The searoom hails and "you tack" must get really complex?

 

[The Q]

Some of the forty footers can drop their mast ( and get it up again) as quick as a dinghy, it helps when you have a tall tabernacle, the mast stepped on the hull, and a large lump of lead to counter Balance the mast. With some now having 50 ft - 60ft Carbon fibre masts, a lot less lead is used.
The seamanship in this race is sailing the narrow rivers, especially on a no moonlight race. Spotting wind shifts then is hard work.
Especially hard is sailing in a northerly from the lower Bure buoy to potter heigham.. That can be 5 hours of tacking every 30 seconds to a minute in darkness..

The rivers are tidal for almost the entire course , and you choose your route round the four turning points.
Getting your route right for wind and tide is most important. Especially at two key points.
The lower Bure buoy, where you could have a 4mph tide in either direction and at Potter Heigham bridge, where there can be a substantial current through the "hole in the wall".

We do get big crowds at the Start, various pubs on the route, Ludham Bridge where you don't go under but turn immediately before it in a narrow river, and the biggest crowds at Potter Heigham bridge, especially if tide and wind means most sail straight there, so the peak fleet arrives between 15:00 and 17:00.

High tide at the start this year is about 11:30 the boats start in ten boat groups every 5 minutes from 11:00, so the majority will do the short legs to Ludham Bridge and south Walsham first, then go to the lower Bure buoy before heading to potter heigham. So the peak time for that bridge in normal wind conditions that will be around midnight, not good for the crowds..

 

[dacapo]

this race now shoots up to #2 on my bucket list..................that looks like a freakin good time

 

[The Q]

If you produce some evidence of experience in sailing, there are yards that will hire you a boat for the event.

Martham Boats | Norfolk Broads Boating, Cruiser & Sailing Holidays

Martham Boats offer boat hire on the Norfolk Broads for boating, sailing and motor cruiser holidays, as well as a range of day hire and activities available.

www.marthamboats.com

Traditional Norfolk Broads Sailing - Hunter's Yard

Discover the beauty of the Norfolk Broads with a sailing holiday on traditional wooden cabin yachts & half-deckers.

huntersyard.co.uk

Norfolk Broads Sailing Boat Hire - Oliver's Sailing Holidays UK

Discover the hidden inland waters of the Norfolk Broads on beautiful traditional yachts. Fun with family and friends. Plan your dream holiday today!

www.broadssailingholidays.co.uk

Eastwood Whelpton | Sailing On The Norfolk Broads

Hire a boat and enjoy a classic family sailing holiday in the UK. Explore more than 125 miles of navigable rivers and broads in Norfolk.

www.eastwood-whelpton.co.uk

Whilst hire cruisers give you toilets. A cooker, berths and some degree of comfort.
For best performance I'd hire a Rebel Keelboat, or Yard and Bure one design or other half decker.

I've done the race in a Rebel and in a Y&B, at 20-23ft they are designed to race on the rivers and broads, and particularly good on the narrow rivers.

If you were to hire a sailing cruiser I'd get it several days ahead, the handling of a broads cruiser on the rivers takes some getting used to, and you can practice dropping the mast...

 

[The Q]

Another video of last year's race, which starts with a Rebel Keel boat (Red R on sail)

 

[Hitchhiker]

Looks fun. @dacapo . What is number one on your bucket list?

Looks like the River Cruiser has the best winning record, followed by the Wayfarer/Thames A rater/Norfolk punt.

Interesting that the River Cruiser has nine wins with nine different skippers. Where as Stuart Rix has the most wins in two classes and then Chris Bunn has 6 wins in four different classes.

I used to teach sailing on a Wayfarer. So my choice is that boat and follow Stuart Rix!

 

[dacapo]

Looks fun. @dacapo . What is number one on your bucket list?

Looks like the River Cruiser has the best winning record, followed by the Wayfarer/Thames A rater/Norfolk punt.

Interesting that the River Cruiser has nine wins with nine different skippers. Where as Stuart Rix has the most wins in two classes and then Chris Bunn has 6 wins if four different classes.

I used to teach sailing on a Wayfarer. So my choice is that boat and follow Stuart Rix!

The Middle Sea race and the Transpac was no. 2

 

[The Q]

Entries close 23rd April 2023,
Get your entries in to complete a bucket list...

 

[Veeger]

While there is very little N American racing I'd 'like' to do, the R2AK is on my list (daydream). In Europe, the 3 Rivers, Silver Rudder and Tjorn Rundt or Tjorn Gotland all spark the imagination...

 

[The Q]

Less than a week to get your entries in!!!

 

[The Q]

Entries have officially closed, but a little bit of grovelling will still get you in

 

[The Q]