Norfolk Punt Championships at the Norfolk Punt Club

Action from the Norfolk Punt Championships © Mary Moore

Action from the Norfolk Punt Championships © Mary Moore

Action from the Norfolk Punt Championships © Mary Moore

The ideal combination of sun and wind for a Norfolk Broads sailing event is rare and this year’s, held at the Norfolk Punt Club on Barton Broad, was no exception taking place on what appeared as a bleak November day but in fact was a weekend in late August.

The Norfolk Punt, for the uninitiated, is a two man, 22 ft (6.7m) dinghy, developed from the 19th century duck punts that were used by hunters for wildfowling and fishing. Today’s Norfolk Punts are divided into three classes, Traditional, Hard Chine and Morrison. The Hard Chine achieved a speed of 13.8 knots at the speed trials in Weymouth in 1978, considerably faster than a Flying Dutchman at the time. The technologically superior design produced by Phil Morrison in 1998 with its twin trapezes and asymmetric spinnaker is a much faster boat.

The Championship, open to all owners of Norfolk Punts, comprises five races over two days, with one discard and is to all intents and purposes the National Championship for Norfolk Punts.

Of the 100 punts currently registered with the Punt Association 24 entered for the event.

Day 1

With a North Westerly gusting to force 6 blowing throughout the day, conditions were always going to be challenging for the competitors and the rescue boat crews.

Race 1 saw two Punts capsize on the approach to the start line and only some frantic bailing prevented Shuck (28) from sinking. Two of the competitors decided not to start and a further 7 failed to finish.

Whooper (94) took line honours but failed to defend her time on handicap and finished third behind Snark (49) and Harnser (51).

A fabulously contested start to Race 2 led to Hushwing (79) calling for room to tack by the club pontoons only for two starboard tack boats not to hear the call. Despite the ensuing mayhem no collision occurred and Whooper led from the first windward mark on her way to her second line honours, this time defending her time from Peregrine (86) and Snark (49).

Four Morrisons, complete with asymmetrics, put on a capsize drill for the spectators and rescue boats in front of the clubhouse whilst gybing on the first downwind leg. On the next upwind leg Blackbird (74) showed that no matter how well you think your mast is made, it will fold in half if you push it far enough.

Race 3 added to the list of breakages with Redwing (98) snapping her rudder stem and being forced to retire from the event. Richard Parker, owner of Great White (97) and local Norwich chandlery Boats’n’Bits was starting to benefit in more ways than one. Whooper (94) again took line honours, but this time Harnser (51) took the race on handicap from Whooper (94) and Great White (97).

The Punt Championship Party was hosted on the Saturday evening by Peter Bainbridge and his wife Midge at their Norfolk home on the southern end of the Broad.

Day 2

The wind, still from the north west, had eased to force 2 to 3 which pleased the rescue boat crews, with occasional gusts up to force 4, but now a slight drizzle was added to the conditions.

The fleet had been reduced to 20, but all set off to compete in Race 4. Dabchick (80) and Great White (97) joined Norfolk Punt Club Commodore Val Khambatta in Gamecock (37) in being late to the line, Great White ably demonstrating rigging under way. The Commodore had made an unscheduled trip to the dinghy park to retrieve a forgotten rudder, which was, of course, the crew’s fault!

A keenly contested start again saw the Morrisons lead the fleet to the first windward mark with Great White (97) leading, hotly pursued by Peregrine (86), Hushwing (79) and Whooper (94). Harnser (51) took the lead on the second windward leg and held it to the end of the race, which she took on handicap from Whooper (94) and Peregrine (86).

So it was all to play for in Race 5. Taking the discard into account Harnser led Whooper by 1 point, with Peregrine 4 points behind in third.

The spectators could not have expected more drama, but it was provided when Whooper (94) failed to notice the late change of course in the shifting winds and promptly missed out the first mark, leading to her retirement.

This should have given Harnser (51), second placed on the water at the time, a clear run at the Championship but she sailed to the West of the island from marks 1 to A instead of the mandatory East side when these marks are consecutive.

Correcting her mistake and reversing course to sail East of the Island she fell to 7th place on the water and finished 6th on handicap. Line honours were taken by Great White (97) third on handicap, but the win went to Snow Goose (96) with Shoveller (61) second.

Overall Results:

1st Peter Bainbridge, Whooper (94)
2nd James Jarvey, Harnser (51)
3rd Simon Clayton, Peregrine (86)

Traditional Punt Trophy
William Daniels, Swallow II (35)

Hardchine Trophy
James Jarvey, Harnser (51)

Progress Cup (first over the water – 4 races out of 5 to count)
Peter Bainbridge, Whooper (94)

A full set of results will be posted on the Punt Owners website at www.norfolkpunt.org