Barton Regatta 2023 at the Norfolk Punt Club

by Dick Roe 1 Sep 2023 18:15 BST 26-28 August 2023

Barton Regatta 2023 © Trish Barnes

August bank holiday weekend saw competitors returning to the Norfolk Punt Club at Barton Broad for the historic Barton Regatta.

The three-day event attracted entries from over one hundred boats including a welcome increase in junior entries. As usual the edges of the broad were populated with anchored rafts of competitors and spectators motor boats, sailing craft, tenders, canoes and paddle boards. For those without a boat with a bed there was camping available ashore at Barton Adventure Centre, who also ran a pop-up café serving breakfasts for the duration of the regatta. A regular free water taxi providing access out onto the broad from Barton Turf Staithe.

Fifteen classes were sailing for 30 trophies. With 54 race starts it was decided to move the regatta into the 21st century and use the current 5,4,1,0 start sequence to compress the time spent starting races and reduce the delays to the programme from general recalls. Although there were the inevitable postponements over the weekend to allow for adjustments to the race course and crews to swap boats, competitors were obligingly well behaved with only a handful of individual recalls.

Barton Regatta 2023 - photo © Trish Barnes

Racing got under way promptly at eleven o'clock on the Saturday with the first of the three-day series races for Norfolk Punts and a Crews race series. After this single race trophy starts were held for both Allcomers with a handicap of 1200 or less and Junior Allcomers. The rest of the starts were for three-day race series for Yare and Bure one designs, Broads one designs, Yeomans, Combined Allcomers and River Cruiser Class. Conditions remained fairly stable with a moderate south westerly wind. Until the approach of a large rain cloud late in the afternoon, which made the wind back to the south before veering back to the west again after emptying its contents on the race course. This necessitated moving the starting location twice before the final race series could get under way.

Saturday evening saw the regatta party held in the boat shed at Cox's Boatyard with catering provided by Nelsons County Catering and the Neatishead White Horse public house who also provided the bar. The evening's musical entertainment being supplied by rockabilly covers band Beaky and the Meerkats.

Barton Regatta 2023 - photo © Trish Barnes

With a shifty moderate breeze blowing mainly from the south west, Sunday's starts for the ongoing three-day race series got under way at 09.20 with additional two-day race series beginning for Allcomers A (excluding punts), Allcomers B and Junior Allcomers. The last race of the day was a pursuit race, with trophies for the overall winner as well as the winner in each of the class categories. Prior to the start another late afternoon rain cloud started to make its prescence felt, necessitating the move of the start line and donning of waterproofs. Thirty seven boats took the start with the increasing wind that arrived with the rain providing a lively sail for all.

Sunday evening saw the running of the Water Frolic with a variety of short snappy races held on various types of human powered water craft, accompanied by much vocal encouragement from the spectators. This was followed by a Bring Your Own BBQ on the club pontoons in the middle of the broad.

Barton Regatta 2023 - photo © Trish Barnes

The concluding races of the two-day and three-day race series got under way at 09.20 on Monday, the last day of the regatta, with the last race starting at 13.50. Conditions were pretty light and flukey, with the wind blowing mainly from the north and west. On completion of the racing the weekend was rounded off with the drawing of the regatta raffle, whilst the results for the regatta prize-giving were collated and checked, before presentation of the regatta trophies. Full details of regatta trophies winners can be found below.

As ever the Regatta committee and competitors would like to thank all the volunteers and members of the community who helped make the event possible, The Norfolk Punt Club, Barton Turf Adventure Centre, Barton Turf Parish Council, The Peel Family, Snowflakes Sailing Club, The Nancy Oldfield Trust, The Seafarers Trust, Coxs Boatyard, Dipple and Conway, Jeckles Sailmakers, The Norfolk Cookie Company, Simpsons Boatyard, Roys of Wroxham, Neatishead White Horse, Nelsons County Catering and all raffle prize donors.

Regatta Trophies were won by the following:

Pursuit Race Trophies

Moore Challenge Cup for the overall winner and Anne Mackintosh Cup for Yare
and Bure One Designs, 'Fox' Chris Bunn.
Barton Silver Cup for Broads One Designs, 'Merlin' Richard Whitefoot.
Loynes Challenge Cup for Allcomers, 'Sorrel' Paul Armitage.
Rogue Tankard for River Cruiser Class yachts, 'Vacuna' Simon Bryan.
Ant Challenge Cup for boats wintered on the river Ant and Punt Challenge Cup
for Norfolk Punts, 'Rushlight' Max Dixey.
Wherry Cup for Yeomans, 'Turnstone' Tom How.
Carter Cup for Juniors, 'Laser 201587' Edward Clifford.

Single Race Trophies

Alec Simpson Trophy for Fast Allcomers, 'Greylag' Alex Standley.
Junior Challenge Cup for Junior Allcomers, 'Feva 1854' Kyriel Fynn.
Barton Broad Challenge Cup for Slow Allcomers, 'Fox' Chris Bunn.
Sally Webster Trophy for Junior Allcomers, 'Red Start' Ralph Leftley.

Regatta Series Trophies

Crews Race for crew who do not usually helm, 'Turnstone' Charlotte Drew.
Forbes Cup for Norfolk Punts, 'Wild Goose' Charlie Stewart.
Dinghy Trophy for Allcomers A excluding punts, 'Lookfar' Ulysses O'Dwyer.
Balholm Salver for Allcomers B, 'Fox' Chris Bunn.
De Quincy Salver for Junior Allcomers, Padfoot' Zoe Barnes.
Domino Trophy for Fast River Cruiser Class yachts, 'Matilda' Anthony Landamore.
Pollitt Trophy for Slow River Cruiser Class yachts, 'Alchemy' Richard Smith.
Nancy Oldfield Trust trophy for Allcomers A excluding punts, 'Minnie' Ellie Edwards.
Seafarers UK for Allcomers B, 'Fox' Chris Bunn.
Sundog Challenge Cup for Norfolk Punts, 'Snow Goose' Jane Pye.
Junior Members Cup for Norfolk Punts, 'Goosander' Henry Drew.
Lycaena Trophy for Yare and Bure One Designs, 'Dingy Skipper' Martin Thompson.
Puffin Trophy for Broads One Designs, 'Peregrine' Chris Aitkin.
Ali Moore Trophy for Yeomans, 'Turnstone' Alistair Drew.
Waxwing Trophy for Combined Allcomers, 'Minnie' Ellie Edwards.

Water Frolic Trophies

Age ten and under rowing, Oscar Bayliss.
12 and under paddleboard, Amelia Ferrier-Hanger.
Open paddleboard, Rob Ferrier-Hangar.
Open rowing and UFO (uncategorized floating objects), Beowulf O'Dwyer and Johnnie Rudd.

Other Trophies