Horning Sailing Club Enjoys a Fantastic Easter Weekend on the Water
by Holly Hancock 22 Apr 06:33 BST
20-21 April 2025
Horning Sailing Club enjoyed a vibrant and successful Easter weekend, marked by strong turnouts and exciting racing across two days of sailing.
Easter Sunday brought sunshine and a pleasant breeze, ideal conditions for racing on the river just outside the Clubhouse. Although the keelboat fleets were slightly smaller than usual, with Reedlings, Yare & Bures, Rebels, and Yeomans taking part, the dinghy fleets on the other hand were out in force with Toppers, Lasers, and an Optimist participating.
Two cruisers joined the action, with Robert Harris (Rushmere) and George Brewis (Amantani) each claiming a race win. In the Allcomers keelboat races, Phil Storey in Rebel Rascal secured a victory in the first race, followed by Geoff Stubbs in Tara and Q Stewart in Blue Moon. The second race saw Tara and Rebel Rascal swap positions, with Blue Moon again taking third.
The Toppers saw sibling success, with Devon Bulldeath winning the first race and sister Karlina taking wins in the remaining two. The Laser fleet saw wins shared among Harrison Ryder (Race 1), Tallulah Reardon-Burr (Race 2), and George Davies (Race 3).
Easter Monday saw a change in weather with much lighter winds, but the enthusiasm remained high as over 20 boats - including many visiting sailors - gathered for the traditional downriver race to Thurne. Often considered a warm-up for the Three Rivers Race, this event was a highlight despite the calm conditions, particularly on the return leg where the river resembled a millpond at times.
Among the seven cruisers, the racing was incredibly close. Grayling (Peter Goshawk) was the first to finish on the water, narrowly ahead of Swallowtail (Toby Pearce). However, on handicap, Swallowtail took the win, with Grayling second and Pickle (Phil Montague) third. A standout feature of the day was the participation of six Star Class boats from the Norfolk Broads Star Fleet, adding friendly rivalry and spectacle to the event. Due to the strong Star turnout, the fleet was given its own start after the cruisers. Nick Eastwood in Jolly Good made it to Thurne in just over an hour and a quarter—an impressive feat in such light conditions—taking not only the Star class win but also first overall in the keelboats. He was followed by Thomas Wildman in Disastar and Ben Pond in Empress.
Other fleets were well represented, with a mix of Yeomans, Yare & Bures, a Reedling, and various dinghies. Notable results included first Yare & Bure: Jack Barnham in Peacock; first Yeoman: Scorpio helmed by Steve Middleditch and first Dinghy: Shokanawe helmed by Lily Herring.
Upon arrival at Thurne the large turnout filled the garden of the Thurne Lion Pub, where sailors enjoyed a well-earned lunch before heading back upriver.
The return leg proved more challenging with fading winds. Swallowtail, the downriver cruiser winner, ran aground shortly after the start near the iconic white Thurne windmill, but quickly recovered to finish third. Mystery took the return win, with Grayling once again in second.
After more than 90 minutes of racing, the finish between Jolly Good and Disastar was so close it came down to a photo finish and a dead heat, both boats battling for the overall lead among both the Stars and keelboats. Shokanawe secured another win in the dinghies, while Peacock and Scorpio repeated their earlier successes in their respective fleets.